Microfabrication & Molding - Process Engineer Responsibilities
- Develop, optimize, and validate precision microfabrication, micro-hole formation, molding, casting, and advanced materials processes for semiconductor, microelectronics, advanced packaging, PCB/substrate, soft wearable, and OSAT-related applications.
- Support small-hole and micro-feature formation using laser drilling, micro-CNC drilling, micro-machining, EDM, mechanical drilling, controlled-depth drilling, via formation, and related advanced manufacturing methods.
- Design and optimize mold cases, mold tools, fixtures, coupons, and custom hardware using CAD, CFD, mold-flow analysis, FEA, prototyping, and design-for-manufacturability principles.
- Operate and improve compression molding, transfer molding, liquid injection molding, micro-molding, casting, and related polymer or elastomer processing systems.
- Work with silicone, epoxy molding compound, polymers, elastomers, metalized substrates, advanced electronic materials, and semiconductor packaging materials to support material selection, process compatibility, and sample development.
- Plan and execute DOE, feasibility trials, parameter studies, process capability studies, prototype builds, analytical testing, metrology, dimensional inspection, microscopy, and related characterization activities.
- Create and maintain process documentation, including equipment recipes, mold setup sheets, process parameters, travelers, SOPs, inspection criteria, test coupons, data summaries, and engineering reports.
- Troubleshoot process issues, support root cause analysis and corrective action, and improve yield, repeatability, dimensional accuracy, cleanliness, cycle time, and customer deliverable readiness.
- Collaborate with engineering, R&D, PCB/substrate manufacturing, OSAT, cleanroom, quality, procurement, vendors, external manufacturing partners, and customer-facing teams to support build readiness, scale-up, and customer deliverables.
- Maintain safe laboratory, cleanroom, molding, laser, machine, chemical, ESD, and advanced manufacturing practices while communicating technical risks, equipment constraints, material concerns, schedule impacts, and customer-impacting issues in a timely manner.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Semiconductor Engineering, Microelectronics Engineering, Applied Physics, or a directly related technical engineering or physical science discipline.
- 3+ years of hands-on experience in precision microfabrication, precision machining, micro-machining, laser processing, EDM, micro-drilling, molding, casting, polymer processing, semiconductor packaging, PCB/substrate manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, process development, or related technical engineering work.
- 2+ years of hands-on experience with CAD and prototyping; SolidWorks experience preferred.
- 2+ years of experience with one or more of the following: micro-molding, liquid injection molding, compression molding, transfer molding, mold tool design, mold-flow FEA, or related molding process development.
- Experience with design for manufacture for molding of polymers, elastomers, silicones, epoxy molding compounds, or related materials.
- Experience working with silicone and epoxy molding compound.
- Experience developing, optimizing, validating, or troubleshooting manufacturing processes involving small features, tight tolerances, metal processing, advanced materials, substrates, molded parts, packaging structures, or precision components.
- Experience applying engineering judgment to process development, parameter selection, tooling or consumable selection, fixture design, mold design, material selection, process validation, technical troubleshooting, or documentation.
- Experience using or supporting precision equipment such as CNC machines, micro-drilling systems, laser processing systems, EDM systems, molding systems, metrology tools, microscopes, profilometers, CMMs, optical inspection systems, or related tools.
- Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, design files, tolerance requirements, material specifications, process documentation, customer requirements, and inspection criteria.
- Basic understanding of dimensional tolerance, GD&T, tolerance stack-up analysis, and design for manufacturability.
- Experience collecting, analyzing, and documenting process data, inspection results, test results, deviations, defects, corrective actions, and technical findings.
- Strong technical writing skills, including the ability to prepare process notes, equipment recipes, setup sheets, SOPs, engineering reports, data summaries, and customer-facing technical documentation.
- Ability to support customer product deliverables with accuracy, schedule awareness, documentation discipline, technical judgment, specification alignment, and timely escalation of risks.
- Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic, hands-on engineering and advanced manufacturing environment.
- Ability to work on-site in a hands-on engineering, advanced manufacturing, laboratory, cleanroom, prototype manufacturing, and advanced electronics environment.
Required Skills and Knowledge
- Precision microfabrication and micro-hole formation
- Molding, casting, and micro-molding process development
- Compression molding, transfer molding, and liquid injection molding
- Mold tool design, mold-flow FEA, and CFD-supported mold case design
- Silicone, epoxy molding compound, polymers, and elastomer processing
- CAD, SolidWorks, prototyping, and fixture design
- Design for manufacturability for polymers, elastomers, molded parts, and microfabricated components
- Dimensional tolerance, GD&T, and tolerance stack-up awareness
- Laser drilling, EDM, CNC, or micro-machining process awareness
- Metal processing and advanced materials behavior
- Semiconductor packaging and PCB/substrate manufacturing awareness
- Process-window development and parameter optimization
- Tooling, electrodes, optics, nozzles, molds, fixtures, workholding, and consumables
- Micron-scale inspection, analytical testing, and metrology methods
- DOE, SPC, Six Sigma, process capability, and yield improvement
- Root cause analysis and corrective action
- Technical documentation and engineering reporting
- Customer specification review and deliverable support
- Process travelers, SOPs, setup sheets, equipment recipes, and inspection criteria
- Equipment readiness, vendor coordination, and preventive maintenance awareness
- Cross-functional engineering collaboration
- Laboratory, cleanroom, ESD, laser safety, machine safety, chemical safety, and documentation discipline
- Schedule awareness, technical accuracy, and quality accountability
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: From $100,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Relocation assistance
- Vision insurance
Education:
Experience:
- hand-on CAD, Solidworks, and prototyping: 2 years (Required)
- micromolding, injection, compression, transfer molding: 2 years (Required)
- mold tool design: 2 years (Required)
- mold flow FEA: 2 years (Required)
- liquid injection, compression, transfer molding: 2 years (Required)
Work Location: In person
