PVD Equipment Engineer at Tesla

Job description

The Role

Tesla is looking for an Equipment Engineer who will be responsible for PVD (Plasma Vapor Deposition) Equipment. This role will serve as the subject matter expert on Glass coating PVD equipment, independently diagnose equipment issues, and develop improved equipment maintenance practices to maximize performance and minimize cost.

• Responsibilities
• Drive equipment installation and qualification on time and on budget by working closely with external vendors, Tesla facilities, and process engineering.
• Team with Facilities Engineering to install and qualify PVD equipment necessary to ramp the Fremont/Riverbend facility to production targets on time and on budget.
• Match process and product performance targets of Tesla’s pilot fab in Fremont, CA (Fab 2) using a copy exact philosophy on equipment and recipes.
• Collaborate with the equipment development team in Tesla’s pilot fab (Fremont CA) to modify and retrofit hardware to push for better optical performance and throughput.
• Guide and mentor the associate equipment engineers, tool vendors and maintenance technicians to improve overall equipment effectiveness and ensure all equipment performance is matched to FAB 2 fingerprints.
• Perform analysis and structured problem solving of yield and performance issues.
• Feed learning back to Fremont for continuous improvement and incorporation into next generation products and maintain up to date equipment FMEA’s by collaborating with Fab 2.
• Achieve equipment leadership by improving process control through regular disciplined monitoring of production processes through SPC.
• Follow all Process Change and Control Board procedures to ensure strict standards for cell process, fab equipment, operation process and yield control.
• Participate in cross site PVD user group forums for knowledge sharing.
• Participate and/or lead cost reduction programs including cost of ownership reduction and OEE improvement to enable achievement of cost per tile targets.

Requirements

• B.S or M.S degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material science, Chemistry, Physics, related field or equivalent experience.
• Evidence of exceptional ability.
• 3-5 years of experience in related field including PVD equipment for either glass, semiconductor or solar devices.
• Expert in PVD equipment maintenance and understanding of PVD process controls and equipment tuning to enable best-in-class thin film layers.
• Proven leadership in cost of ownership for PVD equipment and proven record of effective cost reduction.
• Understanding of the FMS (Facilities Management Systems), MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems, and LSS (Life Safety Systems) connection to and interaction with process equipment.
• Strong fundamental knowledge in physics, chemistry, and material science.
• Experience in technology transfer methodology, procedures, and copy exactly methodology.
• Able to present data and results to gain support for factory operation, yield and quality improvement projects.
• Able to travel occasionally for training and technology transfer.
• Ability to work well with others in a collaborative team environment.
• Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment criminal background screen. Additional pre-employment driving and drug screens may be required based on job responsibilities.