Photolithography Process & Equipment Development Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Nov 11, 2026. First seen by Alion on Nov 11, 2026. Apple scores A on the Alion truth index.
Apple is seeking a talented Process or Equipment Engineer to join our Photolithography Engineering team. In this role, you will drive the research, development, and continuous improvement of cutting-edge lithography processes, materials, and equipment. You will play a pivotal role in advancing core manufacturing capabilities that directly influence the evolution and performance of future Apple products.
Description
In this role, we are looking for a proactive and curious engineer who demonstrates strong ownership in identifying technical challenges and driving innovative solutions. Your scope extends beyond traditional process tuning-you will actively optimize equipment capability, tooling performance, and overall fab operational efficiency.
Collaboration is essential to your success. Throughout the development cycle, you will partner closely with the cross-region team and diverse cross-functional engineering groups to refine, validate, and bring your ideas to fruition. To build a holistic, hands-on mastery of photolithography, you will also engage in the maintenance and sustaining of our R&D line equipment, gaining critical insights directly from tool behaviors.
This role bridges scientific discovery and high-volume manufacturing reality. You will be expected to evaluate ideas through the lens of baseline yield, defect, process margin, and manufacturability-ensuring that cutting-edge innovations successfully transition from concept to scalable production.
Minimum Qualifications
MS degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Optics, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related engineering/scientific discipline.
3+ years of hands-on experience in photolithography process engineering, recipe optimization, or litho equipment tuning.
2+ years of practical experience operating, troubleshooting, and maintaining lithography process tools (coater/developer/stepper/scanner) and metrology equipment (CD-SEM, overlay, ellipsometry, or thin-film inspection).
Proven track record in Design of Experiments (DOE) methodologies, statistical data analysis, and structured root-cause problem solving.
Excellent verbal and written English communication skills, with demonstrated capability to articulate technical concepts and collaborate effectively with global cross-functional teams.
Preferred Qualifications
Solid domain knowledge in advanced display (OLED/micro-LED) or semiconductor fabrication processes, with deep specialization in photolithography.
Hands-on experience with fab operational models, line dispatching, and structured manufacturing risk assessment (e.g., FMEA).
Proven track record in technology transfer-successfully scaling processes from early-stage R&D to high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
Background in organic materials development, formulation, or evaluation (e.g., photoresists, polyimide).
Proficiency in material characterization and surface analysis techniques, such as TDS, FTIR, SIMS, FIB, and SEM/TEM.
Experience with optical or mechanical simulation toolsets (e.g., lithography simulation tools like S-Litho/PROLITH, optical modeling, or FEA stress analysis).
Familiarity with leveraging modern AI/LLM tools, machine learning, or automated scripts to boost engineering productivity and fab data/system management.