Photolithography Materials Engineer – Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication

Photolithography Materials Engineer Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication

Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

Work Mode: Onsite

Experience: 6 -15 Years

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Photolithography Materials Engineer to develop, qualify, optimize, and sustain lithography process materials used in advanced semiconductor wafer fabrication. This role is responsible for ensuring that photoresists, anti-reflective coatings, developers, adhesion promoters, solvents, and other lithography chemicals consistently meet process performance, defectivity, yield, and reliability requirements.

The successful candidate will work closely with Lithography Process Engineering, Process Integration, Yield Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Procurement, Facilities, Metrology, and global material suppliers to evaluate new materials, optimize existing processes, reduce manufacturing variation, and support technology transfer into high-volume manufacturing.

This position requires deep expertise in semiconductor photolithography materials, process chemistry, contamination control, supplier qualification, and advanced process characterization.

Role Objectives

• Develop and qualify advanced lithography process materials.
• Improve process stability, defect reduction, and manufacturing yield.
• Evaluate next-generation lithography chemistries.
• Support technology transfer and production ramp.
• Ensure consistent material quality for high-volume manufacturing.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, qualify, and optimize semiconductor lithography materials used in advanced wafer fabrication.
• Evaluate and qualify photoresists, BARC, TARC, developers, edge bead removers, adhesion promoters, solvents, and cleaning chemicals.
• Optimize material selection for Critical Dimension (CD) control, overlay performance, line edge roughness (LER), line width roughness (LWR), and defect reduction.
• Develop process windows for photoresist coating, bake conditions, development chemistry, and stripping processes.
• Collaborate with Lithography Process Engineers to optimize exposure latitude, depth of focus, and process stability.
• Work with material suppliers to evaluate next-generation lithography materials and emerging process chemistries.
• Develop qualification plans for new process chemicals and consumables.
• Analyze material-related defects including residues, scumming, footing, bridging, lifting, contamination, and particle generation.
• Perform Design of Experiments (DOE) to optimize process chemistry and material performance.
• Evaluate material aging, shelf life, storage conditions, and chemical compatibility.
• Perform root cause analysis of process excursions associated with lithography materials.
• Support technology transfer and New Product Introduction (NPI) programs.
• Establish Statistical Process Control (SPC) methodologies for material consistency.
• Develop engineering specifications, material qualification reports, operating procedures, and supplier evaluation documentation.
• Collaborate with Procurement and Supply Chain teams on supplier qualification and change management.
• Participate in Failure Analysis investigations related to lithography materials.
• Improve process yield, productivity, and manufacturing efficiency.
• Ensure compliance with semiconductor quality systems, cleanroom standards, and EHS regulations.

Key Responsibilities During Fab Startup

• Support qualification of lithography chemicals and process materials.
• Develop baseline material specifications for production.
• Establish incoming material qualification procedures.
• Define storage, handling, and shelf-life requirements.
• Support material compatibility testing.
• Qualify new suppliers and alternate materials.
• Support engineering lots and pilot production.
• Develop manufacturing documentation and material specifications.
• Train manufacturing personnel on chemical handling and material control.
• Support production readiness before high-volume manufacturing.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, Electronics Engineering, Physics, Semiconductor Engineering, or related discipline.
• 6 15 years of experience in semiconductor wafer fabrication.
• Strong expertise in photolithography materials and semiconductor process chemistry.
• Experience supporting advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
• Proven expertise in material qualification, process optimization, and supplier management.
• Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills.

Technical Skills Semiconductor Manufacturing

• Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication
• Front-End Manufacturing (FEOL)
• CMOS Process Technology
• High Volume Manufacturing (HVM)
• Semiconductor Process Development
• Technology Transfer
• Process Qualification
• New Product Introduction (NPI)

Photolithography Materials

• Positive Photoresist
• Negative Photoresist
• Chemically Amplified Resists (CAR)
• Bottom Anti-Reflective Coating (BARC)
• Top Anti-Reflective Coating (TARC)
• Adhesion Promoters
• HMDS
• Developers
• Solvents
• Edge Bead Removers (EBR)
• Resist Strippers
• Photoresist Filters
• Process Chemicals
• Cleaning Chemistry

Lithography Process Chemistry

• Photoresist Coating
• Spin Coating
• Soft Bake
• Post Exposure Bake (PEB)
• Hard Bake
• Development Chemistry
• Resist Strip
• Plasma Ashing
• Process Window Optimization
• CD Control
• Line Edge Roughness (LER)
• Line Width Roughness (LWR)
• Overlay Performance
• Defect Reduction

Materials Characterization

• Chemical Compatibility
• Material Stability
• Shelf-Life Evaluation
• Viscosity Measurement
• Film Thickness Analysis
• Adhesion Testing
• Surface Energy Analysis
• Particle Analysis
• Outgassing Evaluation
• Contamination Assessment

Process Engineering

• Design of Experiments (DOE)
• Statistical Process Control (SPC)
• Process Capability (Cp/Cpk)
• Root Cause Analysis
• FMEA
• Material Qualification
• Supplier Qualification
• Yield Improvement
• Defect Reduction
• Change Management

Metrology

• CD-SEM
• Optical Inspection
• Defect Inspection
• Overlay Measurement
• Film Thickness Measurement
• Ellipsometry
• Surface Profilometry
• Particle Inspection
• Chemical Analysis
• FTIR (Preferred)

Data Analysis

• JMP
• Python
• MATLAB
• SQL
• Microsoft Excel
• Statistical Analysis
• Data Visualization

Cross Functional Collaboration

The Photolithography Materials Engineer Will Work Closely With

• Lithography Process Engineering
• Process Integration Engineering
• Equipment Engineering
• Yield Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Quality Engineering
• Procurement & Supply Chain
• Facilities Engineering
• Metrology Engineering
• Failure Analysis
• Product Engineering
• Automation Engineering
• Material Suppliers
• Chemical Vendors

Preferred Industry Experience

Experience Supporting Semiconductor Manufacturing For

• Logic Devices
• Memory Devices
• Foundry Manufacturing
• Analog & Mixed-Signal ICs
• RF Devices
• Power Semiconductor Technologies
• Advanced CMOS Manufacturing

Candidates with experience in greenfield semiconductor fab startups, advanced technology nodes (28nm and below), or collaboration with leading lithography material suppliers are highly preferred.

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