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Salary: USD 165,000 - 220,000 / annual
fab2 is an early-stage hardware startup designing and manufacturing semiconductor fabrication equipment and components. The company was founded by Sam Zeloof (known for making chips in his garage) and Jim Keller (40-year semiconductor industry veteran). fab2 builds all hardware and software needed to make chips and operates its own fabs and tools.
The Process Team sits at the heart of fab2's in-house device development, driving the design of each new generation of tools. This role differs significantly from traditional foundry positions—you will simultaneously develop recipes, apply novel materials, test and characterize chips, and troubleshoot tools.
As a Staff Process Development Engineer, you will be responsible for experiment design and execution of new semiconductor, etching, and thin-film fabrication methods. You'll work in the lab designing and running experiments alongside senior process engineers, read academic papers and technical literature to inform experimental design, and learn to operate a range of semiconductor tools including etch, deposition, lithography, and metrology systems. You will develop, transfer, and optimize process recipes across platforms with a focus on consistency, yield, and throughput. You'll analyze process data, troubleshoot recipe or equipment issues, and clearly document findings and results for the team.
This is a high-ownership role with significant autonomy in a fast-moving startup environment. You'll contribute to novel R&D processes and influence tool design. The ideal candidate has both a strong understanding of traditional semiconductor processing and etching methods along with openness to new techniques, and the ability to digest and filter a large body of existing work (academic papers, books, etc.).
fab2 has solid funding, world-class advisors, and labs/offices in Austin, TX, Lockhart, TX, and San Francisco, CA.
REQUIREMENTS:
- PhD + 10 years of experience (or equivalent) developing nanofabrication processes, device flows, and mentoring technical teams
- Experience operating dry etch, thin film deposition, and lithography tools
- Hands-on cleanroom experience with multi-step fabrication flows
- Recipe development and optimization for some subset of dry etch, thin film deposition, or lithography
- Familiarity with key metrology such as ellipsometry, profilometry, SEM, etc.
NICE-TO-HAVE:
- Mechanical or maintenance experience with fab tools
- Full device-flow experience
