Applied Angstrom Technology Pte. Ltd. (AAT) is a start-up semiconductor equipment company with our headquarter in Singapore. AAT has the mission to be the world-class process technology provider in the Angstrom era for 3D device manufacturing and to build an ecosystem in equipment design, manufacturing, and component/material supply chain in US and Singapore.
As a Principal Process Engineer at AAT, you will operate on cutting-edge technology at the atomic scale, serving as a technical authority and strategic owner for AAT's next-generation atomic layer etch technologies. You will bridge plasma physics, material science, and chamber hardware design to define the process roadmaps that enable Angstrom-era device. In this high-impact principal role, you will lead complex R&D initiatives, architect breakthrough etch formulations, co-optimize hardware-process parameters with engineering teams. You will also mentor senior engineers and scientists, drive patent generation, and influence AAT's AI-native process control algorithms.
Job Description:
The ideal candidate shall be able to perform the following:
- Drive the technical strategy and process architecture for novel Atomic Layer Etching (ALE) isotropic/anisotropic surface modification, and surface passivation chemistries targeting GAA nanosheet release, high-aspect-ratio (HAR) contact etch, and nanoscale selectivity.
- Lead fundamental studies in plasma-surface interactions, surface chemistry kinetics, radical/ion flux tuning, and atomic self-limiting mechanisms.
- Partner cross-functionally with software and AI control teams to integrate recipe optimization, real-time end-point detection, and predictive process drift control.
- Collaborate with mechanical, electrical, RF/plasma, and software control engineers to specify chamber geometry, gas distribution, RF plasma source coupling, and thermal management for next-generation tools.
- Lead process qualification of prototype tools from early cleanroom alpha/beta to customer demonstration and pilot-line release.
- Translate customer device roadmaps and yield challenges into concrete process specifications, benchmark demos, and technical proposals.
- Identify breakthrough surface reaction concepts and novel chamber designs; lead patent disclosures to secure AAT's intellectual property leadership.
- Mentor, coach, and guide staff/senior process engineers, scientists, and lab technicians, cultivating an environment of technical rigor and rapid execution.
Job Qualifications:
- Ph.D. or Master's degree in Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or a related engineering discipline.
- 8+ years (for Ph.D.) or 12+ years (for Master's) of hands-on semiconductor process R&D experience in advanced etch (plasma etch, reactive ion etch, atomic layer etch).
- Proven track record of taking novel semiconductor process formulations from R&D concept to high-volume manufacturing (HVM) or successful customer pilot lines.
- Deep expertise in plasma etch physics and chemistry, self-limiting atomic layer reactions, surface characterization, and plasma diagnostics (OES, mass spectrometry, Langmuir probes).
- Mastery of Design of Experiments (DOE), Statistical Process Control (SPC), statistical analysis tools (JMP, Minitab, MATLAB), and physical-chemical modeling of etch kinetics.
- Highly competent in surface analysis and material characterization techniques (e.g., SEM, TEM, XPS, AFM, ellipsometry, SIMS, profilometry).
