Senior Analytical / Wet Chemistry Engineer

About our group:

Do you want to work on cutting edge technology that pushes the limits of what a whole industry can do? Do you want to help drive the performance of Seagate recording heads beyond that of any other competitor in the world? The HAMR Product Materials Group does just this by delivering new material and deposition process solutions to Seagate’s advanced recording head development effort.  As part of the wafer process team, we develop best-in-class films using vacuum- and electrochemistry-based deposition methods, and partner with integration teams to introduce these films into new recording head designs.  As an enabler of head performance and reliability advances through materials innovation, we help Seagate win in technology and time-to-market.

About the role - you will:

• Develop new wet etch and chemical clean process modules for surface preparation, material etching and various subtractive integration paths, mature baseline wet unit processes and identify equipment to enable transfer into volume manufacturing for heat-assisted magnetic recording heads
• Use benchtop electrochemical instrumentation and techniques (e.g., potentiostat, rotating disk electrode, voltammetry) to explore new electrodeposition bath chemistries and processes 
• Serve as an analytical expert to develop and conduct analytical testing (new analytical methods and equipment, chemical analysis) for current and next generation plating bath chemistry and thin-film material composition, wet etch and wet clean unit process development
• Maintain the chemical/plating lab and lab tools, e.g. ICP, HPLC, LXRF, UV, titrator, and other analytical equipment, working as a liaison to analytical, material testing and metrology vendors
• Create and implement chemical control schemes to monitor key unit processes
• Collaborate with plating RD engineers to develop and document bath maintaining protocol (e.g. analytical package) for novel chemistries
• Carry out bath chemistry adjustment, e.g. chemical calculation, bath solution building/adjustments, based on chemical analytical results
• Conduct calculation and simulation to support new electrochemistry process development (Mathematica, Comsol, Matlab, etc)
• Serve as site subject matter expert and lead testing of corrosion/oxidation of metals/metal alloys using electrochemical techniques
• Interface with wafer process and product teams to integrate new plating and wet process modules into advanced prototype wafer builds
• Help assess the impact of new plating and wet processes on downstream wafer build and head performance
• Work in a mix of laboratory and clean room environments

About you:

• You are a team player with a customer-centric mindset, capable of working in strong partnership with a diverse group of engineers and technicians
• You are self-motivated, able to work independently and have strong attention to detail
• You are a strong and well-organized multitasker, able to balance day-to-day wafer processing needs with longer-term development work
• You can maintain thorough documentation of results and are able to clearly discuss and present them to other staff members in engineering and management forums
• You have a track record of innovation, with an ability to monitor outside sources (journals, patents, university work and conferences) for developing new ideas and directions
• You are able and eager to work in a mix of clean room and laboratory environments

Your experience includes:

• Strong hands-on experience and in-depth understanding of the chemistry of aqueous-based solutions for thin film growth and etch/cleaning.  Consideration will be given to backgrounds in analytical and electrochemical methods, electrodeposition, oxidation/corrosion and thin film growth and characterization.
• Proficiency with statistical experimentation including DOE design and analysis

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering related field (i.e. Analytical Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering or a similar field and 5+ years of experience or master’s degree in the same and 3+ years’ experience or PhD and 0+ years’ experience or equivalent experience and education.

You might also have:

• Prior experience with clean room operations and/or chemical analysis lab management (desirable but not required)

Location:

Our Normandale campus spans two suburbs, Edina and Bloomington, and serves as the Recording Head development and manufacturing arm of Seagate. Located in the heart of a bustling community, Seagate offers an on-site café, or if you prefer, you can drive to one of many restaurants just minutes away. Need to grab a gift over lunch time? Shopping is abundant in the area. If working out is your thing, the on-site fully equipped fitness center hosts wellness programs, outdoor activities, tournaments and group workouts. Looking for something more laid back? Reset in one of our meditation rooms, or simply take a walk around our indoor walking path. On-site cultural festivals, celebrations and community volunteer opportunities also abound.

The estimated base salary range for this position is $92,310.00 - $131,994.00. The individual salary is based on work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Seagate offers comprehensive benefits to its eligible employees, including, but not limited to, , eligibility to participate in discretionary bonus program, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, short-and long-term disability, 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, health savings account, dependent care, and healthcare spending accounts. Seagate also offers paid time off, including 12 holidays, flexible time off provided pursuant to Seagate policy, a minimum of 48 hours of paid sick leave, and 16 weeks of paid parental leave. The benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year and may differ depending on work location.

Location: Normandale, United States
Travel: Up to 10%