Principal Process Engineer - Advanced Semiconductor Device Development

Westerndigital; Ulm; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Westerndigital is seeking a Senior Process Engineer in Ulm, Germany to advance semiconductor wafer fabrication processes from research to pilot manufacturing. You will work hands-on in cleanroom environments and coordinate with R&D and external partners to enable next-generation device platforms.

The ideal candidate will have 5+ years in semiconductor process development, strong experience across lithography, etch, deposition, and metallization, and proficiency in DOE/SPC methods.

Qualifications

• Requires BS/MS/PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years of semiconductor process development experience.
• Strong hands-on cleanroom experience across multiple semiconductor processing modules.
• Experience with compound semiconductor or advanced device processing preferred.
• Understanding of lithography, etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and process integration.
• Experience with process characterization, SPC, DOE, and failure analysis methodologies.
• Strong experimental problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize semiconductor wafer fabrication processes across multiple process modules.
• Drive process integration from incoming wafer through fully processed devices.
• Work hands-on in the cleanroom across lithography, dry etch, wet etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and wafer handling processes.
• Develop and qualify advanced substrate preparation, thinning, bonding, and backside processing flows.
• Define process characterization strategies including CD control, overlay budgets, metrology, and defect inspection.
• Partner with external vendors and manufacturing partners to support complex multi-site wafer flows.
• Drive DOE learning cycles, root-cause investigations, yield analysis, and process optimization.
• Collaborate with device, characterization, packaging, and reliability teams to correlate process behavior with device performance.
• Build scalable process documentation, travelers, specifications, and process-control methodologies.
• Support transfer of development processes into pilot manufacturing environments.

Skills

Cleanroom experience

DOE

Process characterization

Cross-functional teamwork

Experimental problem solving

Education

MS/PhD in Materials Science, Physics, EE, or Chemical Eng

Tools

SPC/DOE tools

Wafer processing equipment

Job description

For over three decades, breakthrough advances in computing and intelligent systems have been driven by innovation at the intersection of physics, materials, manufacturing, and engineering. The next generation of high-performance technologies will require entirely new approaches to semiconductor processing, integration, and scalable device fabrication.

We are looking for a Senior Process Engineer to help develop advanced semiconductor device technologies from early research through process integration and pilot manufacturing. This role combines hands‑on cleanroom work, process development, external partner coordination, and deep technical problem solving across complex wafer fabrication flows.

You will work closely with multidisciplinary R&D teams to enable next‑generation device platforms through advanced process engineering and integration.

What you'll be doing

• Develop and optimize semiconductor wafer fabrication processes across multiple process modules.
• Drive process integration from incoming wafer through fully processed devices.
• Work hands-on in the cleanroom across lithography, dry etch, wet etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and wafer handling processes.
• Develop and qualify advanced substrate preparation, thinning, bonding, and backside processing flows.
• Define process characterization strategies including CD control, overlay budgets, metrology, and defect inspection.
• Partner with external vendors and manufacturing partners to support complex multi-site wafer flows.
• Drive DOE learning cycles, root-cause investigations, yield analysis, and process optimization.
• Collaborate with device, characterization, packaging, and reliability teams to correlate process behavior with device performance.
• Build scalable process documentation, travelers, specifications, and process-control methodologies.
• Support transfer of development processes into pilot manufacturing environments.

What we need to see

• BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
• 5+ years of semiconductor process development experience.
• Strong hands-on cleanroom experience across multiple semiconductor processing modules.
• Experience with compound semiconductor or advanced device processing preferred.
• Understanding of lithography, etch, dielectric deposition, implantation, metallization, and process integration.
• Experience working with process characterization, SPC, DOE, and failure analysis methodologies.
• Strong experimental problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Ways to stand out from the crowd

• Experience developing advanced or non-standard semiconductor process flows.
• Experience with wafer bonding, substrate removal, or heterogeneous integration.
• Strong process integration mindset with broad cross-module understanding.
• Experience building scalable process infrastructure in R&D environments.
• Familiarity with advanced metrology and defect characterization techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly iterate and solve complex process problems.

WD thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution.

WD is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at [e-mail] to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.