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Skorpios Technologies

Develops wafer-scale silicon photonics modules

Process Engineer - Dry Etch

Full-Time
$100k - $150k
Expert
Bachelor's, Master's, PhD
Temecula, CA, USA
In Person
Manufacturing & Process EngineeringProcess Engineering
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship Required

About the job

Requirements
  • Processing experience in a fab in dry etch processing using Reactive Ion Etching (RIE), Deep RIE (DRIE), Magnetron RIE (MRIE), Inductively Coupled Plasma etching (ICP), and Microwave Ashing.
  • Experience with Statistical Process Control (SPC).
  • 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 perform and monitor multiple overlapping tasks and 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 related to Dry Etch processing, including particle and defect metrology and thickness and uniformity metrology.
  • Must be able to work offset shifts: Front-End Days (starts on Sundays and ends on Thursdays) or Back-End Days (starts on Tuesdays and ends on Saturdays).
  • A BS in Electrical Engineering, Material Science, Physics, or Chemistry, plus 9 years of experience; an MS plus 7 years; or a Ph.D. plus 4 years of experience.
  • Must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR: a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, political asylee, or refugee.
Responsibilities
  • Partner with Integration Engineers, customers, and other Development Engineers to execute experiments and adjust or optimize processes for fab operation.
  • Partner with Product Engineering and Integration to help ensure effective new product and process introductions, 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 the Integration Engineering Team and Process Development Engineering Team.
  • Provide effective pass-downs to support uninterrupted operation of Dry Etch activities.
  • 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.
  • Partner with the Senior Development Engineering team and Integration teams to resolve deviations or technical issues by establishing hypotheses, defining experiments to validate or invalidate hypotheses, identifying root causes, implementing corrective actions, documenting improved processes, and training operations.
  • Sustain existing processes in Reactive Ion Etching (RIE), Deep RIE (DRIE), Magnetron RIE (MRIE), Inductively Coupled Plasma etching (ICP), Microwave Ashing, Transformer Coupled Plasma etching (TCP), Dipole Ring Magnetron etching (DRM), and barrel etching; create etch process recipes; conduct inspections and defect control; and perform standard Dry Etch metrology such as ellipsometry or profilometry.
  • Create and maintain operating specifications for production processes and equipment.
  • Monitor process health with Statistical Process Control (SPC) and respond to out-of-control events according to out-of-control action plans.

About the company

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

Temecula, California

Founded

2009

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Skorpios announced 1.6 Tbps and 6.4 Tbps optical engines on May 7, 2026.
  • The May 7, 2026 0.35 FIT milestone shifts failure risk from lasers to packaging.
  • Temecula funding in 2025 financed relocation and restart, restoring manufacturing capacity.

What critics are saying

  • Broadcom's Bailly and NVIDIA's Spectrum-X CPO shipped in 2026, squeezing pluggable demand.
  • Skorpios' Temecula restart followed 2023 Austin shutdown and 60 layoffs, signaling fragile operations.
  • If hyperscalers standardize on Broadcom optical engines, Skorpios becomes a niche supplier.

What makes Skorpios Technologies unique

  • Skorpios' Tru-SiPh integrated lasers hit 0.35 FIT on May 7, 2026.
  • It integrates lasers, modulators, and photodiodes on-wafer, removing discrete alignment complexity.
  • Its 1.6 Tbps and 6.4 Tbps optical engines target 102.4T AI switches.

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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

-2%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

-4%
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.