Solar Fab Senior Process Engineer

Arizona State University•Tempe, AZ

4d•$85,000 - $125,000•Onsite

About The Position

Arizona State University's Solar Power Lab (SPL), established in 2009, is a significant contributor to solar energy research and development, boasting over 24 MW of installed on-site solar generation capacity. The lab is equipped with comprehensive processing equipment for silicon solar cells, from raw silicon input to characterized and tested outputs, and also fabricates modules for reliability testing and educational purposes. Housed in the MacroTechnology Works building, SPL features 6,370 square feet of class 100/1000 cleanroom space, 2,097 square feet of non-cleanroom H6 space, and 606 square feet of dry lab. It houses over 25 major equipment pieces, including wet processing, furnaces, RTA, PECVD, sputtering tools, evaporators, screen printing, ALD, and MOCVD, along with characterization tools like I-V testers, PL, EL, QE, and lifetime testers. Following the successful ten-year NSF- and DOE-sponsored QESST Engineering Research Center, SPL transitioned to ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise as the Solar Fab (SF) Core. The Solar Fab is now seeking a Senior Process Engineer to join its team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.
Skilled in microelectronic device fabrication and equipment maintenance.
Effective in working with Solar Fab team members, affiliated faculty members, and cleanroom users.
At least five years of work experience in semiconductor and/or solar processing is required.
Work experience must be in both R&D and production facilities.
Work experience must include direct responsibilities in processes that involve thin film deposition (sputtering, evaporation, PECVD), patterning (screen printing, photolithography), etch (wet and dry), and thermal processing (RTA, furnace).
A firm knowledge in the use of analytical equipment such as profilometers, ellipsometers, four-point-probes, and SEMs.
Familiarity with process development and characterization through the usage of Design of Experiments, SPC, and the associated data analysis tools is required.
Good working knowledge of vacuum systems, mechanical, and electro-mechanical systems.
Ability to work well in a team and to operate independently when needed.
Detail oriented, flexible, self-motivated, excellent troubleshooting skills.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in engineering or a related field and ten (10) years of engineering or related experience including responsibility for tool and process requirements OR any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities have been achieved.
ALD and/or MOCVD exposure is a strong bonus.
Disposition to interface with lab customers (students, staff, faculty, and external entities) as appropriate to ensure project goals are realized.
Mentor and/or train customers on various facets related to solar -- technical nuances, tool operation, characterization, etc.
Inclination towards continuous learning and embracing associated responsibilities.
Experience in writing scientific documents (e.g., patent applications and reports).

Responsibilities

Process tool maintenance
Process development and characterization
Training cleanroom users on process tool operation
Developing and maintaining training materials
Performing tool and process monitoring and reporting
Writing tool operation procedures
Performing chemical handling
Serve as tool owner on multiple pieces of equipment, including learning and understanding all aspects of a tool, defining a baseline process, writing the tool SOP, maintaining the tool, and training future tool users.