Equipment Engineer, Deposition and Thermal Process Development, Microelectronics Research Center

About this role

Job Posting Title: Equipment Engineer, Deposition and Thermal Process Development, Microelectronics Research Center ---- Hiring Department: Office of the Vice President for Research ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA ---- Earliest Start Date: Immediately ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue ---- Location: AUSTIN, TX ---- Job Details: General Notes The Microelectronics Research Center (MRC) laboratories serve users from both universities and corporations across many different fields: electronics, optics, physics, chemistry and astronomy, as well as chemical, mechanical and petroleum engineering. The MRC is more than a clean room with a comprehensive set of advanced nano-fabrication equipment; it is a community of scientists who work together to build advanced technology products and knowledge.

UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package that includes:   • 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage  

• Retirement contributions

• Paid vacation and sick time

• Paid holidays

Purpose This position will be responsible for ensuring processes and the equipment in the areas of deposition and thermal process are operational and baselined as well as providing support for process integration with lithography and etch areas.  

Responsibilities Equipment Performance, Maintenance, and Sustainment • Own and maintain deposition toolsets (sputtering, evaporation, ALD, CVD, furnaces) to meet uptime, reliability, and performance targets.

• Monitor and optimize key system parameters such as pressure control, gas flow, temperature uniformity, plasma stability (for sputtering), and deposition rate control.

• Perform tool qualification, calibration, and matching to ensure repeatable film deposition across systems.

Diagnostics, Troubleshooting, and Repair • Perform advanced diagnostics and root cause analysis for equipment-related issues affecting film quality and system performance.

• Conduct hands-on troubleshooting and repair, including replacement of electronic boards, sensors, power supplies, vacuum components, and mechanical assemblies.

• Coordinate with vendors on major repairs, upgrades, and preventative maintenance strategies.

Process Development Support • ​Support development and optimization of thin-film deposition processes in collaboration with engineers and researchers.

• Establish baseline recipes and process windows for metals, dielectrics, and functional materials.

• Ensure equipment capability aligns with lithography-defined requirements such as feature size, step coverage, and pattern transfer.

Metrology and Characterization Integration • Utilize and support metrology tools (e.g., ellipsometry, profilometry, SEM, AFM, XRR) to characterize film thickness, uniformity, stress, adhesion, and morphology.

• Correlate metrology data with equipment performance to identify drift, non-uniformity, or failure modes.

• Maintain a set of electrical characterization systems to support monitoring of electrical quality of films and contacts. 

• Support data collection, analysis, and process monitoring using scripting tools where applicable.

Collaboration and Integration • Work closely with researchers, engineers and technicians to align tool performance with process requirements.

• Support downstream integration by ensuring lithography tools meet performance needs for etching, deposition, and lift‑off processes.

• Participate in facility planning related to tool upgrades, replacements, and capability expansion.

• Collaborate with other process engineers, technicians, and researchers to support process transfer, yield improvement, and multi-step process integration.

• Participate in interdisciplinary projects involving lithography, metrology, etching, and deposition.

User Support, Training, and Documentation • Train users on equipment operation, capabilities, limitations, and safety practices.

• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, and maintenance documentation.

• Provide technical support to researchers for process planning and tool selection.

Safety and Compliance • Ensure safe operation of deposition systems, including vacuum systems, high-voltage components, and process gases.

• Maintain compliance with institutional safety standards and cleanroom protocols.

• Participate in safety reviews, hazard assessments, and incident response as required.

Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.

• Minimum 3 years of experience with semiconductor or thin-film deposition equipment.

• Strong understanding of vacuum systems, gas delivery systems, thermal processes, physical and plasma-based deposition techniques.

• Demonstrated experience with equipment diagnostics, troubleshooting, and component-level repair (electronics and mechanical systems).

• Experience with thin-film characterization and metrology techniques (e.g., ellipsometry, SEM, AFM).

• Experience with electrical characterization of films and devices. (e.g., 4-point probe, Hall, probe station)

• Familiarity with cleanroom operations and microfabrication workflows

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications • Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field.

• Experience supporting sputtering, evaporation (thermal/e-beam), ALD, furnaces, Rapid Thermal Process, and CVD systems in a research or pilot-line environment.

• Familiarity with lithography processes and pattern-dependent deposition (e.g., lift-off, step coverage challenges).

• Experience with scripting or data analysis tools (e.g., Python) for equipment monitoring or process correlation.

• Experience in a shared-user academic or national laboratory cleanroom.

• Knowledge of film stress engineering, adhesion layers, and interface cont

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