Principal Epitaxy Engineer

Plymouth, Devon

See advert for pay

Department: R&D

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Plymouth

Description

We are looking for a hands on Principal Engineer to drive the development, optimisation and production support of epitaxial growth processes.

You will be one of the senior technical experts in our MOCVD epitaxy team. You will deliver III AsP process development, reactor performance and material quality, working closely with the device, integration and manufacturing teams to enable high-performance devices and manufacturing that can scale.

The role combines deep technical expertise with hands on work. You will contribute to the technical direction of the epitaxy module and help develop the engineers around you.

Key Responsibilities Process development

Develop and optimise III AsP epitaxial growth processes using MOCVD for advanced device structures, with high crystal quality, low defect density and manufacturability at scale.
Design, plan and run Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimise MOCVD growth parameters.
Recommend suitable procedures and techniques for material characterisation.
Analyse characterisation data and identify the key process drivers of crystal quality, interface abruptness and electrical performance.
Help define robust MOCVD process windows for stable, repeatable growth.
Work with R&D to move processes from early stage epitaxial structure design through qualification and transfer to high volume manufacturing.
Translate device requirements into epitaxial structure designs.

Hands on reactor work

Provide hands on MOCVD reactor support, including process setup, calibration, troubleshooting and optimisation of growth conditions.
Act as a go to expert for advice and support on complex growth and reactor issues.

Technical contribution

Contribute to the technical direction of the epitaxy module, and share best practice in growth, reactor operation and process control.
Contribute to technology roadmap development.
Research current trends in industry and academia in MicroLED, AR/VR, visible light communication and optical interconnects through publications, conference proceedings and patents.
Contribute to IP generation, technical reports and publications where appropriate.

People and collaboration

Mentor and develop engineers in the epitaxy team.
Write and update best practice procedures for troubleshooting and for training engineers.
Work closely with the device, integration and manufacturing teams.
Support a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise Essential

Extensive, proven experience in III AsP epitaxy by MOCVD for photonic devices, such as LEDs and µLEDs, detectors, edge emitting lasers or VCSELs.
Experience taking epitaxial R&D processes into manufacturing.
Direct, hands on experience with MOCVD reactors and related epitaxy tools.
Ability to translate device requirements into epitaxial structures.
Strong experience with DOE, data analysis and epitaxial characterisation techniques.
Strong problem solving and troubleshooting ability.
Highly hands on and experimental mindset.
Comfortable working in lab and fab environments.
Ability to organise and present data so the team can reach solutions efficiently.
Proactive, independent and takes ownership of tasks.

Desirable

Experience with visible range devices on GaAs substrates.
Experience with III V on Si or Ge, or with silicon photonics.
A PhD in materials science, physics, electronic engineering or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
Experience mentoring engineers.
Patents or publications in epitaxy or compound semiconductors.

Benefits