Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Crystal Growth

The role

You will partner with engineering to bring silicon ingot and wafer fab R&D lines online. You will develop recipes, commission equipment, and characterize ingot and wafer quality for Starlink and Starship missions.

What you will do

• Partner with engineering to bring online 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 for seeding, recipe optimization, thermal management, impurity control, and defect mitigation.
• Perform silicon ingot and wafer characterization.
• Maintain and calibrate associated lab equipment.
• Safely handle chemicals and adhere to EHS protocols.
• Ensure 5S standards and cleanroom protocols are upheld.
• Participate in training exercises for production silicon growth technicians.

Required 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.
• 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.

Nice to have

• 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 (
• 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.

Before you apply

• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, Refugee, or Asylee, or be eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

About the company

SpaceX is developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The company was founded on the belief that a future where humanity explores the stars is more exciting than one where we are not.