Principal R&D Laser EPI Design Engineer

Job Title

Principal R&D Laser EPI Design Engineer

Role Summary

Lead epitaxial (EPI) design and translate device performance goals into EPI growth recipes for high-yield laser products. Work cross-functionally with device designers, wafer processing, NPI and internal or external growers to optimize growth, characterize results, and drive reliability and manufacturability improvements.

For accommodation requests: talentacquisition@lumentum.com.

Experience Level

Senior-level (Principal). PhD-level technical leader with industry experience; significant hands-on experience expected.

Responsibilities

Accountable for EPI design, growth execution coordination, characterization feedback, and integration with device and process teams.

• Develop EPI layer designs (thickness, composition, doping, active regions) to meet device specs: power, wavelength, beam properties, speed, and reliability.
• Translate EPI designs into growth recipes and coordinate growths with internal MBE/MOCVD teams or external vendors.
• Review calibration and characterization data for each growth campaign and iterate designs or process parameters accordingly.
• Work with wafer process and device teams to launch process runs and support NPI-analyze wafer processing, device testing and reliability data to feed EPI improvements.
• Coordinate advanced analysis (SIMS, TEM, EDX, XRD, PL) to diagnose performance and reliability issues.
• Generate intellectual property for novel device and EPI design concepts.

Requirements

Core technical skills and practical experience required. Preferred items are listed separately.

• Hands-on experience with MBE or MOCVD growth of III-V semiconductor materials.
• Experience with semiconductor wafer analysis methods: photoluminescence (PL), reflectance, defect/haze scans, X-Ray diffraction (XRD), SIMS, ECV profiling.
• Knowledge of semiconductor device physics, laser diode testing, and wafer process technology.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, JMP, Minitab) and data processing (Python or MATLAB).
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally as a leader and contributor; strong verbal and written communication skills.

Preferred:

• Experience with VCSEL devices, particularly GaAs-based VCSELs.
• Experience with device modeling and simulation.

Education Requirements

PhD in optoelectronics or a related field (minimum requirement) with industry experience. No alternative-equivalent education language provided.

About the Company

Company: Lumentum

Headquarters: Milpitas, California, United States

Lumentum develops optical and photonic products and subsystems for telecommunications, data centers, cloud computing and industrial applications, providing lasers, modulators, transceivers and test solutions that enable high-speed networking and advanced photonics.