​​Wafer Fab Technician – Metallization, Dry Etch & Wet Etch​ at Semtech in City of Industry, CA

Job description

Location: Rowland, CA (Onsite) Position Summary: The Wafer Fab Process Technician serves as a key production and technical leader whose primary responsibility is running volume production in support of daily wafer fabrication schedules, while also ensuring process stability, recipe control, and yield performance across InP photonic device lines, specifically InP Buried Heterostructure (BH) DFB lasers and BH Gain Chips (GC). The majority of this role’s hands-on time is spent operating the metallization module (e-beam evaporation and/or sputter deposition systems, lift-off processing, and contact alloy) to keep volume production lots moving on schedule, with additional ownership of dry etch and wet etch steps, including contact opening and surface preparation, that support formation of low-resistance p- and n-type ohmic contacts on finished buried heterostructure devices. Operating with minimal supervision in a III-V cleanroom environment, the Technician plays a vital role in meeting fab throughput targets, leading root-cause investigations for process excursions, maintaining strict Process-of-Record (POR) discipline, and mentoring junior technicians and operators to support reliable, high-yield, high-volume manufacturing. Responsibilities: Metallization, Dry Etch & Wet Etch Production Operations (50%): Serve as the primary production technician for the metallization module, keeping InP BH DFB laser and BH GC wafer lots moving through volume production on schedule Operate e-beam evaporation and/or sputter deposition systems to deposit p- and n-contact metal stacks (e.g., Ti/Pt/Au and Au-based n-contact metals), maintaining film thickness, deposition rate, and uniformity within specification for every lot Execute lift-off, metal etch, and solvent resist strip processes, and operate rapid thermal anneal (RTA) or furnace systems for ohmic contact alloy, maintaining metal adhesion, edge definition, and contact quality Operate ICP/RIE and plasma descum/ash systems for contact window opening in dielectric layers and resist residue removal ahead of metal deposition Execute wet etch and wet bench steps, including BOE oxide removal and pre-metal surface cleans, and maintain bench chemistry through scheduled bath changes and concentration checks Perform source loading, crucible and target management, chamber pump-down, and scheduled preventive maintenance tasks on deposition tools, and qualify tools with monitor wafers prior to returning them to production Prioritize and sequence hot lots, engineering wafers, and standard production lots across the metallization and etch bays to sustain high tool utilization and meet daily/weekly throughput targets Perform in-line metal thickness, sheet resistance, contact resistance (TLM), adhesion, and defect inspection and first-wafer/first-lot qualification checks prior to releasing lots downstream Troubleshoot routine metallization, dry etch, and wet bench tool and process issues in real time to minimize downtime and protect production schedule adherence Advanced Process Troubleshooting & Root Cause (20%): Lead root-cause investigation for process excursions and drift across assigned process modules (e.g., metal thickness non-uniformity, contact resistance shift, lift-off defects, adhesion failures, dry etch rate drift) Design and run targeted process checks (short-loop wafers, engineering splits) to isolate root cause Partner with Process Engineering and Equipment Engineering on corrective action design and verification Process Control & SPC Ownership (20%): Own SPC control charts and control-limit reviews for assigned process area, including metal thickness, sheet resistance, contact resistance, and dry/wet etch rate and depth metrics Own and maintain process recipes and POR documentation for assigned process area, with emphasis on metal deposition, lift-off, and contact alloy recipes Evaluate and implement engineering-approved recipe changes; verify post-change process stability Support qualificat