Process Technician (Thin-Film)

Location: On-site in Menlo Park, California, United States

Compensation: $45–$65 per hour

Company

Periodic Labs is building an autonomous laboratory that combines chemistry, robotics, automation, AI, and materials science for high-throughput materials discovery.

What you will do

• Operate vacuum-based thin-film deposition systems according to SOPs, verify process conditions and setpoints, and log run results.
• Dice and cleave wafer coupons, perform mounting and cross-section preparation, and clean and condition substrates.
• Operate characterization tools to collect structural, optical, and electrical film data, escalating tool-related anomalies.
• Perform first-line and preventive maintenance, including chamber cleaning, consumable changes, pump-down and leak checks, calibration checks, and PM scheduling.
• Qualify and monitor tools using samples, baseline comparisons, thickness and uniformity tracking, and SPC-style charts.
• Support non-standard experiments, document actual process outcomes, maintain data quality, and manage lab safety, housekeeping, and consumables.

Requirements

• At least 3 years of hands-on experience operating thin-film deposition or metrology equipment in a semiconductor fab, R&D line, or equipment supplier environment.
• Practical knowledge of at least one deposition technique, including pump-down behavior, source conditioning, and process-rate issues.
• Experience with delicate sample preparation, including dicing or cleaving, mounting, cross-sectioning, and cleaning.
• Ability to interpret basic metrology data, identify measurement anomalies, and recognize defects such as delamination or particles.
• Mechanical aptitude, hands-on maintenance skills, rigorous documentation habits, and the ability to work independently.
• Cleanroom experience with chemical safety, contamination control, lockout/tagout, and cleanroom gowning protocols. Must be authorized to work in the United States for the duration of the contract.

Nice to have

• Associate degree, technical certificate, military training, or equivalent industry training.
• Experience in high-mix, low-volume R&D environments, university nanofabrication facilities, or shared cleanrooms.
• Vacuum troubleshooting, RF matching, plasma tuning, or mass-flow and pressure-control calibration experience.
• Experience with LIMS, MES, wafer-level metrology, in-situ monitoring, or real-time deposition monitoring.

Culture & Benefits

• Contract engagement with an initial six-month term and potential extension or conversion based on lab needs and performance.
• Standard weekday schedule with occasional flexibility for preventive maintenance windows, vendor installations, or time-critical experiments.
• Work in a dedicated thin-film laboratory supporting autonomous scientific experimentation and high-throughput materials discovery.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.