Santa Barbara, CA, US
Emp Type: Full time / Direct Hire
Industry: NANOTECHNOLOGY
Salary: 120,000 - 160,000 Annual
3 days ago
We are seeking a Nanofabrication Engineer to join our team and work on the development and production of advanced photonic integrated circuits (PICs). This role will be based in a leading university cleanroom facility and will focus on process development, optimization, and manufacturing of next-generation photonic devices using emerging material platforms.
The ideal candidate will have hands-on cleanroom fabrication experience and a strong background in nanofabrication, photonics, semiconductor processing, or related fields. Candidates with deep expertise in specific fabrication areas and a willingness to expand their skill set are encouraged to apply.
Develop, optimize, and maintain fabrication processes for advanced photonic integrated circuits.
Implement and improve nanofabrication techniques to support both research and production goals.
Ensure high-quality, repeatable fabrication results through strong process control and yield improvement.
Perform process characterization, troubleshooting, and statistical analysis.
Collaborate with engineering and R&D teams to align fabrication processes with device requirements and customer needs.
Support continuous improvement of wafer-scale manufacturing processes.
4+ years of hands-on fabrication experience in a semiconductor or nanofabrication cleanroom environment.
Ph.D. in Physics, Optics, Photonics, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or an MS in physical sciences with significant cleanroom fabrication experience.
Experience with nanofabrication processes including:
Lithography (e-beam or UV)
Etching (ICP-RIE, DRIE)
Thin-film deposition (CVD, ALD, sputtering)
Die and wafer bonding
Metrology techniques such as SEM, profilometry, ellipsometry, or AFM
Experience with wafer-scale process development and statistical process analysis.
Experience working with photonic materials such as:
Silicon nitride
Thin-film lithium niobate
Tantalum pentoxide
Aluminum oxide
Experience fabricating optical waveguides, resonators, or low-loss photonic devices.
Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
Excellent communication skills.
Experience with heterogeneous integration of multiple materials.
Experience with hybrid integration of active and passive photonic devices.
Experience with fiber-chip packaging.
Knowledge of photonics layout tools such as GDSII and BEAMER.
Experience with simulation tools such as Lumerical FDTD, MODE, or COMSOL.
Experience with high-Q optical resonators or ultra-low-loss waveguide fabrication.
Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.
Healthcare benefits
401(k) plan
Paid time off
Relocation assistance available