RAC 1/2 Fabrication and Characterization Process Engineer

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Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Term# 2 years

This position is being offered as a Secondment or contract opportunity.

The internal posting deadline for this position is June 25th, 2026, at 11:59PM

This position is contingent on funding

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The RAC1/2 Process Engineer is a professional level staff person, responsible for scientific and engineering support for Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF) equipment housed within the RAC1 and RAC2 buildings. The QNFCF is a recognized core facility at the University of Waterloo, serving more than 250 unique users per year. The QNFCF’s satellite labs in the RAC1 and RAC2 building house more than 30 pieces of unique quantum and nanodevice fabrication and characterization equipment. The RAC1/2 Process Engineer is expected to lead the effort to make this scientific infrastructure accessible to our user community by leading advanced training, process development and process troubleshooting tasks. The highly specialized nature of these technologies make it imperative that the incumbent maintain an up-to-date knowledge of emerging equipment and process technologies to provide the greatest possible value to the facility’s end users.

Key Accountabilities

Process Development

• The candidate is responsible for establishing a series of baseline fabrication recipes on major fabrication equipment in the RAC1 and RAC2 lab facilities. This requires that the candidate interact with equipment manufacturers as well as resident expert technical staff to identify initial equipment operating parameters. Through design of experiment methods, the incumbent must fine tune these parameters to establish robust process windows on each piece of equipment. All recipes must be thoroughly documented by the incumbent.

• The candidate interacts with facility staff and uWaterloo researchers to identify the most needed process modules. He/She ultimately integrates baseline recipes into such modules.

• Monitor user needs via continuous interaction with the community and coordinate and lead recipe/process development initiatives as needed.

• Provide technical leadership in the definition and documentation of technically challenging processes.

Equipment Instruction

• Instruct graduate research students and other users in the use and operation of the fabrication and characterization equipment.

• Qualify and instruct lab users to ensure safe and optimal equipment use.

• Provide demonstrations as needed to ensure optimal equipment use.

• Establish & maintain policies for equipment operation and handling of materials.

• Document equipment operating manuals and maintenance procedures, changes in hardware/software setups and newly established recipes.

• Develop fabrication equipment operating policies based on current needs, industry best practices, university guidelines and QNFCF team policies.

Safety

• Enforce all health and safety guidelines in accordance with UW & facility protocols.

• Instruct new fabrication facility users on laboratory and health & safety protocols.

Fabrication and Characterization Consultations

• Evaluate proposed fabrication process flows and consult with lab members to ensure feasibility and compatibility.

• Evaluate characterization tool requests and consult with lab members to ensure feasibility of their proposed work.

• In conjunction with management, allow/deny user access to equipment based on compatibility and

• contamination considerations.

• Provide support and guidance for users in planning new processes and projects.

Process Maintenance and Statistical Process Control

• Demonstrate equipment stability and repeatability via the establishment and routine running of statistical process control (SPC) mechanisms.

• Plan new SPC’s based on continuously changing user needs.

• Continuously monitor equipment cleanliness and process compatibilities to ensure optimal infrastructure performance. Initiate corrective actions as needed.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Masters degree or B.Sc/BEng and equivalent experience

Experience

• Minimum 3 years experience developing and running integrated circuit (IC) or MEMS nanofabrication processes in well-established industrial or academic device fabrication environments.

• Minimum of 3 years demonstrated experience with multiple physical vapor deposition (PVD) technologies such as Thermal evaporation, E-beam evaporation, magnetron sputtering, Pulsed Laser Deposition is essential.

• Demonstrated experience with multiple thin film metrology techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Raman spectroscopy, optical profilometry is essential.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Broad knowledge of nanofabrication techniques and associated characterization techniques.

• Service oriented. Exceptionally positive, diplomatic and constructive attitude as required to effectively work with many people with a broad range of experience, educational and cultural backgrounds both within and outside the university.

• Practical, hands-on ability to troubleshoot semiconductor fabrication equipment and vacuum systems and effect basic repairs.

• Ability to apply statistical methods to the analysis of semiconductor processes.

• Strong written and oral communication skills with a demonstrated ability to prepare scientific/engineering and similar documentation.

Equity Statement
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at [email protected] or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.