Staff Dry Etch Process Engineer
About The Position
At Nokia Optical Networks, the team develops and manufactures Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic integrated circuits (PICs) for coherent optics, high-speed transceivers, tunable lasers, optical amplifiers, and next-generation networking solutions. The Staff Dry Etch Process Engineer develops, integrates, and optimizes plasma etch processes used to fabricate advanced photonic devices. The role involves hands-on work with dry etch equipment, chamber hardware, consumables, masks, and metrology systems to improve critical dimensions, profile control, sidewall roughness, etch selectivity, yield, and manufacturability. The engineer collaborates with device design, integration, manufacturing, equipment suppliers, and product teams to move concepts from research into high-volume production. The position also works with Nokia R&D and manufacturing organizations globally and with equipment and material suppliers to develop robust process solutions aligned with Nokia's optical networking technology roadmap. It supports the use of advanced analytics, automation, and AI-enabled solutions to accelerate process development and operational excellence. The role supports a 24x7 manufacturing operation, including on-call support and swing shifts as business requirements dictate.
Requirements
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field; alternatively, a B.S. degree with 5+ years of semiconductor, photonics, or optoelectronic process engineering experience will be considered.
- Experience in semiconductor or photonic process development, integration, or sustaining engineering.
- Strong understanding of plasma etch fundamentals, chamber hardware, process characterization, and defect reduction methodologies.
- Experience with DOE planning, statistical analysis, SPC, and process capability improvement.
- Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering and manufacturing organizations.
- Strong ownership mindset and demonstrated ability to independently drive projects, solve problems, and deliver results.
- Ability to prioritize and respond quickly to manufacturing challenges in a dynamic environment.
Nice To Haves
- Hands-on experience with ICP, RIE, or other advanced dry etch systems used in compound semiconductor or photonic device manufacturing.
- Experience processing InP, GaAs, SiN, silicon photonics, or other III-V semiconductor technologies.
- Understanding of photonic device fabrication challenges, including waveguide profile control, etch depth uniformity, optical loss reduction, and dimensional variation control.
- Experience with optical metrology, SEM analysis, cross-section characterization, and defect inspection techniques.
- Knowledge of photonic integrated circuit fabrication, including lasers, modulators, optical amplifiers, and passive optical components.
- Experience supporting technology transfer, yield improvement, and high-volume manufacturing environments.
- Experience collaborating with equipment suppliers and external technology partners on process development initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Develop, qualify, and sustain dry etch processes for InP photonic integrated circuits and related optical devices.
- Optimize etch rate, critical-dimension control, sidewall profile, selectivity, surface morphology, roughness, uniformity, and device performance.
- Support fabrication of waveguides, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs), lasers, modulators, and passive optical components.
- Drive defect reduction, yield improvement, and process capability enhancement using DOE, SPC, statistical analysis, and advanced process control methodologies.
- Perform root-cause analysis and corrective actions for process excursions, equipment issues, yield losses, and device performance gaps.
- Analyze processes using first-principles, physics-based approaches to understand and manipulate mechanisms.
- Collaborate with lithography, wet etch, thin film, metallization, reliability, and device engineering teams to develop integrated process flows.
- Partner with equipment and materials suppliers on chamber matching, hardware upgrades, process optimization, and cost-of-ownership improvements.
- Document process baselines, engineering evaluations, change controls, and best practices; communicate results to cross-functional teams and management.
- Support technology transfer from development into manufacturing while maintaining process stability and product quality.
- Support a 24x7 manufacturing operation through on-call support, issue escalation, and cross-functional problem-solving when required.
- Demonstrate flexibility in work schedule and work swing shifts based on business requirements.
- Use AI, machine learning, and advanced data analytics tools to improve process efficiency, yield, and engineering productivity.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
