Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Wafer Engineering

SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES CORP; Bastrop, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

SpaceX is seeking a Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Wafer Engineering in Bastrop, TX to partner with engineering on state-of-the-art silicon wafer fab R&D lines. You will develop and refine recipes for high-quality wafers used in solar cell fabrication for Starlink satellites and Starship programs.

You will be responsible for wafer fabrication equipment commissioning, process development, monitoring and troubleshooting, wafer characterization, and transferring stable processes to production

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent certification.
• 3+ years hands-on experience in semiconductor wafer manufacturing, cleanroom operations, or high-tech production (photovoltaics or silicon processing).
• 1+ years experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals safely.
• Bachelor's or associate degree in a STEM field (preferred).
• 5+ years hands-on experience in silicon wafer manufacturing, focusing on slicing, cleaning, defect mechanisms, contamination control, and surface chemistry.
• Experience using and maintaining silicon wafer characterization techniques and equipment, including ICP-MS, GDMS, XRT, SEM/TEM, FTIR, resistivity mapping, and minority carrier lifetime testing (PL).
• Proven ability to understand and accurately follow complex manufacturing procedures and adhere to safety requirements; strong attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to work closely with engineering, other technicians, and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Partner with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the-art silicon wafer fab development lines including slicing, grinding, cleaning, degumming, and inspection stations.
• Drive equipment commissioning, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
• Perform hands-on wafer processing tasks (ingot cropping, slicing, cleaning, degumming, surface conditioning) to produce low-defect, high-reliability wafers.
• Execute DOEs to optimize silicon recycling procedures and minimize contamination of raw materials.
• Test and evaluate supplier materials (slurries, wires, adhesives, wet process chemicals) through contamination analysis and performance checks.
• Perform silicon wafer characterization; ensure lab equipment is maintained and calibrated.
• Safely handle chemicals and adhere to all EHS protocols to maintain a safe work environment.
• Ensure 5S standards and cleanroom protocols are upheld by maintaining a clean and organized work area.
• Participate in training exercises for production silicon wafer fabrication technicians, as needed.

Skills

Semiconductor manufacturing

Cleanroom operations

Hazardous chemicals handling

Safety compliance

Education

High school diploma

B.S./A.S. in STEM (preferred)

Tools

ICP-MS

GDMS

XRT

SEM/TEM

FTIR

Resistivity mapping

Minority carrier lifetime testing (PL)

Job description

Bastrop, TX

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal ofenabling human life on Mars.

MATERIALS R&D TECHNICIAN, SILICON WAFER ENGINEERING

As a Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Wafer Engineering on Starlink, you will partner directly with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the‑art silicon wafer fab R&D lines to develop and refine recipes for producing high-quality wafers. These wafers will feed internal solar cell fabrication for our next generation Starlink satellites and Starship missions to the Moon and Mars. You will be responsible for silicon wafer fabrication equipment commissioning, process development, monitoring and troubleshooting equipment, characterizing wafer quality, and transferring a stable process to the production teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the art silicon wafer fab development lines that include wafer slicing, grinding, cleaning, degumming, and inspection stations.
• Drive equipment commissioning, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
• Perform hands-on wafer processing tasks (ingot cropping, slicing, cleaning, degumming, surface conditioning) to produce low-defect, high-reliability wafers.
• Execute DOEs to optimize silicon recycling procedures and minimize contamination of raw materials.
• Test and evaluate supplier materials (slurries, wires, adhesives, wet process chemicals) through contamination analysis and performance checks.
• Perform silicon wafer characterization; ensure associated lab equipment is maintained and calibrated.
• Safely handle chemicals and adhere to all EHS protocols to maintain a safe work environment.
• Ensure 5S standards and cleanroom protocols are upheld by maintaining a clean and organized work area.
• Participate in training exercises for production silicon wafer fabrication technicians, as needed.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent certification.
• 3+ years of hands‑on experience in semiconductor wafer manufacturing, cleanroom operations, or high‑tech production (photovoltaics or silicon processing).
• 1+ years of experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals safely.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's or associate's degree in a STEM field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in silicon wafer manufacturing, with focus on slicing, cleaning, defect mechanisms, contamination control (metallic, organic, particulate), and surface chemistry.
• Experience using and maintaining silicon wafer characterization techniques and equipment, including ICP-MS, GDMS, XRT, SEM/TEM, FTIR, resistivity mapping, and minority carrier lifetime testing (PL).
• Proven ability to understand and accurately follow complex manufacturing procedures and adhere to safety requirements; strong attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills to work closely with engineering, other technicians, and cross‑functional teams.
• Ability to identify and maintain priorities for work scope.
• Ability to rapidly change roles/responsibilities while working independently in a high‑paced, challenging work environment with minimal oversight.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be open to work all shifts, overtime and/or weekends as needed.
• Must be comfortable working in a production environment using hazardous chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and solvents.
• Must be able to wear appropriate PPE for lab and electro‑chemical manufacturing environment.
• Must be able to walk and stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs. unassisted.
• Must be comfortable with climbing up and down ladders, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, carrying, crawling, and maneuvering in tight spaces.
• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here .

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Aff… or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [e-mail] .

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITARhere.