Process Development Engineer – Thin Films & Deposition Technologies

Samba Solutions Inc; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Flexible work options

Competitive compensation

Job summary

Samba Solutions Inc in San Jose is seeking a highly hands-on CVD Process Engineer to develop PECVD/CVD technology for semiconductor applications. You will own process development, optimization, and hardware characterization, working directly on the tool in a startup environment.

You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to run DOE studies, troubleshoot issues, and drive improvements from feasibility to manufacturing release, with emphasis on SiN/SiO2 films, plasma, gas delivery, and

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field.
• 3+ years of industry experience encouraged; level mapped to experience.
• Hands-on PECVD/CVD process development at the equipment level.
• Strong understanding of plasma/RF, gas delivery, vacuum, and chamber hardware.
• Experience with SiN/SiO2 or dielectric films and thin-film characterization.
• Ability to troubleshoot process and hardware issues.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize PECVD/CVD processes for dielectric films.
• Perform DOE, process development, troubleshooting, and hardware optimization.
• Understand and optimize subsystems: RF/plasma source, gas delivery, showerhead, heater, chamber, vacuum, temperature control.
• Correlate parameters with deposition rate, uniformity, film stress, and refractive index.
• Lead customer demos and field troubleshooting; participate in tool installation and qualification.
• Create process recipes, test plans, and characterization reports.

Skills

Hands-on

DOE

Root-cause analysis

Communication

Teamwork

Presentation

Education

PhD (Materials/ChemE/EE/Physics)

Tools

JMP

Minitab

Python

Job description

To lead the next era of semiconductor manufacturing with best-in-class semiconductor equipment - empowering customers to deliver more performance from every chip, panel, and substrate.

Samba is a fast-growing semiconductor startup building next-generation equipment for AI and High-Performance Compute (HPC). We are solving atomic-level challenges in plasma physics, hardware design, materials science, and process engineering to unlock radical performance gains.

Founded by industry veterans and backed by leading partners, Samba is scaling a world-class team across Silicon Valley and Asia. We move fast, think big, and operate with trust, creativity, and purpose.

Position Summary

We are seeking a highly hands-on CVD Process Engineer to develop next-generation PECVD/CVD technology and equipment for semiconductor and advanced packaging applications. This is a startup environment where the engineer will work directly on the tool - not just analyze process data.

The successful candidate will own process development, process optimization, hardware characterization, customer demonstrations, and production qualification. The role requires a strong understanding of the interaction between plasma, gas delivery, RF, chamber hardware, thermal management, vacuum systems, wafer/substrate handling, and film properties.

This is a highly hands-on role. Candidates should expect to spend significant time working directly on CVD equipment, developing processes, debugging hardware, running experiments, analyzing results, and rapidly implementing improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize PECVD/CVD processes for SiN, SiO2, and other dielectric/passivation films.
• Perform process development, troubleshooting, and hardware/process optimization.
• Understand and optimize critical equipment subsystems including RF/plasma source, gas delivery and showerhead, ESC/Pedestal/heater, chamber design, vacuum/pumping, pressure control, temperature control, and process sensors.
• Correlate equipment and process parameters with deposition rate, uniformity, film stress, refractive index, composition, step coverage, particles, repeatability, and wafer-to-wafer/chamber-to-chamber performance.
• Design and execute DOE to establish process windows and quantify process-hardware interactions.
• Troubleshoot complex process and equipment problems using first-principles, data-driven root-cause methodology.
• Work directly with mechanical, electrical, controls/software, plasma/RF, manufacturing, and applications engineers to improve tool performance.
• Participate directly in tool installation, chamber assembly/debug, hardware modifications, qualification, customer demos, and field troubleshooting.
• Develop processes from initial feasibility through customer acceptance and manufacturing release.
• Create process recipes, specifications, test plans, characterization reports, and customer-facing technical presentations.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field
• Industry experience ranging from recent graduates with 3+ years of experience to seasoned professionals is welcome. Responsibilities and level will be aligned with the candidate’s experience and demonstrated capabilities.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience developing PECVD/CVD processes at the equipment/chamber level.
• Strong understanding of plasma/RF, gas chemistry and delivery, vacuum systems, thermal behavior, chamber hardware, and wafer/substrate interactions.
• Experience with SiN, SiO2, dielectric, and/or passivation films and relevant thin-film characterization techniques.
• Ability to troubleshoot both process and hardware issues rather than relying on separate equipment engineering teams.
• Working knowledge of DOE, SPC, FMEA, structured root-cause analysis, and process characterization.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in an R&D, new-product introduction, equipment-development, or fast-paced startup environment.
• Ability to operate with incomplete information, rapidly test hypotheses, modify hardware/process conditions, and drive technical problems to closure.
• Strong end-to-end ownership, communication, teamwork, and technical presentation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing CVD/PECVD and ALD equipment or processes at a semiconductor equipment company.
• Experience with advanced packaging, memory, logic, power semiconductor, or panel-level processing applications.
• Experience with equipment qualification, process transfer, customer demonstrations, and customer-site troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with JMP, Minitab, Python, or similar data-analysis tools.
• Experience with ALD or other advanced deposition technologies is a plus.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a builder and problem solver, not someone limited to running established recipes on mature production equipment. This engineer should be equally comfortable at the chamber, in the lab, and in front of a customer - connecting equipment fundamentals to film performance and rapidly converting learning into hardware and process improvements.

Why Join Samba?

• Work on deep technology with direct real-world impact.
• Develop new semiconductor equipment and processes from the ground up.
• Collaborate with industry pioneers and top-tier customers.
• Take meaningful technical ownership in a fast-moving startup environment.
• Competitive compensation, equity, and flexible work options.

Equal Opportunity Statement

• Samba is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for