Full-Time

Dry Etch Process Engineer

Dry Etch

Updated on 9/4/2026

Skorpios Technologies

Skorpios Technologies

51-200 employees

Develops wafer-scale silicon photonics modules

Compensation Overview

$100k - $150k/yr

No H1B Sponsorship

Temecula, CA, USA

In Person

US Citizenship Required

Bachelor's, Master's, PhD

Category
Manufacturing & Process Engineering (1)
Required Skills
Process Engineering
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • Processing experience in a fabrication facility in Dry Etch processing using Reactive Ion Etching, Deep Reactive Ion Etching, Magnetron Reactive Ion Etching, Inductively Coupled Plasma etching, and Microwave Ashing.
  • Experience with Statistical Process Control.
  • Basic understanding of algebraic concepts.
  • Experience with data extraction, analysis, and reporting.
  • Basic understanding of semiconductor processing.
  • Ability to troubleshoot basic problems and address root causes.
  • Ability to understand maintenance activity details required to ensure a healthy and repeatable process.
  • Ability to plan and prioritize activities and monitor multiple overlapping tasks or operations to meet goals and timelines.
  • Ability to operate processing tools, write and run Dry Etch recipes, inspect wafers under a microscope, and perform basic characterization involving particle, defect, thickness, and uniformity metrology.
  • Ability to work offset shifts: Front-End Days from Sunday through Thursday or Back-End Days from Tuesday through Saturday.
  • A BS in Electrical Engineering, Material Science, Physics, or Chemistry with 9 years of experience, an MS with 7 years of experience, or a Ph.D. with 4 years of experience.
  • Ability to work in a temperature-controlled cleanroom while wearing required personal protective equipment and handling hazardous-material exposure controls.
  • Ability to perform the stated physical duties, including prolonged standing, sitting, walking, monitor viewing, and occasional handling of objects weighing 50 pounds or more.
  • Must be a U.S. person under ITAR, defined as a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, political asylee, or refugee.
Responsibilities
  • Support the development of manufacturable, repeatable, and high-yielding processes for specialized devices.
  • Partner with Integration Engineers, customers, and other Development Engineers to execute experiments and optimize processes for fab operations.
  • Partner with Product Engineering and Integration to support effective new product and process introductions and consistent device performance and quality.
  • Guide and assist Process Technicians through challenging process steps.
  • Analyze metrology results and disposition lots based on data and pass/fail criteria.
  • Report and summarize metrology analysis results and provide guidance to Integration Engineering and Process Development Engineering teams.
  • Provide effective pass-downs to support uninterrupted Dry Etch operations.
  • Sustain and improve wafer fabrication processes.
  • Partner with equipment engineering, operations, and management to improve cycle time, tool availability, quality, and product yields.
  • Use Document Control, Process Work Instructions, and Manufacturing Execution Systems to preserve working knowledge of codes and standards applicable to assigned production equipment.
  • Ensure manufactured products conform to specifications and application requirements.
  • Resolve process deviations or technical issues by forming hypotheses, defining validation experiments, identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, documenting improved processes, and training operations.
  • Sustain existing processes involving Reactive Ion Etching, Deep Reactive Ion Etching, Magnetron Reactive Ion Etching, Inductively Coupled Plasma etching, Microwave Ashing, Transformer Coupled Plasma etching, Dipole Ring Magnetron etching, Barrel etching, Dry Etch recipe creation, inspections, defect control, ellipsometry, and profilometry.
  • Create and maintain operating specifications for production processes and equipment.
  • Monitor process health with Statistical Process Control and respond to out-of-control events using action plans.
Desired Qualifications
  • Hands-on mindset.
  • Excellent communication skills.
  • Collaboration.
  • Quick learner.
  • Strong interpersonal skills.
  • Self-starter.
  • Prioritization.
  • Accountability.
  • Innovative.
Skorpios Technologies

Skorpios Technologies

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Skorpios Technologies designs and sells integrated photonics products built on a proprietary wafer-scale silicon photonics process. Its offerings include modules and components for ethernet pluggable optics, copackaged optics, Lidar, and biosensors, serving telecommunications, data centers, automotive, and healthcare markets. The technology combines lasers, modulators, and photodiodes on a single wafer to create compact, efficient devices used for data transmission and optical sensing. This approach differentiates Skorpios from competitors by using its unique wafer-scale silicon photonics architecture and in-house foundry services to deliver high-performance, densely integrated optical solutions. The company’s goal is to provide fast, reliable optical transmission and sensing technologies that meet the growing demand across multiple industries by delivering advanced photonics products and fabrication services.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series D

Total Funding

$67.9M

Headquarters

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Founded

2009

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Skorpios.com updated August 2026 shows active products and careers, not a dormant startup.
  • March 2024 funding and 2023 Temecula relocation preserved manufacturing capacity.
  • 2026 sampling for 1.6 Tbps and 6.4 Tbps engines opens hyperscale AI revenue.

What critics are saying

  • June 2023 Austin shutdown and 60 layoffs proved operations depend on fragile real estate.
  • Temecula expansion and 52 August 2026 job postings signal heavy cash burn.
  • Broadcom, Marvell, and Cisco can bundle optics, squeezing Skorpios' design wins by 2027.

What makes Skorpios Technologies unique

  • Wafer-scale Tru-SiPh integrates lasers, modulators, and photodiodes directly on silicon.
  • March 2026 1.6 Tbps and 6.4 Tbps optical engines target AI switches.
  • May 2026 white paper reported 0.35 FIT laser reliability, beating discrete transceivers.

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Benefits

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Paid Holidays

Paid Vacation

Gym Membership

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

0%

2 year growth

-1%
Associated Press
Mar 17th, 2026
Skorpios achieves 0.35 FIT laser reliability, shifting silicon photonics bottleneck to packaging

Skorpios Technologies has achieved a 0.35 FIT (Failures In Time) reliability rate for integrated lasers in its Tru-SiPh platform, according to a new white paper released at OFC 2026. The milestone shifts the primary reliability bottleneck from lasers to physical packaging in optical systems. The company's wafer-scale integration eliminates mechanical vulnerabilities found in traditional optical transceivers, which typically exhibit failure rates between 120 and 300 FIT. Skorpios integrates two lasers and one Semiconductor Optical Amplifier per channel directly into silicon, removing the need for discrete laser alignment and external fibre channels. The Temecula, California-based company's approach addresses thermal and mechanical constraints in co-packaged optics and high-speed Ethernet switching architectures. Skorpios provides silicon photonics solutions for AI infrastructure, hyperscale networking and other advanced applications.

Military Industry Today
Sep 11th, 2023
Skorpios Technologies Announces Reopening of Services in New Fab Facility in Temecula California

Skorpios Technologies announces reopening of services in new Fab facility in Temecula california.

Skorpios Technologies, Inc.
Mar 2nd, 2023
Skorpios Technologies, Inc. Today Announces the Relocation of Its Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Operation to Southern California | Skorpios Technologies Inc.

Skorpios Technologies, Inc., a vertically integrated leader in heterogeneously integrated silicon photonics announced today that it will be moving fab operations from Austin, Texas to Southern California.

The Business Journals
Feb 14th, 2023
Skorpios to close Austin factory, cut 60 jobs

Semiconductor company Skorpios Technologies Inc. plans to cut 60 employees and shut down an Austin factory after it couldn't negotiate a new lease with its landlord, the University of Texas.