Wafer Handling Engineer

StudySmarter; Oberkochen; Vor Ort; EUR 56.000 - 69.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

ZEISS in Oberkochen is seeking a qualified engineer to own wafer handling qualification within advanced semiconductor equipment. You will define and execute qualification strategies, integrate handling modules, and work across mechanics, automation, software, and production to ensure safe, repeatable wafer movement.

The role requires a university degree in a technical field, hands-on experience with semiconductor equipment, and strong problem-solving and communication skills.

Qualifikationen

• Degree in a technical field related to mechanical engineering or physics.
• Experience with semiconductor equipment and automation systems.
• Ability to analyze issues using structured problem-solving methods (8D, Ishikawa, FMEA).
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration.
• Willingness to support commissioning and customer-ready activities; English fluent; German is a plus.

Aufgaben

• Take ownership of wafer handling qualification and ensure safe, repeatable movement.
• Define, execute, and improve qualification strategies for wafer transfer and mapping.
• Integrate wafer handling modules and validate interaction with mechanics, automation, software.
• Analyze wafer movement issues such as slip, misalignment, transfer aborts.
• Lead root cause analysis for wafer handling incidents and implement corrective actions.
• Establish KPIs for wafer handling performance including transfer reliability and throughput.
• Support prototype build, commissioning, factory acceptance, and production transfer.
• Create documentation for error patterns, root causes, countermeasures, and actions.
• Act as cross-functional interface between System Engineering, Automation, Mechanics, Software, Process, Service, and Production.
• Drive continuous improvement of wafer flow robustness and customer readiness.

Kenntnisse

Semiconductor equipment experience

Automation & robotics understanding

Strong communication skills

Data-driven problem solving

English proficiency

Ausbildung

University degree in Mechanical Engineering

Mechatronics

Automation Engineering

Semiconductor Technology

Jobbeschreibung

ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Enabler for smaller, more powerful, and more energy-efficient microchips

Working for tomorrow today. Around 80 percent of all microchips worldwide are produced using ZEISS technologies. As the centerpiece of every electronically controlled system, they have become an integral part of our everyday lives – whether in smartphones, smart homes or smart factories. ZEISS is a technology leader in the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. With high-precision lithography optics, photomask systems and process control solutions, ZEISS enables the production of ever smaller, increasingly powerful, and more energy-efficient microchips, and thus plays a pivotal role in the age of micro- and nanoelectronics.

Semiconductor Fab Solutions (SFS) develops electron microscopy solutions for quality control in the semiconductor industry. Become part of the team behind groundbreaking innovations like the “ZEISS MultiSEM” and help push the boundaries of technology every day. You’ll work closely with people from a wide variety of disciplines. Take on the challenge and grow through exciting and responsible assignments. Join us at our inspiring location in Oberkochen, where you’ll have the opportunity to advance your career in a forward-looking environment.

Your Role

• Take ownership of wafer handling qualification within advanced semiconductor equipment, with focus on safe, repatable, and traceable wafer movement through the complete system
• Define, execute, and improve qualification strategies for wafer transfer, alignment, buffering, handover points, mapping, and substrate tracking
• Integrate wafer handling modules into the overall system and validate the interaction between mechanics, automation, software, process modules, and system control
• Analyze wafer movement issues such as wafer slip, misalignment, transfer aborts, mapping deviations, handover instabilities, collision risks, and handling-related particle risks
• Lead structured root cause analysis for wafer handling incidents and translate findings into corrective actions, design improvements, test coverage, and lessons learned
• Establish meaningful KPIs for wafer handling performance, including transfer reliability, recovery behavior, first-pass qualification rate, throughput impact, and recurring issue rate
• Support prototype build, commissioning, factory acceptance, system qualification, production transfer, and early customer ramp-up for wafer handling relevant functions
• Create clear documentation for error patterns, problem descriptions, root causes, countermeasures, verification status, and ownership of follow-up actions
• Act as cross-functional interface between System Engineering, Automation, Mechanics, Software/System Test, Application, Process, Service, and Production
• Drive continuous improvement of wafer flow robustness, system availability, serviceability, and customer readiness

Your Profile

• University degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Automation Engineering, Physics, Semiconductor Technology, or a comparable technical field
• Practical experience with semiconductor equipment, complex electro-mechanical systems, robotics, automation, or wafer handling functions
• Strong understanding of system qualification, integration testing, acceptance criteria, and structured verification of complex tool behavior
• Hands-on mindset in laboratory, cleanroom, prototype, or production-near environments
• Ability to analyze technical issues using data, test observations, logs, and structured problem-solving methods such as 8D, Ishikawa, FMEA, or similar approaches
• Strong communication skills and the ability to align technical decisions across interdisciplinary and international teams
• Very good English skills; German is an advantage and willingness to support commissioning, production transfer, and customer-relevant activities when needed

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team: Oliver Reith

Step out of your comfort zone, excel and redefine the limits of what is possible. That’s just what our employees are doing every single day – in order to set the pace through our innovations and enable outstanding achievements. After all, behind every successful company are many great fascinating people. In a spacious modern setting full of opportunities for further development, ZEISS employees work in a place where expert knowledge and team spirit reign supreme. All of this is supported by a special ownership structure and the long-term goal of the Carl Zeiss Foundation: to bring science and society into the future together. Join us today. Inspire people tomorrow.

Diversity is a part of ZEISS. We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.

Salary: EUR 56250 - 68750 per year