HiringCafe
Posted 5d ago

Senior PVD Equipment Engineer

@ Vital Materials
View All Jobs
Cupertino, California, United States
OnsiteFull Time
Responsibilities:Designing PVD equipment, Leading equipment architecture decisions, Overseeing installation and qualification
Requirements Summary:Design, build, and troubleshoot PVD equipment; magnetron sputtering; lead projects; collaborate with cross-functional teams; ensure equipment performance and maintenance.
Technical Tools Mentioned:PVD, magnetron sputtering, vacuum systems, RF power supplies, DC power supplies, magnetic field design
Save
Mark Applied
Hide Job
Report & Hide
Job Description

Senior PVD Equipment Engineer


Company Overview

Vital Materials is a global technology organization with operations in over 20 countries, providing advanced materials, products, and solutions across markets including semiconductors, optics, consumer electronics, aerospace, automotive, and energy-related applications. The company is committed to enabling next-generation technologies through materials science and process innovation.


Job Summary

The Senior PVD Equipment Engineer is a senior technical role responsible for the design, development, build, and troubleshooting of physical vapor deposition (PVD) equipment, with a strong emphasis on magnetron sputtering systems. This position supports R&D, pilot-scale, and manufacturing operations, particularly for thin-film deposition of magnetic materials.

Responsibilities

  • Design and develop PVD equipment and subsystems with emphasis on magnetic sputtering and magnetron configurations.
  • Lead equipment architecture decisions including vacuum systems, gas and power delivery, magnetron design, and target assemblies.
  • Oversee build, installation, commissioning, and qualification of sputtering tools.
  • Diagnose and resolve equipment issues related to plasma stability, film uniformity, arcing, target wear, and magnetic field non-uniformity.
  • Support sputtering processes for magnetic and non-magnetic materials in R&D and manufacturing environments.
  • Collaborate with process, materials, and operations teams to optimize tool performance and reliability.
  • Develop and maintain equipment documentation and preventative maintenance procedures.
  • Identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities and equipment upgrades.


Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field (advanced degree preferred).
  • Extensive hands-on experience designing, building, and troubleshooting magnetron sputtering tools.
  • Strong practical knowledge of PVD sputtering processes.
  • Direct experience with sputtering of magnetic materials strongly preferred.
  • Solid understanding of vacuum systems, plasma physics, RF/DC power supplies, and magnetic field design.
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
  • Ability to work independently and lead complex technical projects.