Director, PD development and integration

Avicena Tech; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Avicena Tech in Sunnyvale, CA seeks a Director of PD development and integration to lead development and manufacturing transfer of high-speed silicon photodetectors for microLED-based terabit communications. You will manage partnerships with leading foundries to enable transfer into high-volume manufacturing and drive qualification to industry standards.

The role focuses on coordinating PD design, wafer testing, and final test processes, with the goal of scalable manufacturing and long-term team

Qualifications

• Educational background required: BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Applied Physics.
• Proven experience managing foundry partnerships or foundry processes.
• Deep understanding of semiconductor device physics and characterization techniques (e.g., SIMS, XRD, SEM, TEM).
• Familiarity with semiconductor wafer fabrication processes, including photolithography, thin-film deposition, and etching.
• Experience with packaging technologies, including hybrid bonding and wafer stacking is a plus.
• Ability to manage outsourcing to high volume manufacturing partners.
• Testing expertise: oversee high-speed optoelectronics testing, including wafer-level and final test processes.
• Strong project management and interpersonal/communication skills.

Responsibilities

• New PD Design Development: Lead the development of innovative PD designs optimized for our applications. Work with internal and external resources to design and simulate PD performance. Work with internal resources to characterize PDs.
• Foundry Partnership Management: Lead and manage the foundry partnership, including the transfer of new photodetector designs and oversee any necessary process modifications. Ensure alignment between Avicena's technical and business requirements and the foundry partner's capabilities.
• Wafer Testing Management: Oversee the development and implementation of wafer testing strategies, including identifying and managing external vendors for wafer-level testing. Define and validate test methodologies.
• Final Test Development: Collaborate with vendors to set up and manage final test processes, ensuring robust performance validation of packaged devices.
• Qualification: Work with a multi-disciplinary team to establish qualification of Avicena's manufacturing flows and ultimate qualification to industry standards.

Skills

Foundry partnership management

PD design development

Wafer testing management

Final test development

Project management

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Applied Physics

Tools

Photolithography

Thin-film deposition

Etching

Hybrid bonding

Job description

Job Title

Director, PD development and integration

About The Role

• We are seeking a highly skilled team member to lead the development and manufacturing transfer of high-speed silicon photodetectors (PDs) optimized for microLED-based multi-terabit-per-second communications.


• This role focuses on managing critical partnerships and processes to enable the successful development and transfer of photodetectors into high-volume manufacturing working with leading semiconductor fabrication partners.


• This position is based in Sunnyvale, California.


• This position starts with a single hire with a plan to grow the team as the company and product develops.


• This is an ideal opportunity for someone looking to develop into a senior engineering management position.
  

Responsibilities

• New PD Design Development: Lead the development of innovative PD designs optimized for our applications. Work with internal and external resources to design and simulate PD performance. Work with internal resources to characterize PDs.


• Foundry Partnership Management: Lead and manage the foundry partnership, including the transfer of new photodetector designs and oversee any necessary process modifications. Ensure alignment between Avicena's technical and business requirements and the foundry partner's capabilities.


• Wafer Testing Management: Oversee the development and implementation of wafer testing strategies, including identifying and managing external vendors for wafer-level testing. Leverage expertise to define and validate test methodologies.


• Final Test Development: Collaborate with vendors to set up and manage final test processes, ensuring robust performance validation of packaged devices.


• Qualification: Work with a multi-disciplinary team to establish qualification of Avicena's manufacturing flows and ultimate qualification to industry standards.
  

Qualifications

• Educational Background:
  
  
  
  • BS, MS, or PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Applied Physics.
  
  
  
  


• Industry Experience:
  
  
  
  • Proven experience managing foundry partnerships or foundry processes.
  
  
  • Deep understanding of semiconductor device physics and characterization techniques (e.g., SIMS, XRD, SEM, TEM).
  
  
  • Familiarity with semiconductor wafer fabrication processes, including photolithography, thin-film deposition, and etching.
  
  
  • Experience with packaging technologies, including hybrid bonding and wafer stacking is a plus.
  
  
  • Ability to manage outsourcing to high volume manufacturing partners.
  
  
  
  


• Testing Expertise:
  
  
  
  • Ability to oversee high-speed optoelectronics testing, including wafer-level and final test processes.
  
  
  
  


• Project Management Skills:
  
  
  
  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate with internal teams, manage external vendors, and present complex technical findings.
  
  
  • Ability to manage timelines, overcome technical challenges, and drive solutions in a dynamic work environment.