Senior ALD Process Engineer

Senior ALD Process Engineer

Tyndall National Institute is Ireland’s largest Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) and a flagship Institute of University College Cork. Specialising in both electronics and photonics, Tyndall works with global industry and academia to transform research into products in its core market areas of electronics, communications, energy, health, agri-tech and the environment. With a network of over 200 industry partners and customers worldwide, Tyndall is focused on delivering human and economic impact from excellence in research. Tyndall is home to a research community of 650 people of over 50 nationalities.

Background to the Role
Within Tyndall’s Micro Nano Systems Centre, we have created a strategic research programme focusing on materials, emerging devices and architectures for future information processing, interfacing with CMOS and beyond (“CMOS++ Materials & Devices”).

CMOS++ is involved in the Chips JU NanoIC pilot line co-funded by the European Commission and national agencies as part of the targeted initiatives of the EU Chips Act. The implementation of the Chips JU pilot lines is expected to bridge the gap from lab to fab and will be available to a wide range of users, including academia, industry and research institutions.

The NanoIC pilot line is the result of a remarkable European cross-border collaboration. Hosted by imec (Belgium), its partners include CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT (Romania) and Tyndall National Institute (Ireland).

NanoIC targets semiconductor technologies that will shape tomorrow’s high-tech solutions. One of the main goals is to develop the process steps and modules that enable these technologies. This will result in stable ‘platform’ baseline flows with a high technology readiness level (TRL 4-6).
These technologies are situated in three research pillars:
1. Advanced logic technologies
2. Advanced memory technologies
3. Advanced interconnect technologies

In NanoIC, Tyndall’s flexibility into materials integration will allow for rapid, short-cycle screening to reduce the cycle time in identifying and integrating highly performing materials to carry forward into IC development. Our role is to provide agile wafer scale nanofabrication and processing beyond silicon for the integration of selected new materials – Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) and oxide semiconductor (OSC) – and FET device architectures. The goal is to develop a material platform for embedded DRAM and above IC functionality, thereby providing a key technology block to enable leading-edge ICs.

Purpose of the Role
The Senior ALD Process Engineer will play a key role in the success of Tyndall’s NanoIC programme, providing technical leadership and hands-on expertise in the development, optimisation and operation of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) and related thin-film processes for emerging materials and next-generation semiconductor devices.

The role will focus on establishing robust, repeatable and scalable ALD processes, maintaining stable and reliable tool operation, and translating materials and device concepts into well-controlled deposition processes. The postholder will work directly within Tyndall’s fabrication and materials environments, undertaking process development, experimentation, characterisation, troubleshooting and process optimisation, while providing technical guidance to researchers, engineers and other users of the ALD capability.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of ALD processes for transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), oxide semiconductors and high-k dielectric materials, as well as their integration into advanced device architectures. The role will contribute to the development of thin-film interfaces and multilayer structures for next-generation transistors, including field-effect transistors (FETs) and MOSFETs, with an emphasis on achieving the required material, interface, electrical and device performance.

The Senior ALD Process Engineer will work closely with process engineers, device engineers, materials scientists, researchers, metrology specialists, equipment engineers and external equipment suppliers. They will identify process challenges, establish process windows and optimise deposition conditions through structured experimentation, Design of Experiments (DoE), process characterisation and data-driven analysis.
The role will also support the installation, commissioning and qualification of new ALD equipment, technology development, process transfer, knowledge exchange and mentoring within the NanoIC programme.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Take technical ownership of designated ALD processes, establishing and maintaining stable baseline processes with defined operating windows, process controls, acceptance criteria, troubleshooting and continuous improvement.
• Lead the day-to-day operation, monitoring and maintenance of ALD tools within Tyndall’s FlexiFab and materials laboratories, ensuring safe, stable and reliable performance and resolving complex equipment or process issues with equipment specialists, vendors and service engineers as required.
• Support the installation, commissioning, qualification and acceptance of new ALD equipment, including development of operating procedures and baseline processes.
• Develop, optimise and qualify ALD processes for TMDs, oxide semiconductors, high-k dielectrics and other functional thin-film materials, including multilayer structures; investigate ALD growth behaviour, nucleation, surface reactions and film properties, and contribute to interface engineering for advanced FET and MOSFET architectures.
• Design, implement and analyse DoEs to identify key process parameters and establish process windows; develop robust process-monitoring and control strategies using appropriate metrology, and analyse experimental, materials and device data to drive process improvement.
• Support the integration of ALD processes into wider semiconductor fabrication flows, assessing material compatibility, contamination risk, precursor chemistry, chamber effects, thermal-budget constraints and interactions with upstream and downstream process modules.
• Support process transfer from laboratory-scale demonstrations towards repeatable wafer-scale fabrication, including process qualification and technology transfer.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for process recipes, operating procedures, equipment conditions, process windows, experimental plans, metrology results and process-development outcomes.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior engineers, interns, students and researchers, work effectively across multidisciplinary teams, and promote knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Participate in Education and Public Engagement activities.
• Contribute to risk assessment, quality management and equipment qualification, ensuring compliance with Health and Safety requirements, cleanroom and hazardous-material procedures, the Tyndall Quality Management System, and other duties appropriate to the scope and level of the post.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Innovation & Industry Engagement when required.

Essential Criteria

• MSc degree in physics, materials science, chemistry, electronic engineering, semiconductor engineering or a related discipline.
• Typically five years’ hands-on experience operating, developing and optimising processes on Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) systems, preferably within a semiconductor cleanroom, fabrication or R&D environment.
• Demonstrable practical experience with ALD process development, including recipe development and optimisation, process monitoring, establishment of stable process windows, and  knowledge of precursor chemistry, surface reactions, nucleation and growth mechanisms.
• Experience with advanced thin-film, materials, interface and device characterisation techniques, such as XPS, AFM, ellipsometry, TEM, SEM, XRD or electrical characterisation.
• Practical experience with vacuum systems and thin-film deposition equipment, including equipment operation, basic maintenance, fault finding and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrable experience developing semiconductor or functional thin-film fabrication processes from device, materials or process concepts through to experimental demonstration, including building process fabrication flows from ideation or concept stage.
• Familiarity with risk assessments, chemical and hazardous-material handling and compliance with safety and quality protocols

Desirable Criteria

• Industrial experience in ALD process development, semiconductor processing, thin-film deposition, process integration or technology development.
• Experience designing, executing and analysing process-development experiments and/or DoEs, and using appropriate thin-film, materials or device metrology to analyse experimental data and make informed, data-driven process decisions.
• Experience developing ALD processes for TMDs, oxide semiconductors, high-k dielectrics or other emerging semiconductor materials, including plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD), thermal ALD or other advanced ALD processes.
• Experience with interface engineering for FET and/or MOSFET devices and advanced gate stacks, including ALD-based gate dielectrics/high-k interfaces, relating interface and gate-stack properties to key transistor characteristics
• Experience integrating ALD processes into broader semiconductor fabrication flows, including interactions with downstream/upstream process modules, wafer-scale process qualification and uniformity, defect/yield improvement, statistical process control and technology transfer.
• Ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams and translate research ideas into practical solutions.

What we Offer
Apart from offering a position in a very successful and positive research environment, with a collaborative ethos full of diverse competencies to boost your career, we offer the following:
 

• Impactful Work: Opportunities to contribute to ground-breaking research and innovation that shape Ireland’s economy and the society at large.
• Continuous Learning: Strong support for formal training, further study and professional development.
• Interdisciplinary Environment: Where academia, industry, and innovation intersect - supported by cutting-edge infrastructure and expert knowledge.
• Blended Working: Flexibility to work remotely and on-site, where the role allows.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Access to UCC pension, long-term illness benefit, life assurance, and more.
• Generous Leave: Competitive annual leave entitlements.
• Equity & Inclusion: Athena Swan Bronze award holder, with ongoing initiatives led by a dedicated People and Culture team to ensure equity for all.
• Core Values: A culture grounded in Ambition, Collaboration, Diversity, Excellence, and Integrity.
• Entrepreneurial Spirit: A proactive, innovation-driven environment that welcomes entrepreneurial and creative thinkers, including those with start-up experience.
• Supportive Onboarding: Structured induction and mentoring to help new hires integrate and thrive.
• Vibrant Culture: A collaborative, people-first workplace with a strong sense of community.

Terms of Employment
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Contract Category: Full Time
The duration of the contract is a for a fixed term of approximately 24 months with the possibility to extend by 18 months upon the availability of funding, satisfactory performance, mutual agreement and a detailed career development plan.

Appointment may be made on the UCC Senior Technical Officer Salary Scale B €67,875 – € 78,185 p.a..  Salary placement on appointment will be in accordance with the public sector pay policy.

Informal enquiries concerning this position can be made to Melissa McCarthy
The closing date for applications is 1pm 19th October 2026

Application Instructions
Please make sure to attach an up-to-date CV/Resume AND a brief motivation letter outlining how you meet the ‘Essential Criteria’ for this role.

A full candidate information pack is available to download by clicking here

Please note that Garda vetting and/or an international police clearance check may form part of the selection process.
Please note that an appointment to posts advertised will be dependent on University approval, together with the terms of the employment control framework for the higher education sector.

At this time, Tyndall National Institute does not require the assistance of recruitment agencies.
Tyndall National Institute at University College, Cork is an Equal Opportunities Employer.