Staff Photolithography Process Engineer

SkyWater Technology, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyWater Technology, Inc. is seeking a Staff Photolithography Process Engineer with 4+ years of experience in high-volume manufacturing environments.

You will lead process characterization, development initiatives, and collaborate across cross-functional fab teams to drive yield, CD, overlay, and cost improvements. The role emphasizes ownership of production lithography processes, development of control strategies, and the use of DOE and SPC to optimize performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical field.

Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and sustain photolithography processes for high-volume manufacturing.
• Own and sustain production lithography processes, driving yield, defectivity, CD, overlay, throughput, and cost.
• Develop process control strategies and monitor plans to maintain process stability and capability.
• Monitor SPC charts to identify trends and implement corrective actions.
• Analyze process data to identify sources of variation and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with equipment, integration, and cross-functional teams to troubleshoot issues.

Skills

Photolithography process engineering

High-volume manufacturing

Data analysis & DOE

SPC & process control

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering or related field

Tools

TEL tracks

ASML Steppers & Scanners

ARCHER metrology

NANOSEM

HITACHI SEMs

Job description

Position Summary:

SkyWater Technology is seeking a Staff Photolithography Process Engineer with 4 plus years of experience in development and sustaining high‑volume manufacturing environments, leading process characterization and development initiatives, and driving collaboration across cross‑functional fab teams.

Major Areas of Accountability:

• Develop, optimize, characterize, and sustain photolithography processes for high volume manufacturing environment.
• Own and sustain production lithography processes, driving continuous improvements in yield, defectivity, critical dimension (CD), overlay, throughput, and cost.
• Develop process control strategies and recommend appropriate metrology and monitoring plans to maintain process stability and capability.
• Monitor inline and end‑of‑line statistical process control (SPC) charts to identify trends, excursions, and abnormal process behavior, and implement corrective and preventive actions.
• Analyze process data to identify sources of variation, process marginalities, and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Investigate lithography‑related defects, patterning failures, CD variation, overlay errors, and yield losses using structured problem‑solving, statistical analysis, and design of experiments (DOE).
• Collaborate with equipment, integration, and cross‑functional engineering teams to troubleshoot process and equipment issues and improve manufacturing capability.
• Develop new lithography processes and execute qualification plans for new chemicals, materials, and process changes.
• Lead engineering projects to close process performance gaps, achieve milestones, and deliver measurable improvements in yield, productivity, and cost.
• Apply data mining, programming, scripting, and statistical analysis techniques to improve process understanding and engineering efficiency.
• Communicate technical findings and present data‑driven recommendations effectively while building strong working relationships across engineering, manufacturing, and support organizations.
• Manage multiple projects independently, demonstrate strong technical ownership, and consistently deliver commitments in a high‑volume semiconductor manufacturing environment.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in engineering or a related technical field.
• 4 plus years of experience in photolithography process engineering experience in a high volume mass production environment.
• Applied knowledge of photolithography processes, process optimization, overlay and alignment improvement, and critical dimension (CD) variation reduction.
• Tools: Experience optimizing process on TEL tracks and ASML Steppers & Scanners (I Line, KrF, & dry ArF).
• Chemicals: Experience setting up and optimizing Resist process with & without TARCs or BARCs on existing fab tool.
• Metrology: Experience with Overlay on ARCHER tools and CD job writing on NANOSEM & HITACHI SEMs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong understanding of semiconductor photolithography processes, equipment, and manufacturing operations.
• Hands‑on experience developing and characterizing lithography processes, including process windows and overlay margins.
• Demonstrated proficiency in statistical process control (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), data mining, and process data analysis.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills, with a meticulous, data‑driven approach to process improvement.
• Experience identifying process variation, reducing defectivity, improving yield, and addressing process marginalities in a production environment.
• Strong communication, project management, and cross‑functional collaboration skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.