Job Description:

Senior/Principal Photolithography & Dry-Etch Equipment Engineer Job Summary

The Equipment Engineer is an expert responsible for the strategic performance, reliability, and continuous improvement of all assigned Wafer Fab tools, focusing on Photolithography and Dry-Etch process equipment. This senior role leads complex engineering projects, drives technological roadmaps, and mentors junior staff & technical specialists to support manufacturing tools in a wafer fabrication environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Equipment Performance and Maintenance

Serve as the technical escalation point for complex, chronic, and elusive equipment failures within the assigned tools.
Maintain and strategically improve key performance indicators such as equipment uptime, Mean Time Between Failures, and tool throughput.
Develop, refine, and optimize preventive and predictive maintenance strategies and procedures, driving a reduction in overall maintenance cost
Lead complex equipment troubleshooting, root cause analysis using 8D and FMEA methodologies, and implement permanent corrective actions.

Continuous Improvement and Project Leadership

Identify, champion, and execute Continuous Improvement Projects to enhance equipment hardware capability, optimize chamber life, and improve overall equipment efficiency.
Oversee the installation, setup of new tool sets on schedule.
Drive early adoption of innovative equipment like Fault Detection Control (FDC) and other monitoring methods.

Collaboration and Mentorship

Collaborate closely with Process Engineering to resolve equipment/process interactions, minimize process variation, and implement LEAN manufacturing strategies.
Act as the primary technical interface for strategic equipment vendors and external partners, driving tool performance roadmaps and evaluating hardware upgrades.
Provide technical leadership, coaching, and training to a team of Equipment Engineers, Technical SpecialiAssociate Engineers, and Technicians.

Required Qualifications and Skills

Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.
Experience: Minimum of 7-10 years of in-depth, hands-on experience as an Equipment Engineer, with significant expertise in both Photolithography and Plasma/Dry-Etch systems in a high-volume semiconductor manufacturing environment or at OEM.
Technical Expertise:

Deep understanding of photolithography optics, illumination, and optimization.
Extensive experience with Dry-Etch tool components, including high-vacuum Plasma systems, RF/microwave generators, and gas line handling.
Proficiency in data analysis tools and methodologies.

Attributes:

Demonstrated strong analytical, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
Hands-on troubleshooting is a requirement.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively collaborate across functional teams and external vendors.
Proven ability to drive complex projects and influence to the desired outcome.

R024820

Senior/Principal Equipment Engineer