Job Title:
Senior Scientist, Wet Etch Formulation
Job Description:
The Role:
- Entegris is seeking a Senior Scientist, Wet Etch Formulation to develop differentiated wet etch and cleaning chemistries for advanced semiconductor applications. In this role, you will apply deep expertise in chemistry and materials science to establish composition–property–performance relationships, propose and validate mechanisms of etching and cleaning, and translate fundamental understanding into robust formulations.
- The Scientist will own major technical workstreams within development programs, design statistically sound experiments, analyze complex data, and define clear next-step recommendations. The role will collaborate closely with global R&D, analytical, process engineering, scale-up, manufacturing, product management, and customer-facing teams to move concepts from laboratory screening through wafer validation, sampling, and customer evaluation.
In this role you will:
- Lead the design and development of wet etch and cleaning formulations for advanced semiconductor materials and process applications.
- Build fundamental understanding of formulation composition, reaction kinetics, selectivity, etch rate, surface condition, residue removal, and materials compatibility.
- Design and execute laboratory studies to screen acids, bases, oxidizers, inhibitors, chelators, surfactants, solvents, and other functional additives while maintaining safe chemical-handling practices.
- Develop and test hypotheses regarding reaction and inhibition mechanisms using analytical characterization, statistically robust experimental designs, and literature or patent review.
- Partner with process and application engineers to evaluate formulation performance using coupons, patterned wafers, and full-wafer tests, and establish correlation across laboratory and wafer-scale results.
- Analyze experimental outcomes using statistical tools and use the results to prioritize formulation changes, process conditions, and subsequent experiments.
- Assess formulation robustness, including chemical stability, bath life, temperature sensitivity, materials compatibility, filtration, contamination control, and reproducibility.
- Support formulation scale-up, purification, mixing, filtration, chemical delivery, sample preparation, and technology transfer in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams.
- Prepare technical presentations, development reports, invention disclosures, and customer-facing data packages; communicate results and risks clearly to global R&D peers and cross-functional partners.
- Mentor junior scientists and engineers, contribute to project planning, and promote a rigorous safety-first and data-driven R&D culture.
Traits we believe make a strong candidate:
- MS or PhD in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Physical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Surface Science, or a closely related field.
- Minimum 2 years of relevant experience with a PhD or 7 years with an MS in wet chemical formulation, semiconductor process chemistry, surface treatment, etching, cleaning, or a related field.
- Strong ability to design, execute, and analyze experiments that elucidate chemical functions, reaction mechanisms, selectivity, or surface interactions.
- Experience in simulation and modeling of chemical reactions, transport phenomena, surface interactions, or semiconductor wet processes is preferred.
- Experience with analytical and surface-characterization methods used to assess composition, etch performance, residues, defects, or surface condition is preferred.
- Hands-on experience with corrosive wet chemistries and functional additives such as acids, bases, oxidizers, inhibitors, chelators, surfactants, or solvents.
- Knowledge of semiconductor materials and their chemical behavior, including metals, metal oxides, silicon-based materials, dielectrics, and photoresist-related residues, is preferred.
- Working knowledge of design of experiments, statistical data analysis, and data visualization for formulation optimization and process-window definition.
- Demonstrated independence in leading technical projects and working effectively with analytical, process engineering, scale-up, manufacturing, and customer-facing teams.
- Clear written and verbal English communication skills for collaboration with global teams and preparation of technical presentations and reports.
- Strong commitment to EHS, chemical risk assessment, disciplined documentation, and a safety-first laboratory culture.
Your success will be measured by:
- Delivers differentiated wet etch and cleaning formulations that meet defined performance, selectivity, compatibility, stability, and safety requirements.
- Creates high-quality, traceable data and converts experimental results into clear technical decisions and efficient next-step plans.
- Builds mechanistic understanding and robust composition–process–performance relationships that shorten learning cycles and improve formulation quality.
- Achieves project milestones through effective prioritization, technical ownership, risk escalation, and cross-functional execution.
- Supports successful wafer validation, scale-up, sampling, technology transfer, and customer evaluation with complete and credible technical documentation.
- Demonstrates creativity, collaboration, technical leadership, and consistent adherence to a safety-first culture.
