Defect Equipment Engineer

About Samsung Austin Semiconductor
Samsung is a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, founded on the belief that the pursuit of excellence creates a better world. At Samsung Austin Semiconductor, we are Innovating Today to Power the Devices of Tomorrow. 

Come innovate with us!

Position Summary

This Engineer supports equipment health enhancement, defect control, and variation reduction work in a high-volume, 24x7 manufacturing environment to achieve tool-level baseline goals and maximize overall yield.

Role and Responsibilities

Here’s What You’ll Be Responsible For:

• Equipment Health & Defect Control: Drives tool defect performance by analyzing Non-Product Wafer (NPW) data to eliminate "high fliers," lower baseline defectivity, and minimize tool-to-tool variation across the fleet.

• Advanced Data & FDC Correlation: Performs advanced data analysis, drawing direct correlations between NPW defect data and Fault Detection and Control (FDC) sensor data to optimize equipment specifications and prevent excursions.

• Production-to-NPW Matching: Continuously correlates production wafer defect data with NPW signatures to ensure NPW monitoring methodologies accurately reflect actual production defect health.

• Hands-On Fab Troubleshooting: Conducts hands-on investigations inside the cleanroom (FAB) to trace defect sources directly to internal tool components, gas lines, hardware, or environmental factors.

• Cross-Module Process Coverage: Oversees equipment defect performance across all major functional modules, including Photo, CVD, Etch, Metal, Diffusion, Clean, Implant, and CMP.

• Environmental Defect Reduction: Reduce cleanroom environmental defects, ensuring ambient conditions and mini-environments do not compromise tool or wafer cleanliness. Humidity, airflow, etc.

Skills and Qualifications

Here's what you'll need:

• Education: Requires a Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Chemical, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science, Chemistry, Physics, or related technical fields.
• Experience: 5+ years of semiconductor engineering experience, with a heavy focus on equipment defect monitoring, tool baseline reduction, and hardware troubleshooting preferred.
• OEM Background: Direct experience working at or closely with major Semiconductor Equipment Manufacturers (e.g., ASML, AMAT, Lam Research) is strongly preferred, bringing advanced knowledge of tool hardware architectures, subsystems, and vendor-specific defect signatures.
• Core Physics Competency: Strong fundamental understanding of underlying equipment physics, including vacuum systems, plasma generation, RF physics, airflow dynamics, turbulence, and heat transfer, to accurately model and root-cause hardware-driven defectivity.
• Tool & Metrology Expertise: Strong proficiency in advanced non-patterned and patterned wafer inspection/review tools (e.g., KLA Surfscan, eDR, or equivalent inline metrology systems) is highly preferred
• Data & Hardware Competency: Working knowledge of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies for tool matching, FDC optimization, and specification setting.

The current base salary range for this role is between $76,000 - $145,000. Individual base pay rates will depend on factors including duties, work location, education, skills, qualifications and experience. Total compensation for this position will include a competitive benefits package and may include participation in company incentive compensation programs, which are based on factors to include organizational and individual performance.

Total Rewards
At Samsung Austin Semiconductor, base pay is just one part of our total compensation package. The base compensation for this role will depend on education, experience, skills, and location.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Life insurance and 401(k) matching with immediate vesting

• Onsite café(s) and workout facilities

• Paid maternity and paternity leave

• Paid time off (PTO) + 2 personal holidays and 10 regular holidays

• Wellness incentives and MORE
   

Eligible full-time employees (salaried or hourly) may also receive MBO bonuses based on company, division, and individual performance.

All positions at Samsung Austin Semiconductor are full-time on-site.

U.S. Export Control Compliance
This role may require access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Applicants must be authorized to access such information or eligible for government authorization.

Trade Secrets Notice
 By submitting an application, you agree not to disclose to Samsung—or encourage Samsung to use—any confidential or proprietary information (including trade secrets) belonging to a current or former employer or other entity.

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