Director of Heaters & Electrostatic Chuck Innovation

ASM International; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

ASM International is seeking a Director/MTS for Heaters and Electrostatic Chuck (ESC) to lead the design and delivery of advanced ESC and heater hardware solutions for 300mm wafer processing. You will develop innovative ceramic and dielectric systems, define performance specs, and drive integration with plasma processing tools in a cross-functional team.

The role requires a Master’s or PhD in Materials Science or related field, 10+ years in semiconductor capital equipment engineering, and strong

Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Materials Science, Ceramic Engineering, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in semiconductor capital equipment engineering, with direct exposure to ESC or heater technologies.
• Experience with 300mm wafer processing tools and OEM component qualification processes.
• Knowledge of high-purity ceramic fabrication techniques (sintering, plasma spray, anodization).
• Familiarity with reactive process chemistries (fluorine, chlorine plasmas) and their impact on ESC/heater materials.
• Solid understanding of electrostatic clamping mechanisms (Coulombic and JR force models) and their process dependencies.
• Experience with ceramic materials and thin-film dielectric systems used in semiconductor equipment.
• Familiarity with thermal management in vacuum environments, including radiation, conduction, and convection heat transfer.
• Hands-on experience with electrical characterization equipment (LCR meters, high-voltage testers, curve tracers).
• Knowledge of plasma processing systems (etch, CVD, PVD, or ALD) and their requirements for ESC performance.
• Experience with FEA thermal simulation tools (ANSYS, COMSOL, or equivalent).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability with a systematic approach to failure analysis.
• Effective communication skills and ability to work in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver hardware engineering solutions for ESC and heaters.
• Develop JR and Coulombic ESC assemblies for 300mm wafer processing.
• Select and qualify dielectric materials for ESC ceramics.
• Define clamping voltage, leakage current, and chucking performance specs.
• Characterize ESC electrical properties across temperature ranges.
• Mitigate wafer backside contamination and arcing risks.
• Integrate ESC with RF bias and DC chucking in plasma chambers.
• Design multi-zone heater assemblies for uniform wafer temps to 700C+.
• Perform thermal modeling to optimize heater layout and power density.
• Develop closed-loop temperature control systems with sensors and PID tuning.
• Validate heater uniformity and thermal response via mapping tools.
• Manage thermal stress and CTE mismatch for reliability.

Skills

Master's degree or PhD in Materials/相关

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Analytical thinking

Technical communication

Problem solving

Thermal management

Failure analysis

RF bias integration

Electrical characterization

Education

Master's or PhD in Materials Science / Ceramic Engineering

Tools

ANSYS / COMSOL

LCR meters / high-voltage testers

Thermal modeling tools

Job description

ASM International is seeking a Director/MTS for Heaters and Electrostatic Chuck (ESC) to lead the design and delivery of advanced ESC and heater hardware solutions for 300mm wafer processing. You will develop innovative ceramic and dielectric systems, define performance specs, and drive integration with plasma processing tools in a cross-functional team.

The role requires a Master’s or PhD in Materials Science or related field, 10+ years in semiconductor capital equipment engineering, and strong