Senior Surface & Interface Engineer - Advanced Thin Films

Seagate Technology; Normandale (AL); On-site; USD 94,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Parental leave

Paid time off

Sick time

Flex time

401(k)

Job summary

Seagate Technology seeks a Senior Surface Chemistry & Interface Engineer to advance surface cleaning, conditioning, and atomic layer processing for recording head fabrication. You will investigate ultra-thin-film coatings, analyze data to optimize interfaces, and drive technology transfer to manufacturing.

The role emphasizes DOE-based experiments, collaboration with vendors, and leading cross-functional process integration to meet future roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with chemistry-driven surface and interface processes in lab or cleanroom.
• Experience with ALD, ALE, IBD, IBE or related thin-film deposition/etch tech and precursor chemistry.
• Experience with advanced surface characterization/metrology like XPS, XRF, AFM and data interpretation.
• Experience designing and analyzing experiments using DOE and statistics for process optimization.
• Experience supporting process integration, qualification, and transfer to production.

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize surface cleaning, conditioning, and ALE processes to improve topography and ADC/CFR performance.
• Investigate ultra-thin-film coatings and interfacial engineering for adhesion and contamination control.
• Design experiments using DOE and data-driven methods to understand surface-chemistry/process interactions.
• Support development of ALD/IBE/ALE processes and precursor-surface interactions for manufacturing readiness.
• Collaborate with vendors and teams to qualify tools and expand capabilities.
• Lead root-cause investigations of yield, defects, and contamination using structured engineering methods.

Skills

Surface science

Interface chemistry

Materials fundamentals

ALD/ALE chemistry

DOE/statistical analysis

Data-driven optimization

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

XPS

XRF

AFM

Job description

Seagate Technology seeks a Senior Surface Chemistry & Interface Engineer to advance surface cleaning, conditioning, and atomic layer processing for recording head fabrication. You will investigate ultra-thin-film coatings, analyze data to optimize interfaces, and drive technology transfer to manufacturing.

The role emphasizes DOE-based experiments, collaboration with vendors, and leading cross-functional process integration to meet future roadmaps.