PECVD Process Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink) at SpaceX
- In 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. PECVD PROCESS ENGINEER, SOLAR CELLS (STARLINK) Starlink believes in providing fast, reliable internet to those that need it most. We design, build, and launch the world's largest and most advanced satellite constellation that is capable of delivering high-speed internet to even the most remote locations. As a solar cell process engineer on Starlink, you will spearhead state of the art production processes for an internal solar cell production line, providing high efficiency and high-quality solar cells for both our latest generation Starlink satellites and for Starship missions to the Moon and Mars. You will work through the life cycle of setting up a greenfield solar cell production plant, including equipment procurement, plant design/layout, equipment commissioning and ramp-up, recipe and process development, and working to develop a world-class production team and environment. As a PECVD Process Engineer, you will own the development, optimization, and scaling of Plasma-Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) processes critical for depositing the intrinsic and doped hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon layers that passivate the wafer surface and form the carrier-selective contacts of high-efficiency SHJ cells. You will develop and iterate on the manufacturing processes and recipes to achieve a state-of-the-art silicon cell efficiency, low defect rate and cost, and high reliability cell for space-based applications. Your work will form the backbone of the Starlink network (photons of sunlight in is directly proportional to photons of data out to customers!) and help provide internet to tens of millions of customers all around the world. RESPONSIBILITIES: Design, qualify, and optimize PECVD processes for SHJ intrinsic passivation layers and p-type/n-type doped layers, ensuring film thickness uniformity, passivation quality (minority carrier lifetime, implied Voc), doping efficiency, and contact resistivity at GW-scale volumes Lead process development for new toolsets and materials, including gas chemistry, plasma power and frequency, pressure, temperature, and electrode gap optimization to support state of the art efficiency cells Own chamber conditioning strategy, including seasoning, in-situ/remote plasma clean recipes, and clean intervals, to control particles, cross-contamination, and run-to-run drift while maximizing tool uptime Partner closely with the CVD Equipment Engineering team on tool qualification, chamber matching, preventive maintenance recovery, and throughput (UPH) improvements Responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining new and/or improved manufacturing processes, equipment, technologies, and facilities Analyze production processes and machinery from a first principles, physics-based approach Develop experiments to diagnose and correct manufacturing problems, utilizing robust DOE and statistical methodologies. Optimize process conditions and materials to improve the optical and electrical quality of solar cells Perform defect characterization and analysis to determine root cause and develop action plans to improve yields Develop project plans, budgets, and cost/benefit analysis for implementation of new processes or machines Own and perform machine activation and testing with a small team of engineers and technicians Prepare detailed content for technical design reviews. …