Research Engineer I, II, Sr. (Open rank)

Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Georgia Tech Institute for Matter and Systems seeks a Research Engineer to lead and advance shared microelectronics capabilities. You will own semiconductor fabrication, process integration, and device characterization, and drive experimental development with cross‑disciplinary teams.

You will collaborate with faculty and industry partners to translate research questions into executable experiments and contribute to proposals, reviews, and publications while mentoring users of the facility.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or closely related discipline.
• Significant hands-on experience in semiconductor fabrication, micro/nanofabrication, or semiconductor process integration.
• Demonstrated experience in experimental research, process development, experimental design, data analysis, and technical problem-solving.
• Experience operating in cleanroom or advanced semiconductor fabrication environments.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, graduate researchers, technical staff, and external research partners.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively engage diverse technical users and multidisciplinary research teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and advance research capabilities in semiconductor fabrication and process integration, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, and device/interconnect characterization.
• Develop new processes and technology platforms through experimental development, design of experiments, and validation.
• Collaborate with faculty, students, startups, industry and government partners to translate research questions into executable experiments.
• Maintain readiness and performance of capabilities and ensure reproducibility and proper SOPs.

Skills

Semiconductor fabrication

Micro/nanofabrication

Process integration

Experimental research

Cleanroom experience

Team collaboration

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

Cleanroom equipment

Probe stations

Job description

The Institute for Matter and Systems (IMS) is one of Georgia Tech's Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IMS brings together researchers across fields and operates shared fabrication and characterization facilities with more than 250 instruments, including more than 23,000 square feet of cleanroom space. The facilities serve users from academia, industry, and government and are part of the NSF-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure.

IMS is seeking a Research Engineer to serve as a technical leader within its shared microelectronics research infrastructure. The position owns and advances research capabilities in semiconductor fabrication and process integration, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, and device and interconnect characterization.

The Research Engineer develops new processes and methods, ensures that IMS capabilities produce reliable and research-quality results, supports facility users, collaborates on challenging academic and externally sponsored research, and provides opportunities to pursue independent applied research in a highly dynamic academic environment. The role combines hands-on experimental work with technical leadership, user development, applied research, and responsibility for helping IMS determine where to build future capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and Advance Research Capabilities.Serve as the technical authority for semiconductor fabrication and process integration, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration, and device and interconnect characterization. Define validated methods, baseline processes, performance metrics, and reproducibility standards, and integrate tools into reliable workflows for semiconductor devices, MEMS, photonics, sensors, advanced materials, and wide-bandgap research.
• Develop New Processes Methods and Technology Platforms. Lead experimental development beyond standard equipment recipes. Use feasibility studies and designed experiments to define technical limits and advance successful methods through characterization, qualification, documentation, and user deployment. Areas may include:
• Semiconductor fabrication and process integration. Develop integrated process flows using photolithography, direct-write lithography, RIE, ICP, DRIE, PVD, CVD, ALD, thermal and wet processing, and metallization.
• Advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration. Develop workflows for redistribution layers, electroplating, TSV/TGV integration, wafer bonding, die attach, lamination, metallization, wafer-level processing, and heterogeneous integration.
• Device interconnect and package characterization. Develop electrical testing and validation methods using probe stations and parameter analyzers, including interconnect and package characterization, reliability assessment, and failure analysis.
• Pursue Collaborative or Independent Research. Collaborate with Georgia Tech faculty, students, startups, industry, government laboratories, and sponsored research teams to translate research questions and device requirements into executable experiments. Select methods, integrate techniques, troubleshoot failures, interpret results, and contribute to proposals, reviews, reports, presentations, and publications. Pursue independently funded research aligned with IMS priorities.
• Steward Scientific and Technical Performance. Maintain the scientific integrity, readiness, and performance of assigned capabilities. Lead acceptance, qualification, calibration, baseline monitoring, and root-cause troubleshooting. Define requirements for maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and process changes, coordinating with IMS staff, vendors, service engineers, and research partners as needed.
• Train, Mentor and Sustain Institutional Knowledge. Train and qualify students, researchers, staff, and internal and external users in experimental design, process integration, measurement, troubleshooting, and reproducible use of shared infrastructure. Maintain standard operating procedures, recipes, training materials, baseline data, best practices, and troubleshooting guidance so institutional knowledge remains accurate and transferable.
• Shape Future IMS Technical Direction. Identify emerging needs and technology trends to guide IMS capability roadmaps and investments. Recommend and commission new equipment, methods, and platforms; support proposals and partnerships; and build faculty and external collaborations. Initiate applied research aligned with IMS priorities in fabrication, packaging, integration, and characterization.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related discipline.
• Significant hands-on experience in semiconductor fabrication, micro/nanofabrication, or semiconductor process integration.
• Demonstrated experience in experimental research, process development, experimental design, data analysis, and technical problem-solving.
• Experience operating in cleanroom or advanced semiconductor fabrication environments.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, graduate researchers, technical staff, and external research partners.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively engage diverse technical users and multidisciplinary research teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in semiconductor devices, MEMS, photonics, sensors, advanced materials, wide-bandgap semiconductors, or related micro/nanotechnology areas.
• Experience developing fabrication processes using lithography, plasma etching, thin-film deposition, metallization, thermal processing, or wafer-level process integration.
• Experience in advanced packaging, wafer-level packaging, electroplating, RDL, TSV/TGV processing, wafer bonding, or heterogeneous integration.
• Experience in semiconductor device electrical characterization, packaging validation, reliability testing, or failure analysis.
• Experience independently developing new experimental methodologies, research capabilities, or technology platforms.
• Experience contributing to multidisciplinary research projects, sponsored research programs, technical publications, conference presentations, or research proposals.
• Experience working in shared research facilities, university core laboratories, national laboratories, or semiconductor industry R&D environments.
• Demonstrated ability to independently drive technical projects while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary research teams.