Staff Wet Etch Process Engineer

NOKIA; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Nokia Optical Networks in Sunnyvale, CA seeks a Staff Wet Etch Process Engineer to lead development and optimization of wet etch and wet clean processes for InP photonic devices. You will work hands-on with wet benches, chemical delivery, and metrology to improve yield and surface quality.

The ideal candidate holds an MS or PhD in a related field with 5+ years in semiconductor or photonics process engineering, and demonstrates strong DOE knowledge and ownership of projects.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in a relevant engineering or science discipline.
• 5+ years semiconductor, photonics, or process engineering experience.
• Strong understanding of wet processing, surface chemistry, contamination control, DOE, and SPC.
• Strong ownership mindset and ability to independently drive projects and deliver results.
• Ability to prioritize and respond quickly to manufacturing challenges.

Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and sustain wet etch and wet clean processes for InP photonic integrated circuits and related optical devices.
• Optimize etch rate, selectivity, undercut control, surface roughness, uniformity, contamination control, and yield.
• Support fabrication of optical structures such as waveguides, SOAs, lasers, modulators, and passive optical components.
• Drive defect reduction and yield improvement using DOE, SPC, and statistical analysis.
• Analyze processes from a first-principles, physics-based approach to understand and manipulate mechanisms, not just recipes.
• Provide rapid response and technical leadership for process excursions and production issues.
• Support a 24x7 manufacturing operation through on-site support and issue escalation.
• Demonstrate flexibility in work schedule and swing shifts as required.
• Drive next-generation wet chemistry formulations and process development.
• Leverage AI and advanced analytics to improve process efficiency and decision making.

Skills

Wet etch

DOE

SPC

Ownership mindset

Problem solving

Education

MS or PhD in relevant engineering or science

Tools

Automated wet processing equipment

Semiconductor wet benches

Job description

At Nokia Optical Networks, advanced photonic technologies become scalable products powering the world's communication infrastructure. Our team develops and manufactures cutting‑edge Indium Phosphide (InP) photonic integrated circuits (PICs), enabling coherent optics, high-speed transceivers, tunable lasers, optical amplifiers, and next‑generation networking solutions.

As a Staff Wet Etch Process Engineer, you will develop, integrate, and optimize wet etch and wet clean processes used in the fabrication of advanced photonic devices. You will work hands‑on with wet processing equipment, chemical delivery systems, consumables, and metrology systems to improve dimensional control, selectivity, surface morphology, contamination performance, yield, and manufacturability.

• Develop, qualify, and sustain wet etch and wet clean processes for InP photonic integrated circuits and related optical devices.
• Optimize etch rate, selectivity, undercut control, surface roughness, uniformity, contamination control, and yield.
• Support fabrication of optical structures such as waveguides, SOAs, lasers, modulators, and passive optical components.
• Drive defect reduction and yield improvement using DOE, SPC, and statistical analysis.
• Analyze processes from a first‑principles, physics‑based approach to understand and manipulate mechanisms, not just recipes
• Provide rapid response and technical leadership for process excursions and production issues.
• Support a 24x7 manufacturing operation through on‑call/on‑site support and issue escalation.
• Demonstrates flexibility in work schedule and is willing to work swing shifts based on business requirements.
• Drive next‑generation wet chemistry formulations and process development
• Leverage AI and advanced analytics to improve process efficiency and decision making.

• MS or PhD in relevant engineering or science discipline.
• 5+ years semiconductor, photonics, or process engineering experience.
• Strong understanding of wet processing, surface chemistry, contamination control, DOE, and SPC.
• Strong ownership mindset and ability to independently drive projects and deliver results.
• Ability to prioritize and respond quickly to manufacturing challenges.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with semiconductor wet benches and automated wet processing equipment.
• Experience processing InP, GaAs, SiN, silicon photonics, or III‑V technologies.
• Passion for manufacturing excellence and continuous improvement.
• Proven ability to thrive in a fast‑paced fab environment balancing production and development priorities.