Lead Scientist, CMP/pCMP (Semiconductor)

Location: Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Company

Develops advanced slurry and post-CMP cleaning solutions for semiconductor applications.

What you will do

• Lead formulation and process development of CMP slurries and pCMP cleaning chemistries.
• Define technical strategies, test plans, decision criteria, and development pathways for complex projects.
• Establish structure-property-performance relationships across abrasive particles, oxidizers, inhibitors, polymers, surfactants, dispersants, and cleaning additives.
• Design statistically robust experiments, including DOE and multivariate analysis, and integrate wafer, coupon, analytical, and formulation data.
• Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis involving removal rate, selectivity, defectivity, corrosion, residues, contamination, equipment, scale-up, and customer performance.
• Support product qualification, technology transfer, commercialization, intellectual property creation, and technical communication with global stakeholders and customers.

Requirements

• Ph.D. with at least 3 years of relevant experience, Master’s degree with at least 6 years, or Bachelor’s degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience.
• Hands-on experience in CMP slurry development, pCMP cleaning development, CMP process development, or related semiconductor surface-processing technology.
• Deep knowledge of CMP and pCMP fundamentals, including surface chemistry, colloid and interface science, particle behavior, corrosion control, residue removal, and defect mechanisms.
• Ability to independently solve complex, multivariable technical problems and convert rigorous experimental data into clear technical conclusions.
• Technical leadership, mentoring, cross-functional collaboration, strong communication skills, and the ability to present complex information in English.
• Commitment to laboratory safety, data integrity, intellectual property protection, and disciplined technical documentation.

Nice to have

• Experience with metals, dielectrics, barrier or liner films, and advanced interconnect materials.
• Experience supporting customer engagements, product qualification, scale-up, technology transfer, or commercialization.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaboration across global R&D, Applications, Analytical, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Marketing, and customer-facing teams.
• Opportunity to influence technical direction without direct people-management responsibility.
• Technical mentorship of scientists, engineers, and technicians and contribution to experimental best practices.
• Safety-first culture with emphasis on EHS, chemical handling, quality, data integrity, and documentation.
• Travel of up to 30% to customer sites and global technology or manufacturing locations.