Process Engineer III – Plasma Process & Hardware Development

Location: Chaska MN or Chelmsford MA

Position Summary

The Process Engineer III is an experienced technical contributor responsible for the development, characterization, and optimization of advanced plasma processes and plasma hardware. This role requires deep expertise in plasma physics, plasma-material interactions, plasma source design, and process development. The engineer will leverage both computational modeling and experimental methods to develop next-generation plasma technologies for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced materials processing, or related applications.

Working in a multidisciplinary environment, the Process Engineer III will collaborate closely with hardware, electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers to design, validate, and improve plasma systems while driving process performance, reliability, and manufacturability.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize plasma processes to meet performance, quality, and manufacturability objectives.
• Apply advanced knowledge of plasma physics, plasma chemistry, and plasma-material interactions to solve complex technical challenges.
• Design, develop, and evaluate plasma hardware, including plasma sources, microwave and RF power delivery systems, gas delivery components, magnetic field configurations, and chamber hardware.
• Perform plasma diagnostics and experimental characterization using techniques such as Langmuir probes, optical emission spectroscopy (OES), VI probes, mass spectrometry, FTIR or other diagnostic tools.
• Utilize plasma simulation and modeling tools to predict plasma behavior, optimize reactor designs, and correlate simulation results with experimental data.
• Design and execute statistically sound experiments (DOE), analyze process data, and develop engineering models to improve plasma performance.
• Troubleshoot plasma process and hardware issues through systematic root cause analysis and corrective actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including product engineering, systems engineering, manufacturing, and reliability engineering to transition new technologies into production.
• Develop technical documentation, engineering reports, design specifications, and operating procedures.
• Present technical findings to engineering leadership, customers, and cross-functional teams.
• Mentor junior engineers and provide technical leadership on plasma-related projects.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related technical field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in plasma process development, plasma hardware development, or related engineering disciplines.
• Strong fundamental understanding of:
  • Plasma physics
  • Plasma chemistry
  • Plasma-material interactions
  • RF and microwave plasma generation and power coupling
  • Gas-phase kinetics and transport phenomena
• Demonstrated experience developing plasma hardware and reactor components.
• Experience with plasma simulation tools (e.g., COMSOL Multiphysics, VSim, CFD-ACE+, ANSYS, or equivalent) and correlation of simulation results with experimental data.
• Hands-on experience designing and conducting plasma experiments and interpreting diagnostic data.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and data analysis skills.
• Experience using Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies and statistical analysis.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Plasma Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
• Experience in semiconductor equipment, vacuum systems, thin-film processing, etch, deposition, surface treatment, or advanced plasma applications.
• Knowledge of RF matching networks, microwave plasma systems, pulsed plasma operation, and electromagnetic modeling.
• Familiarity with finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), or particle-in-cell (PIC) plasma simulations.
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar scientific computing languages for data analysis and automation.
• Experience transferring plasma technologies from research and development into manufacturing.

Core Competencies

• Advanced plasma physics expertise
• Plasma process development
• Plasma hardware design and integration
• Computational modeling and simulation
• Experimental design and validation
• Root cause analysis and problem solving
• Cross-functional collaboration
• Technical leadership and mentoring
• Project execution and continuous improvement

Individual pay is determined based on multiple factors, including but not limited to location, experience, skills, job-related knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and/or training.  In addition to base salary, we offer (full time regular employees ) a comprehensive benefits package and for certain roles eligibility in our bonus plan and long-term incentives as applicable.  The talent advisor can share more details about total compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.