Process Integration Engineer

OpenLight; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ISOs (Incentive Stock Options)

401k matching

Unlimited vacation

Spot bonuses

Insurance support

Job summary

OpenLight Photonics is seeking a Photonics Process Integration Engineer to manage heterogeneous Silicon-III-V wafer processes within the OpenLight foundry and process team. You will coordinate with external foundries and internal designers to ensure high-volume manufacturing readiness.

The role demands hands-on experience with silicon photonic processes, metrology, and failure analysis, with a strong emphasis on data-driven yield improvements and cross-functional leadership.

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Material Science, Applied Physics or related discipline.
• Hands-on silicon photonic wafer process development and manufacturing experience.
• Experience with silicon/silicon nitride devices and Si-III-V heterogeneous integration.
• Experience with semiconductor metrology techniques (ellipsometry, profilometry, SEM, TEM, AFM).
• Strong problem solving, communication, organizational and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of statistical processes and data analysis.

Responsibilities

• End-to-end fabrication lot management, including creating fabrication plans and leading reviews with external foundries.
• Lead new process development initiatives for silicon/silicon nitride devices for heterogeneous Si photonics platform.
• Analyze inline metrology data and develop SPC charts and PCM results for yield improvement.
• Oversee wafer bonding initiatives and drive DOE to enhance yield.
• Identify yield-limiting factors and drive failure analysis with external labs and internal teams.
• Implement control plans and specifications for manufacturability.
• Assist in developing new process modules for PDK and roadmaps.
• Collaborate with internal/external teams to ensure process meets product requirements.

Skills

Technical leadership

Problem solving

Communication

Presentation skills

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering or related

MS degree with 2-5 years experience

Tools

Ellipsometry

Profilometry

SEM

TEM

AFM

Job description

As our Photonics Process Integration Engineer, you will be an integral member of the OpenLight foundry and process team, with the key responsibility of the technical management of our heterogeneous Silicon-III-V photonic wafer process. You’ll work closely with external foundry partners, including silicon front end processing, heterogeneous wafer bonding, III-V post-bond wafer processing, and backend wafer processing (i.e., wafer bumping and singulation), to manage fabrication lots, implement associated control plans, and assure the process meets high volume manufacturing standards.

If you thrive in a fast-paced development environment and enjoy working cross-functionally with external foundry partners, internal device designers, photonic integrated circuit architects, layout engineers and program managers, this could be an excellent opportunity for you!

What You Will Do

• End-to-end fabrication lot management, including creating detailed fabrication plans, participate in mask layout reviews for DfM, lead process reviews with all external foundries, and real-time monitoring of fabrication lot progress to successful completion.
• Spearhead new process development initiatives centered around silicon/silicon nitride devices in close collaboration with internal teams and external foundry partners to facilitate the integration of advanced functionalities on the OpenLight heterogeneous Si Photonics platform.
• Gather, evaluate, and synthesize in-line process metrology data to generate statistical process variation charts (SPC), as well as electrical and optical process control monitor (PCM) results, contributing to the development of a yield improvement framework for the OpenLight heterogeneous silicon photonics platform.
• Oversee wafer bonding initiatives on the OpenLight heterogeneous silicon photonics platform, identify yield-limiting factors within the current workflow, and propose new design of experiments (DOE) to enhance yield.
• Track process issues, work closely with external foundries to resolve issues in a timely manner, and drive process failure analysis with external failure analysis labs and with internal stakeholders. Collaborate closely with internal teams to identify device yield limiting factors and drive failure analysis.
• Implement control plans and process specifications to assure a manufacturable process and meets product requirements.
• Assist in the development of new process modules as required for OpenLight’s process design kit (PDK) and product roadmap.
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Material Science, Applied Physics or related discipline, or MS degree with 2-5 years of relevant professional experience
• In-depth understanding and hands-on experience of silicon photonic wafer process development and manufacturing including but not limited to photolithography, plasma etching techniques, planarization & metallization.
• In-depth understanding and hands-on experience of Si/SiN or III-V process development and manufacturing. Strong preference for candidates with heterogeneous/hybrid Si-III-V experience.
• Experience with semiconductor metrology techniques – ellipsometry, profilometry, SEM, TEM, AFM.
• Expertise in IC wafer processing failure analysis techniques
• Solid understanding of statistical processes and analysis
• Hands-on experience with optical or electronic PCM and device data analysis
• Strong technical leadership and an ability to think independently
• Very strong problem solving, communication, organizational, interpersonal, and presentation skills.

About OpenLight

OpenLight Photonics is an innovative start-up at the forefront of photonic integration, commercializing our cutting-edge heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics platform. OpenLight has a PDK that supports customers designing Photonic ASICs (PASICs) for applications in communications, LIDAR, quantum computing, sensing, and more. OpenLight has over 300 patents covering the integration of many different active and passive components, such as tunable lasers, DFBs, SOAs, modulators, switches, filters, and detectors, onto a single, silicon photonics chip. Join us in an exciting start-up environment with ample opportunities for growth and professional development.

We continue with a hybrid schedule, with a standard of three days/week in office; you select the days you're in, based on what's best for your work priorities.

OpenLight's salary for technical roles is dependent on the skills and experience of the individual, their primary work location, and other parameters; annual salary will generally be somewhere between $130,000-$230,000. In addition to cash compensation, OpenLight offers incentive stock options (ISOs), generous insurance support, 401k matching, unlimited vacation, spot bonuses, and a positive work environment. If you are excited about solving challenging problems, advancing cutting-edge technology, and working with a highly collaborative team, we would love to hear from you.