Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Crystal Growth

Bastrop, TX SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

MATERIALS R&D TECHNICIAN, SILICON CRYSTAL GROWTH

As a Materials R&D Technician, Silicon Crystal Growth on Starlink, you will partner directly with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the-arc silicon ingot and wafer fab R&D lines to develop and refine recipes for producing high-quality ingots and wafers. These wafers will feed internal solar cell fabrication for our next generation Starlink satellites and Starship missions to the Moon and Mars. You will be responsible for silicon ingot pulling equipment commissioning, recipe and process development, monitoring and troubleshooting equipment, characterizing ingot and wafer quality, and transferring a stable process to the production teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Partner with engineering to rapidly bring online state-of-the art silicon ingot and wafer fab development lines. Drive equipment setup, calibration, troubleshooting, and maintenance. Prepare raw materials, seeds, and hot zone components for crystal growth. Execute DOEs and process trials to inform seeding techniques, recipe optimization, thermal management, impurity control, and defect mitigation. Perform silicon ingot and wafer characterization; ensure associated lab equipment is maintained and calibrated. Safely handle chemicals and adhere to all EHS protocols to maintain a safe work environment. Ensure 5S standards and cleanroom protocols are upheld by maintaining a clean and organized work area. Participate in training exercises for production silicon growth technicians, as needed.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

High school diploma or equivalency certification. 3+ years of hands‑on experience in silicon crystal growth, semiconductor, or similar manufacturing. Experience handling flammable, toxic, corrosive, and/or hazardous chemicals safely.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s or associate’s degree in a STEM field. 5+ years of hands‑on work experience in silicon crystal growth manufacturing. Experience using and maintaining silicon ingot/wafer characterization techniques and equipment, including ICP-MS, GDMS, XRT, SEM/TEM, FTIR, resistivity mapping, and minority carrier lifetime testing (PL). Proven ability to understand and accurately follow complex manufacturing procedures and adhere to safety requirements. Ability to identify and maintain priorities for work scope. Demonstrated ability to work in a highly cross‑functional team.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be open to work all shifts, overtime and/or weekends as needed. Must be comfortable working in a production environment using hazardous chemicals such as acids, alkalis, and solvents. Must be able to walk and stand for long periods of time. Must be ableto lift 25 lbs. unassisted. Must be comfortable with climbing up and down ladders, grasping, standing, lifting, bending, pulling, pushing, stooping, stretching, carrying, crawling, and maneuvering in tight spaces. To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status. Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s ... View email address on click.appcast.io . Voluntary Self-Identification For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file. As set forth in SpaceX’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability. A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service. An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense. An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985. #J-18808-Ljbffr SpaceX