At a glance
- Experience
- 5+ years experience
- Location
- Bastrop, TX
About the role
- As a Sr. Materials Engineer for thin films, you will partner with solar cell process engineering on PECVD-deposited films that set the optical and electrical performance of insourced cells.
- You will build deep understanding of film chemistry, microstructure, interfaces, and failure modes, then work with process, production, and quality teams to turn that insight into higher efficiency, yield, reliability, and cost.
- You will operate as a technical expert for the team: setting priorities from program needs, solving poorly defined materials problems autonomously, and raising the bar for how we specify, evaluate, and improve thin-film materials.
Responsibilities
- Partner with solar cell process engineering on PECVD thin films, developing materials requirements, film-property targets, and the physical understanding of how deposited films perform in the cell
- Build deep technical understanding of plasma-deposited film materials: composition, hydrogen content, density, stress, optical constants, passivation quality, interfaces, and reliability
- Operate as the technical expert for thin-film materials: independently apply advanced materials concepts to highly complex issues, develop new characterization or evaluation methods, and make high-impact materials decisions
- Set your own priorities from program needs; execute multiple complex, multi-month materials projects in parallel
- Partner with process engineering on DOEs and process trials: define materials-relevant responses, interpret how changes affect film properties and cell results, and recommend durable improvements
- Define film material requirements, specifications, and acceptance criteria; qualify precursors, consumables, and film stacks
- Lead structured root cause analysis for materials-limited performance, yield, and reliability issues and drive corrective actions to first principles
- Influence cross-functional decisions with process, equipment, quality, production, and characterization teams
- Identify and drive path-finding for advanced thin-film materials, stacks, or precursor chemistries
- Coordinate with suppliers on precursors, consumables, and film materials to reduce supply-chain risk and ensure long-term scalability
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a STEM discipline
- 5+ years of professional experience with thin films, PECVD or other vacuum-deposited coatings, or electronic materials in a manufacturing or R&D environment
- Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors as needed (up to 25%)
- Ability to lift up to 25 lbs unassisted
- Ability to stand/walk for extended periods in the lab and on the manufacturing floor
- Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support manufacturing, tool bring-up, and critical milestones
- Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, Refugee, Asylee, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State under ITAR
Preferred qualifications
- Master’s degree or PhD in materials science, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, physics, or a STEM discipline
- Hands-on experience with PECVD-deposited films in semiconductor or solar cell manufacturing
- Experience working closely with process engineering on PECVD or other vacuum deposition processes in a manufacturing or development environment
- Proficiency with thin-film and solar-cell metrology such as spectroscopic ellipsometry, reflectance, FTIR, minority-carrier lifetime, SEM-EDS, XPS, four-point probe, film stress, and optical inspection
- Deep understanding of film growth mechanisms, precursor chemistry, plasma/vacuum processing, and how film properties couple to solar-cell passivation and optics
- Demonstrated ability to lead structured root cause analysis and convert findings into durable material or process recommendations
- Experience writing material specifications, qualifying precursors or film stacks, and establishing materials-related process-control or acceptance criteria
- Comfortable with data analysis to correlate process, metrology, and electrical results
Workplace
- Willingness to travel to other SpaceX sites and/or vendors as needed (up to 25%)
Skills
- PECVD
- FTIR
- SEM
- XPS
- Python
- JMP
- MATLAB
- Spectroscopic Ellipsometry
