Principal Process Engineer

Department: Engineering

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Plymouth

Description

We are seeking a Principal Process Engineer to lead the photolithography development of our next generation MicroLED technologies. Joining a talented team, this role owns & drives lithography processes, equipment, and metrology, helping us achieve target CDs, low overlay error and high yield in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and optimise Photolithography process for cutting- edge micro- LED device fabrications.
• Design and execute DOEs to understand process behaviour and expand process windows.
• Serve as a lithography tool owner, maintain peak peformance, troublshoot issues and coordinate with equiopment engineering.
• Lead recipe optimisation and tool matching to ensure consistent, high quality outcomes.
• Utilise lithography metrology tools to monitor performance and implement continuous improvement.
• Analyse overlay budgets, critical dimensions ( CD) trends and defect data to drive process enhancements.
• Establish statistical process control ( SPC) systems and create clear, actionable process control dashboards.
• Investigate and perform root cause analysis for lithography-related challenges, including CD drift, resist adhesion, profile defects, and overlay errors.
• Drive yield and repeatability improvements across all lithography modules.
• Collaborate with etch, deposition, CMP, and development teams to ensure seamless integration of lithography steps.
• Provide guidance on mask design, design rules, and alignment mark strategies.
• Prepare comprehensive training manuals, ARIs, TFPs, and technical reports for internal teams.
• Present process improvement plans and roadmap proposals to engineering teams and management.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers and technicians in training, troubleshooting, and technical development.
• Lead problem-solving sessions and support data-driven decision-making across projects.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Degree in Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a related field.
• Over 5 years of hands-on experience with photolithography in semiconductor manufacturing, R&D, or pilot fabs.
• Skilled in using photolithography steppers, mask aligners, track systems, overlay measurement tools, and CD-SEM equipment.
• Strong understanding of photoresist processing, CD control, overlay alignment, and troubleshooting lithography issues.
• Experienced in optimising processes, adjusting exposure and focus, managing alignment, and controlling feature profiles.
• Comfortable designing experiments and analyzing results to improve processes.
• Able to diagnose and solve both equipment and process problems using data.
• Clear communicator with strong documentation habits and a collaborative mindset.
• Able to mentor junior engineers and lead technical discussions.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, and adaptable in fast-moving R&D environments.
• Familiar with tools and methodologies used for statistical analysis and process control such as SPC, JMP, or equivalent would be an advantage.

Benefits

• Pension scheme
• Private medical & dental insurance
• 28 days' holiday + bank holidays
• Free onsite meals
• Onsite gym
• Relocation support
• Visa support available