Lead Scientist, Chemical Mechanical Planarization/Post-CMP Cleaning

The Role:

In this role you will:

• Technical Innovation & Product Development

  • Lead the formulation and process development of CMP slurries and pCMP cleaning chemistries for advanced semiconductor applications.
  • Define technical strategy, test plans, decision criteria, and development pathways for complex projects with significant technical ambiguity.
  • Establish structure-property-performance relationships involving abrasive particles, oxidizers, inhibitors, complexing agents, polymers, surfactants, dispersants, and cleaning additives.
  • Develop mechanistic understanding of material removal, selectivity, defectivity, corrosion, residue removal, particle contamination, surface condition, and formulation stability.
  • Design and direct statistically robust experiments, including DOE and multivariate analysis, and integrate wafer, coupon, analytical, and formulation data to guide development decisions.
  • Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex slurry, cleaning, process, equipment, scale-up, and customer-performance issues.

• Product Commercialization & Customer Success

  • Partner with Applications teams to design and execute CMP and pCMP evaluations on relevant films, substrates, test wafers, and patterned wafers.
  • Translate customer requirements and device/process trends into product specifications, technical milestones, and differentiated value propositions.
  • Lead technical reviews and communicate conclusions, risks, and recommendations to senior R&D leaders, cross-functional stakeholders, and customers.
  • Support raw-material selection, formulation robustness, scale-up, technology transfer, product qualification, and New Product Introduction.
  • Drive intellectual property creation through invention disclosures, patent support, technical documentation, and protection of proprietary know-how.

• Technical Leadership & Operational Excellence

  • Provide technical mentorship to scientists, engineers, and technicians and help establish best practices for experimental rigor, data quality, and laboratory execution.
  • Build productive global networks and influence technical direction across teams without relying on direct authority.
  • Maintain exemplary EHS, chemical-handling, quality, and documentation practices and actively strengthen a safety-first culture.
  • Travel up to 30%, including customer sites and global technology or manufacturing locations, based on business needs.

Traits we believe make a strong candidate:

• Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Surface Science, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree with a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience; OR a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; equivalent education and experience may be considered.

• Demonstrated hands-on experience in CMP slurry development, pCMP cleaning development, CMP process development, or closely related semiconductor surface-processing technology.

• Deep understanding of CMP and pCMP fundamentals, including surface chemistry, colloid and interface science, particle behavior, chemical-mechanical interactions, corrosion control, residue removal, and defect mechanisms.

• Proven ability to independently solve complex, multi-variable technical problems and to determine appropriate methods, experiments, and decision criteria.

• Strong record of designing and analyzing statistically rigorous experiments and converting complex datasets into clear technical conclusions and next steps.

• Experience connecting formulation composition and process conditions to removal rate, selectivity, defects, surface quality, cleaning efficiency, and product robustness.

• Experience with semiconductor materials such as metals, dielectrics, barrier or liner films, and advanced interconnect materials is preferred.

• Experience supporting customer engagements, product qualification, scale-up, technology transfer, or commercialization is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated technical leadership, influence, mentoring capability, and effective collaboration across global and cross-functional organizations.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technically complex information in English to global teams and customers.

• Strong commitment to laboratory safety, data integrity, intellectual property protection, and disciplined technical documentation.

Your success will be measured by:

• Technical leadership: Establishes credible technical direction and resolves high-impact CMP and pCMP challenges through sound scientific judgment.

• Innovation and differentiation: Creates protectable formulations, mechanisms, methods, or product concepts that deliver meaningful customer value.

• Project impact: Delivers critical technical milestones, manages uncertainty and risk, and enables timely project decisions.

• Customer relevance: Connects customer process requirements to practical, robust, and differentiated material solutions.

• Collaboration and influence: Builds effective global partnerships and aligns cross-functional teams around evidence-based recommendations.

• Talent development: Raises team capability through mentoring, technical reviews, knowledge sharing, and rigorous experimental standards.

• Safety and quality: Demonstrates visible leadership in EHS, data integrity, documentation, and product-development discipline.