CVD Equipment Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink)

The role

You will own PECVD equipment used to manufacture silicon heterojunction solar cells at massive scale. You will work with facilities and process engineering teams to ensure equipment performance, reliability, and uptime.

What you will do

• Install, qualify, maintain, and improve high-throughput PECVD equipment
• Drive equipment reliability and uptime for large volume production
• Run experiments and analyze data to improve capacity and reduce variation
• Develop preventive and predictive maintenance strategies and spare parts programs
• Lead root cause analysis on vacuum systems, RF generators, gas delivery, and automation
• Partner with Process Engineers to implement new process requirements
• Evaluate and select next-generation high-throughput PECVD tools
• Work with vendors on equipment design improvements and custom solutions
• Establish equipment performance metrics and implement statistical process control
• Ensure equipment meets cleanroom, safety, and high-reliability standards

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, or other engineering discipline
• 2+ years of hands-on experience owning and maintaining CVD or PECVD equipment in a high-volume semiconductor, solar, or other manufacturing environment
• Experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals and gases safely
• Must be able to work extended hours and weekends as needed
• Ability to lift 25 lbs. unassisted
• Work in cleanroom environments
• Move between multiple production areas
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally to vendor sites (up to 20%)

Nice to have

• 5+ years of hands-on experience owning and maintaining CVD or PECVD equipment in a high-volume semiconductor, solar, or display manufacturing environment
• Strong technical expertise in vacuum systems, RF plasma systems, gas delivery, mass flow controllers, and temperature control hardware
• Demonstrated success improving equipment uptime and reliability in a 24/7 high-volume production setting
• Experience with heterojunction (HJT) silicon solar cell manufacturing equipment
• Previous work at high-volume solar, semiconductor, or display manufacturing facilities (multi-GW or 300mm fab experience is a plus)
• Deep knowledge of PECVD tool architecture and subsystems
• Experience with throttle valve PID tuning, leak rate measurements, helium leak checking, manometer adjustment, slit valve, and actuator troubleshooting
• Experience with CDA controlled valving and equipment
• Experience with electro-pneumatic robot and transfer module systems
• Experience with pyrophoric and toxic gas delivery and handling systems

Before you apply

• 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, o

About the company

SpaceX is developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. Starlink provides fast, reliable internet through a large satellite constellation.