Process Engineer
Engineers who set up, improve and keep stable the front-end steps, such as deposition, etching and lithography, that build transistors and wiring on the wafer.
What the job involves
Process engineers own the front-end steps that build transistors and wiring on the wafer, such as deposition, etching, lithography, ion implantation and CMP. In many fabs, each engineer is responsible for one step or a small group of steps. The core of the job is developing the tool settings (the recipe) that give the target film thickness, dimensions and profile, and then watching for drift during volume production so that quality holds. When the measurement data looks abnormal, they find the cause and decide on a fix. When a new product or process is introduced, they plan experiments and work to widen the process window.
Who they work with and what they handle
Day-to-day work involves equipment engineers, process engineers on neighboring steps, integration engineers who own the overall flow, and yield and quality engineers. What they handle: the production tools and their recipes, metrology data such as film thickness and critical dimensions, defect inspection results, and control charts for their step. How their time is split between the cleanroom, checking tools and wafers, and the office, analyzing data and writing reports, varies by company and by step.
Knowledge and skills
The foundation is understanding the physics and chemistry of your step, whether that is plasma, chemical reactions, thin films or optics. On top of that, statistics for handling variation is essential: you need to use SPC (statistical process control) and design of experiments to find out what really matters with as few experiments as possible. Because a change in one step affects the steps before and after it and the electrical results, knowing the transistor structure and the whole process flow lets you isolate causes faster. Being able to organize data and explain it clearly to other teams matters too.
Where to start
Start with the “The fabrication process” course to get the whole flow from bare wafer to wiring. Then go deeper into the fields for the steps you are likely to own: “Lithography” and “Etching” for patterning, “Deposition (CVD and PVD)” for films, “CMP and cleaning” for planarization and cleaning, and “Ion implantation” and “Oxidation and diffusion” for doping. The statistics used to control a process are in “Yield and quality control”, and the ways to check results are in “Metrology and analysis”. If semiconductors are completely new to you, begin with the “Semiconductors for beginners” course.
Fields to learn
Lithography 52 questions Etching 50 questions Deposition (CVD and PVD) 50 questions CMP and cleaning 51 questions Ion implantation 50 questions Oxidation and diffusion 51 questions Metrology and analysis 50 questions Yield and quality control 50 questions
10 starter questions for this role
Ten basic questions from the fields this role uses
Recommended courses
The fabrication processFollow the front-end process in order: wafers, cleanrooms, oxidation, lithography, etching, deposition, interconnects, metrology and yield.Semiconductors for beginnersA quick tour from how semiconductors work to transistors, how chips are made and the shape of the industry. The best place to start.
Key terms
Process window Photoresist Overlay Selectivity Endpoint detection Step coverage Implant dose CMP CD-SEM Monitor wafer SPC (statistical process control) APC (advanced process control)
FAQ
Can I become a process engineer without a science or engineering background?
In general, most openings for this role expect knowledge of chemistry, physics, materials or electrical engineering. That said, some companies hire people from other fields or without industry experience and train them on the job. Hiring requirements differ by company and change over time, so check each job posting. Learning the principles of the process steps and basic statistics on your own will make your first months much easier.
How is it different from an equipment engineer?
Broadly, the process engineer is responsible for what is done to the wafer and how (the recipe and its result), and the equipment engineer is responsible for keeping the tool running correctly (maintenance and installation). In practice the boundary overlaps, and the two often investigate together whether a problem comes from the tool or from the recipe. How the roles are divided varies by company.
Do I need any license or certification?
In general, no specific license or certification is required to become a process engineer. Some workplaces provide internal training on handling chemicals and gases safely, or encourage related qualifications depending on the materials and facilities involved. Understanding of the process physics, statistics and the ability to reason from data usually count for more than certificates.