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Manufacturing Process Engineer II
For more than 50 years, Photronics has been a global leader in photomask technology, powering the innovation behind smartphones, computers, TVs, and other devices people use every day. Our success is built on quality, collaboration, and the dedication of our people. Join us and be part of a company recognized worldwide for cutting-edge technology, exceptional service, and strong customer partnerships.
Position Summary: The IRP RDA Engineer is responsible for driving detection, classification, and reduction of all defect signals across the photomask manufacturing value stream—both traditional physical mask defects (e.g., extensions, intrusions, pattern defects) and non-physical defects such as flow breakdowns, missing or ineffective OCAP, aged holds, disposition delays, and other systemic constraints that impact quality, yield, and cycle time. This role owns the inspection–review–repair (IRP) workflow and leverages real-time defect analysis (RDA) to identify root causes, drive containment and corrective actions, and improve process capability. The engineer partners with lithography, metrology, equipment, manufacturing, and planning/operations stakeholders to ensure stable production performance through data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.
Location: Boise, ID (US). This is an on-site position, and we are not open to remote candidates at this time.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Own and continuously improve the inspection–review–repair (IRP) workflow, ensuring fast, consistent disposition and effective closure of defect signals.
- Integrate and analyze diverse defect signals (inspection hits, review outcomes, repair results, holds, rework, OCAP usage, queue time) to identify trends, paretos, and excursion drivers.
- Develop and maintain real-time monitoring (RDA) systems and dashboards for defect health, containment status, and flow performance (e.g., holds aging, disposition cycle time, IRP queue health).
- Lead root cause analysis and corrective/preventive actions for yield, quality, and flow excursions—spanning tool/process mechanisms, recipe/configuration, handling/contamination, and operational breakdowns.
- Partner with inspection, review, and metrology teams to improve signal quality (sensitivity, nuisance reduction, classification accuracy) and to standardize defect taxonomy across tools and workflows.
- Support rapid, high-quality dispositions by evaluating impact (printability where applicable), driving clear containment actions, and reducing time-to-decision for holds, rework, and IRP exceptions.
- Support qualification and optimization of inspection, review, and repair tools, including recipe governance, matching, and sustaining plans tied to defect and flow performance.
- Apply SPC, DOE, and statistical methods to improve both process robustness and workflow robustness (e.g., defect escape reduction, rework reduction, queue-time variation reduction).
- Drive OCAP and standard work effectiveness: identify gaps, author or improve response plans, ensure ownership/closure, and verify sustained control through audit-ready evidence.
- Own recurring defect/flow review routines (e.g., pareto reviews, aged-hold scrubs) and coordinate cross-functional actions to eliminate chronic constraints in the back end of the photomask manufacturing process.
- Collaborate with process, equipment, manufacturing, and operations teams to improve yield, cycle time, and cost through prioritized, closed-loop problem solving.
- Document defect mechanisms, control strategies, OCAP/standard work, and lessons learned; maintain clear knowledge bases that accelerate future disposition and root-cause efforts.
Travel: Less than 5%
QUALIFICATIONS:
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
- Hands-on experience in photomask or semiconductor manufacturing environments, including working effectively in/with cleanroom operations.
- Working knowledge of photolithography/patterning and how upstream process variation can manifest as downstream inspection, review, repair, or disposition signals.
- Ability to transform high-volume, mixed-quality manufacturing data into actionable insights (paretos, excursion detection, defect taxonomy, signal quality metrics) and to communicate results clearly to stakeholders.
- Strong fundamentals in structured problem solving and root cause (5-Why, fishbone, fault tree), including containment, corrective action, and verification of effectiveness.
- Demonstrated ability to build, improve, and sustain OCAP/standard work (response plans, decision trees, escalation paths) with audit-ready documentation.
- Working knowledge of SPC concepts (control charts, capability, common vs. special cause) and experimental methods (DOE), including measurement system considerations.
- Proficiency with common analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, JMP) and comfort working with manufacturing databases or basic automation/scripting (SQL/Python preferred; equivalent experience acceptable).
- Ability to lead cross-functional routines (defect pareto reviews, excursion reviews, aged-hold scrubs) and drive timely closure through influence, prioritization, and clear action tracking.
Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in photomask manufacturing and/or semiconductor manufacturing (yield, process, equipment, or manufacturing engineering).
- Experience in inspection/review/repair (IRP), defect review, yield learning, or nonconformance disposition workflows; photomask experience preferred.
- Experience with SPC, data analysis, and root cause methodologies, including translating findings into control plans/OCAP updates.
- Experience improving operational execution using data (e.g., aged-hold reduction, disposition cycle time, queue-time management, rework reduction) in partnership with manufacturing and planning/operations.
- Experience with dashboarding, data extraction, and/or automation (e.g., Power BI, JMP, SQL, Python, Excel VBA) to enable near-real-time monitoring and action tracking.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Chemical Engineering, or related field.
- Why Photronics
- Be part of a global technology leader driving innovation for the world’s biggest tech companies.
- Enjoy stability, challenge, and opportunity at a company with more than 50 years of proven success.
- Work in a collaborative, growth-focused environment where your expertise will have a real impact.
- Competitive salary and annual bonus program.
- Equity compensation eligibility.
- Full suite of health and welfare benefits.
- 401k with company match.
Equal Opportunity Statement: We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation for team members’ disabilities and religious beliefs or practices.
Agency Notice: Photronics does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach from search firms or employment agencies. Please, no phone calls or emails to any employee regarding this opening. Resumes submitted outside of our approved agency engagement process will be considered the sole property of Photronics, and no fees will be paid if such candidates are hired. Only agencies with a valid agreement in place with Photronics and assigned to this role may submit candidates.
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