Semiconductor Process Development & Foundry Transfer Engineer

Role details

Location: Columbia, Missouri — on-site Travel: Regular travel to our foundry partner in California Salary: $100,000–$140,000, depending on experience

About Ponchi

Ponchi is a startup founded in 2025 developing a chip for AI inference. We are transitioning our technology from laboratory prototypes to fabrication at a partner foundry and are seeking an engineer who can combine hands-on process development with successful foundry execution.

This position offers the opportunity to turn an emerging technology into a repeatable fabrication process, with direct influence on experiments, process decisions, and manufacturing readiness.

The Role

You will develop and fabricate laboratory prototypes in Columbia, Missouri, and serve as Ponchi’s day-to-day technical interface with our foundry partner in California. Working under the Manufacturing Lead and closely with the Project Director, you will translate laboratory methods into documented foundry processes, coordinate fabrication activities, evaluate results, and resolve issues affecting device performance, consistency, and yield.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role with substantial responsibility for external technical coordination. You should be comfortable operating laboratory equipment, investigating unexpected results, and working directly with foundry engineers to move development forward.

You will own day-to-day technical execution and provide input on cost, schedule, and capacity needs. The Manufacturing Lead will retain responsibility for commercial commitments and final approval decisions.

Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop and Validate Laboratory Processes

• Fabricate and characterize prototype devices using block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly, template development, thin-film deposition, pattern transfer, and reactive ion etching.
• Develop and refine process recipes, including deposition profiles and etch conditions, to achieve target structures and electrical performance.
• Plan experiments, analyze results, and identify relationships between process conditions, material properties, and device behavior.
• Use microscopy, four-point probe measurements, and other appropriate characterization methods to evaluate fabrication results.
• Troubleshoot laboratory instruments, measurement systems, and process problems.
• Perform laboratory and cleanroom work in accordance with applicable safety procedures.

Lead Foundry Transfer and Technical Execution

• Serve as Ponchi’s day-to-day technical interface with the foundry, aligning fabrication priorities, technical requirements, and delivery milestones under the Manufacturing Lead’s guidance.
• Translate laboratory processes into controlled foundry process flows, recipes, specifications, and measurement plans, addressing differences in equipment, materials, and process capabilities.
• Plan and coordinate engineering lots, experimental splits, and targeted process trials to resolve technical uncertainties efficiently.
• Track wafer-lot progress, fabrication holds, technical issues, and delivery commitments; escalate risks and coordinate recovery actions.
• Establish and maintain an agreed baseline process, with documented review and validation of recipe changes, process deviations, and corrective actions.
• Analyze in-process measurements, electrical test results, defect trends, and yield to identify problems and improve performance and repeatability.
• Develop appropriate process controls and monitoring methods as fabrication matures.
• Develop and execute transfer and qualification plans with the foundry and internal team, including acceptance criteria and evidence of readiness for pilot fabrication.
• Visit the foundry regularly to review execution, investigate discrepancies, and support process development and validation.

Collaborate and Communicate

• Coordinate with design, test, packaging, and reliability engineers to ensure that foundry outputs meet device and downstream requirements.
• Maintain clear, traceable records of recipes, experiments, process changes, fabrication results, and technical decisions.
• Conduct regular technical reviews with the foundry and track agreed actions through completion.
• Communicate progress, unresolved risks, and recommended next steps to management, including monthly presentations.

Required Qualifications

• MS or PhD in materials science, polymer science, physics, chemistry, engineering, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience with BCP self-assembly and associated template or pattern development.
• Strong experience with thin-film deposition (e-beam, ion-beam, PVD) and an understanding of how deposition conditions affect film profiles, properties, and device performance.
• Experience with reactive ion etching, pattern transfer, and control of feature profiles and undercut.
• Experience using microscopy and electrical measurements, including four-point probe testing, to characterize materials and fabricated structures.
• 3+ years experience working directly with semiconductor foundry or fabrication teams on process development, engineering runs, process integration, or technology transfer.
• Familiarity with data acquisition equipment and LabVIEW.
• Ability to troubleshoot experimental equipment and basic electronics.
• Strong experimental planning, data analysis, and technical problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and maintain clear technical documentation.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to coordinate effectively with internal colleagues and external fabrication partners.
• Willingness to work on-site in Columbia, Missouri, and travel regularly to California.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated success transferring a laboratory process into repeatable pilot or production fabrication.
• Experience with process qualification, yield improvement, statistical process control, root cause analysis, and process change control.
• Familiarity with high-throughput nanofabrication and features below 15 nm.
• Experience modeling or simulating thin-film deposition profiles.
• Python programming skills for experimental automation, data analysis, or instrument control.
• Experience working in a startup or similarly fast-moving development environment.

Compensation and Working Arrangement

The base salary range is $100,000–$140,000, depending on qualifications and experience.

This position is based on-site in Columbia, Missouri, and requires regular travel to our foundry partner in California. Candidates outside the Columbia area must be willing to relocate.

The company does not provide employment visa sponsorship.

How to Apply

Send your résumé or CV and a brief cover letter to [email protected]. Please highlight your hands-on fabrication experience, work with BCP and thin-film processes, and experience collaborating with foundries or transferring processes into fabrication.

Pay: $100,000.00 - $140,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Health savings account
• Paid time off

Education:

• Master's (Required)

Experience:

• Semiconductor Foundry : 3 years (Required)

Work Location: In person