Senior Wet-Etch Engineer, TOPCon Solar Cells

T1 Energy Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

T1 Energy is seeking a Senior Wet Etch Engineer to own the wet chemical processes used to manufacture TOPCon solar cells at scale in Wilmer, Texas. You will apply a physics-based approach to process development and partner with engineering teams to drive cell efficiency and yield improvements in a new high-volume fab.

You will lead bath chemistry, texture, cleaning, and etch steps, qualify tools, perform DOE with robust statistics, and support 24/7 manufacturing operations to reduce cost and

Qualifications

• Degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of hands-on wet process engineering experience in solar cell or semiconductor manufacturing, with a strong preference for TOPCon or other high-efficiency cell technologies
• Deep experience with wet process development, tool qualification, and establishing process baselines and control plans in high-volume manufacturing
• Working knowledge of texturing, cleaning, and etch chemistries and their impact on surface passivation, lifetime, and cell efficiency
• Proficiency with wet process metrology, including reflectance, film thickness, particle and defect inspection, lifetime measurement, and surface analysis techniques
• Strong Design of Experiments skills and statistical analysis capability
• Experience handling hazardous chemicals safely

Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and own wet processes for TOPCon cell manufacturing, including saw damage removal, alkaline texturing, rear-side etch and polish, edge isolation, and pre-deposition and pre-diffusion cleans
• Own bath chemistry, concentration control, temperature management, dosing, and bath life for alkaline, acidic, and oxidizing chemistries, including HF, KOH/NaOH, and ozone-based steps
• Optimize BSG, PSG, and polysilicon wrap-around removal, texture quality, reflectance, and surface cleanliness to improve cell efficiency, minority carrier lifetime, and passivation performance
• Qualify inline and batch wet process tools from installation through production readiness, partnering with Equipment, Metrology, and Quality on process matching, particle and metal contamination control, and wafer breakage reduction
• Lead root cause analysis for yield excursions and efficiency losses using a first-principles, physics-based approach, and establish inline metrology and control strategies to drive systematic improvement
• Support 24/7 manufacturing operations through rotations, on-call availability, and rapid response to critical production issues
• Drive next-generation wet chemistry formulations, additives, and process development to reduce cost and improve cell performance

Skills

Wet process engineering

DOE & statistics

Cross-functional collaboration

Safety with hazardous chemicals

Etching, texturing & cleaning know-how

Education

Chemical Engineering / Materials Science / Electrical Engineering / Physics or related field

Tools

Wet process tools

Job description

T1 Energy is seeking a Senior Wet Etch Engineer to own the wet chemical processes used to manufacture TOPCon solar cells at scale in Wilmer, Texas. You will apply a physics-based approach to process development and partner with engineering teams to drive cell efficiency and yield improvements in a new high-volume fab.

You will lead bath chemistry, texture, cleaning, and etch steps, qualify tools, perform DOE with robust statistics, and support 24/7 manufacturing operations to reduce cost and