Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Crystal Growth

MATERIALS R&D TECHNICIAN, SILICON CRYSTAL GROWTH

As a Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Crystal Growth on Starlink, you will partner directly with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the-art silicon ingot and wafer fab R&D lines to develop and refine recipes for producing high-quality ingots and wafers. These wafers will feed internal solar cell fabrication for our next generation Starlink satellites and Starship missions to the Moon and Mars. You will be responsible for silicon ingot pulling equipment commissioning, recipe and process development, monitoring and troubleshooting equipment, characterizing ingot and wafer quality, and transferring a stable process to the production teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Partner with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the art silicon ingot and wafer fab development lines.
• Drive equipment setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
• Prepare raw materials, seeds, and hot zone components for crystal growth.
• Execute DOEs and process trials to inform seeding techniques, recipe optimization, thermal management, impurity control, and defect mitigation.
• Perform silicon ingot and wafer characterization; ensure associated lab equipment is maintained and calibrated.
• Safely handle chemicals and adhere to all EHS protocols to maintain a safe work environment.
• Ensure 5S standards and cleanroom protocols are upheld by maintaining a clean and organized work area.
• Participate in training exercises for production silicon growth technicians, as needed.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certification.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in silicon crystal growth, semiconductor, or similar manufacturing.
• Experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals safely.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s or associate’s degree in a STEM field.
• 5+ years of hands-on work experience in silicon crystal growth manufacturing.
• Experience using and maintaining silicon ingot/wafer characterization techniques and equipment, including ICP-MS, GDMS, XRT, SEM/TEM, FTIR, resistivity mapping, and minority carrier lifetime testing (PL).
• Proven ability to understand and accurately follow complex manufacturing procedures and adhere to safety requirements.
• Ability to identify and maintain priorities for work scope.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross-functional team.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be open to work all shifts, overtime and/or weekends as needed.
• Must be comfortable working in a production environment using hazardous chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and solvents.
• Must be able to walk and stand for long periods of time.
• Must be able to lift 25 lbs. unassisted.
• Must be comfortable with climbing up and down ladders, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, carrying, crawling, and maneuvering in tight spaces.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.