Western Digital
Senior Engineer, Wafer Manufacturing Metrology
Western Digital, San Jose, California, United States, 95199
Senior Engineer, Wafer Manufacturing Metrology
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: As a metrology engineer, you will be responsible for developing and implementing precise, robust, and high-throughput solutions to control high-volume manufacturing of complex, three-dimensional thin film magnetic read/write head structures. Examples include developing automated device inspection recipes to detect defects with machine learning and spectroscopic ellipsometer models to measure thin film thickness and index. To accomplish this objective, you will need to collaborate closely with process engineering teams that support wafer manufacturing operations.
Work independently with minimal supervision in the Manufacturing Metrology group to develop, document, optimize, and sustain automated inspection recipes and process control solutions.
Develop and refine technical methods/processes to identify root causes of operational issues, process inefficiencies, and measurement deviations.
Establish accurate baseline measurements and qualification of metrology solutions by collaborating with cross-functional teams across the fab.
Deploy robust metrology system calibration and correlation strategies.
Identify and resolve equipment issues, collaborating with equipment engineering teams and tool vendors to ensure optimal tool performance.
Cross-train within Metrology Engineering to ensure seamless support coverage across teams.
Partner with engineering and quality teams to analyze real-time metrology data, identify process deviations, and implement automated corrective strategies to improve yield and reduce cycle time.
Summarize, document, and present results to technical and executive audiences to drive data-driven improvements.
Communicate effectively with both management and shop floor.
Display comfort and skill in presenting issues/findings.
Qualifications Required:
B.S. or M.S. in physics, chemistry, engineering (chemical, mechanical, electrical), or material science.
Minimum of 0-3 years of work experience depending on education.
Programming/scripting experience in SQL, Python, Matlab, JSL, C#, or similar.
Strong detail-oriented work habits and ability to complete projects on schedule.
Practical understanding of electronics and mechatronics as applied to modern industrial measurement tools.
Preferred:
Hands-on clean room and wafer fabrication/processing experience.
Practical knowledge of image processing and computer vision techniques.
Experience in machine learning and defect capture rate optimization.
Skills
Excellent problem solving, data analysis, statistics, and both written and oral communication skills.
Notice to Candidates Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, disability, or other legally protected characteristics. Our pay transparency policy is available here.
Western Digital is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact jobs.accommodations@wdc.com with the job title and requisition number.
Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 11/27/25, though we reserve the right to close earlier if we hire before the deadline.
Compensation and Benefits Details
The salary range is provided for jobs in certain locations and may be modified in the future. Pay may vary based on education, experience, location, and other factors.
Overtime pay eligibility, shift differentials, and eligibility for bonuses and equity programs may apply depending on role and performance.
Comprehensive benefits include medical/dental/vision insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation and sick leave, and additional voluntary programs.
Senior Engineer, Wafer Manufacturing Metrology – location: California/Colorado/New York or remote with location-based considerations.
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Work independently with minimal supervision in the Manufacturing Metrology group to develop, document, optimize, and sustain automated inspection recipes and process control solutions.
Develop and refine technical methods/processes to identify root causes of operational issues, process inefficiencies, and measurement deviations.
Establish accurate baseline measurements and qualification of metrology solutions by collaborating with cross-functional teams across the fab.
Deploy robust metrology system calibration and correlation strategies.
Identify and resolve equipment issues, collaborating with equipment engineering teams and tool vendors to ensure optimal tool performance.
Cross-train within Metrology Engineering to ensure seamless support coverage across teams.
Partner with engineering and quality teams to analyze real-time metrology data, identify process deviations, and implement automated corrective strategies to improve yield and reduce cycle time.
Summarize, document, and present results to technical and executive audiences to drive data-driven improvements.
Communicate effectively with both management and shop floor.
Display comfort and skill in presenting issues/findings.
Qualifications Required:
B.S. or M.S. in physics, chemistry, engineering (chemical, mechanical, electrical), or material science.
Minimum of 0-3 years of work experience depending on education.
Programming/scripting experience in SQL, Python, Matlab, JSL, C#, or similar.
Strong detail-oriented work habits and ability to complete projects on schedule.
Practical understanding of electronics and mechatronics as applied to modern industrial measurement tools.
Preferred:
Hands-on clean room and wafer fabrication/processing experience.
Practical knowledge of image processing and computer vision techniques.
Experience in machine learning and defect capture rate optimization.
Skills
Excellent problem solving, data analysis, statistics, and both written and oral communication skills.
Notice to Candidates Western Digital is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants and employees and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, age, national origin, sexual orientation, medical condition, marital status, disability, or other legally protected characteristics. Our pay transparency policy is available here.
Western Digital is an equal opportunity employer. If you require accommodations during the application process, please contact jobs.accommodations@wdc.com with the job title and requisition number.
Based on our experience, we anticipate that the application deadline will be 11/27/25, though we reserve the right to close earlier if we hire before the deadline.
Compensation and Benefits Details
The salary range is provided for jobs in certain locations and may be modified in the future. Pay may vary based on education, experience, location, and other factors.
Overtime pay eligibility, shift differentials, and eligibility for bonuses and equity programs may apply depending on role and performance.
Comprehensive benefits include medical/dental/vision insurance, life and disability insurance, 401(k) plan, paid vacation and sick leave, and additional voluntary programs.
Senior Engineer, Wafer Manufacturing Metrology – location: California/Colorado/New York or remote with location-based considerations.
#J-18808-Ljbffr