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.

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