Staff Engineer - ICP/IBE Vacuum Etch

About our group:

At Seagate our mission is to build the world’s best data storage devices. The Advanced Transducer Development group is a global R&D organization that develops new recording head technologies to advance areal density and enable Seagate’s HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 4 year+ product roadmap. Our process team uses state-of-the-art wafer fabrication tools and cleanroom facilities to innovate and deliver leading-edge writers and read sensors.  With an emphasis on proving feasibility of new devices, processes, and materials, we help build Seagate’s future time-to-market leadership. If you are excited by innovative technology development, are naturally creative, and passionate about seeing ideas come to life then this could be a perfect fit to your research and development career.

About the role - you will:

• Develop novel, robust, and manufacturable ion-beam etch (IBE) and plasma etch (ICP) processes to achieve critical dimension and geometry targets in nanometer-scale head devices.
• Maintain stability of these wafer processes, including data analysis for statistical process control and investigation of root causes for process excursions
• Manage the configuration, qualification and time-sharing of R&D vacuum etch equipment including coordination of experimental runs.
• Work with design partners to understand requirements for device performance and close gaps between intended and fabricated structures.
• Interface with the wider RD and Product wafer teams (lithography, deposition, CMP, wet process, and integration) to integrate new etch process modules into advanced prototype wafer builds.
• Help assess the impact of new etch processes on downstream head performance to drive process improvements.
• Explore advanced vacuum etching techniques with wafer capital equipment suppliers and research partners to define hardware paths needed for advanced capability and manufacturability.
• Manage experiments, projects, and wafer tracking to deliver results to the designated schedule.
• Participate in technology transfers to the product development engineering team.
• Contribute to Seagate’s IP portfolio in the form of invention disclosures, patents, trade secrets, peer-reviewed journal articles, and/or white papers.

About you:

• You are self-motivated, intellectually curious, able to work independently and have a strong attention to detail.
• You are an honest and respectful team player, capable of working in strong partnership with a diverse global group of engineers and technicians.
• You are a well-organized multitasker, able to balance day-to-day wafer processing needs with longer-term development work.
• You maintain thorough documentation of results and can clearly present and discuss them with other staff members in engineering and management forums.
• You have a track record of innovation and regularly use outside sources (journals, patents, university projects and conferences) to inspire new ideas and directions.
• You are interested in and able to provide technical leadership to junior staff members.
• 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 plasma sources, ion-surface interactions, surface chemistry, endpoint detection and related vacuum etching phenomena
• Experience operating and/or maintaining high vacuum process equipment.
• Expertise in thin film and nanostructure characterization techniques (e.g. SEM, TEM, AFM, FIB, XRF, ellipsometry, etc)
• Knowledge of standard statistical experimentation methods including hypothesis testing, DOE design and analysis and ANOVA.  Familiarity with JMP or R preferred but not essential.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering related field (i.e. Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Computer Engineering, Materials, Physics, or Information Technology) and 8+ years of experience or Master’s degree in the same and 6+ years’ experience or PhD and 3+ years’ experience or equivalent experience and education

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 $102,648.00 - $149,589.00. 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: None