Wafer Fab Technician – PECVD, Dry Etch & Wet Etch

Semtech•City of Industry, CA

19h

About The Position

The Wafer Fab Process Technician is a production and technical lead responsible for running volume production and maintaining process stability, recipe control, and yield performance across InP photonic device lines, including InP Buried Heterostructure (BH) DFB lasers and BH Gain Chips (GC). The role primarily operates PECVD dielectric deposition systems, ICP/RIE dry etch systems, and wet etch benches. Work includes dielectric masking, Mesa etch, and surface preparation supporting MOCVD epitaxial regrowth of InP current-blocking layers, as well as dielectric passivation of finished devices. The Technician works with minimal supervision in a III-V cleanroom environment to meet throughput targets, investigate process excursions, maintain Process-of-Record (POR) discipline, and mentor junior technicians and operators. The position operates PECVD systems to deposit SiO2 and SiNx films, ICP/RIE systems for dielectric patterning and InP/InGaAsP Mesa etch, and wet benches for stripe etch, BOE oxide removal, resist strip, and pre-regrowth surface cleans. It also involves chamber maintenance and qualification, lot prioritization, in-line metrology and inspection, process troubleshooting, SPC and recipe ownership, root-cause investigations, process qualifications, and training support. The role may require flexibility to support engineering runs or excursions outside standard shift hours. A reasonable estimated pay range is $25–$36. Base salary considerations include job-required qualifications, skills, education and experience, job location, and other elements of total compensation.

Requirements

Associate degree in electronics, chemistry, materials science, or a related technical field preferred; equivalent experience is considered.
5–10 years of experience in semiconductor or photonics wafer processing, with direct III-V/InP process experience.
Strong working knowledge of PECVD dielectric deposition (SiO2, SiNx), plasma dry etch, wet etch, and in-line fab process steps.
Hands-on proficiency operating deposition, etch, and metrology tools, including ellipsometer/reflectometer, profilometer, SEM, and defect inspection tools, in volume production.
Working knowledge of plasma etch behavior, including rate, selectivity, profile, polymer effects, and chamber conditioning effects, and of dielectric film properties and stress.
Ability to independently lead complex process troubleshooting and root-cause investigations.
Demonstrated ability to sustain lot throughput and cycle-time targets in a high-volume deposition and etch production area.
Strong ownership mentality and independent judgment.
Effective communication with operators, technicians, and process and equipment engineers.
Ability to mentor and train junior staff.
Ability to work in a cleanroom environment for extended periods across multiple process bays, including sustained time in PECVD and dry etch bays.
Ability to work around chemicals, including acids and solvents, and process gases while following proper safety procedures.

Nice To Haves

Direct, hands-on experience operating PECVD and plasma dry etch (ICP/RIE) systems in a high-volume production environment is strongly preferred.
Hands-on wet etch and wet bench experience on III-V materials and dielectrics is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary production technician for PECVD, dry etch, and wet etch modules, moving InP BH DFB laser and BH GC lots through production on schedule.
Operate PECVD systems to deposit SiO2 and SiNx dielectric films while maintaining film thickness, refractive index, uniformity, and stress within specification.
Operate ICP/RIE dry etch systems for dielectric mask patterning and InP/InGaAsP Mesa etch, controlling etch rate, selectivity, sidewall profile, and etch depth.
Execute wet etch and wet bench steps, including stripe etch, BOE oxide removal, resist strip, and pre-regrowth surface cleans; maintain bath chemistry through scheduled bath changes and concentration checks.
Perform chamber cleans, seasoning, and scheduled preventive maintenance on PECVD and dry etch tools; qualify chambers with monitor wafers before returning tools to production.
Prioritize and sequence hot lots, engineering wafers, and standard production lots to sustain tool utilization and meet throughput targets.
Perform in-line film thickness, refractive index, etch depth, and defect inspection, along with first-wafer and first-lot qualification checks before downstream release.
Troubleshoot routine tool and process issues in real time to minimize downtime and protect production schedules.
Lead root-cause investigations for process excursions and drift across assigned modules.
Design and run targeted process checks, including short-loop wafers and engineering splits, to isolate root causes.
Partner with Process Engineering and Equipment Engineering to design and verify corrective actions.
Own SPC control charts and control-limit reviews for assigned process metrics.
Own and maintain process recipes and POR documentation, particularly PECVD deposition and dry etch recipes.
Evaluate and implement engineering-approved recipe changes and verify post-change process stability.
Support qualification of new or modified process steps, DOEs, process qualifications, and NPI process runs.
Train and mentor Operators on PECVD, dry etch, and wet etch production operations, process control methods, and troubleshooting techniques.