Quantum PDK OPC Engineer

Job Title

Quantum PDK OPC Engineer

Role Summary

The Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) Engineer develops and maintains OPC and computational lithography solutions to enable robust patterning and manufacturability for advanced semiconductor processes. The role works cross-functionally with lithography, design rules, etch, modeling, metrology, mask, and infrastructure teams to improve pattern fidelity, process margin, and yield.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Relevant experience in OPC, computational lithography, or semiconductor lithography is expected; specific years of experience are not stated.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities focus on developing, validating, and deploying OPC technology and analysis workflows to improve printing fidelity and yield.

• Develop, qualify, maintain, and optimize OPC technology files, recipes, and computational lithography solutions for advanced-generation lithography processes.
• Design and evaluate model-based OPC strategies and patterning solutions to improve process-window performance and manufacturability.
• Perform root-cause analysis of printing and yield-limiting hotspots using simulation, wafer data, and computational lithography tools.
• Validate and release OPC solutions through simulation-to-wafer correlation, process-window assessment, and hotspot verification, following quality and change-control methodologies.
• Develop automated analysis, verification, and data-processing workflows to improve development efficiency, coverage, reproducibility, and cycle time.
• Collaborate with design rule, lithography, etch, metrology, modeling, mask, and computational infrastructure teams to define and implement solutions.
• Participate in cross-functional semiconductor technology development projects and communicate technical results, risks, and readiness to stakeholders.
• Perform all activities in a safe and responsible manner and support Environmental, Health, Safety & Security programs.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed separately.

• Practical experience with optical proximity correction, computational lithography, lithography simulation, hotspot analysis, or related patterning work.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor lithography fundamentals: optical proximity effects, OPC concepts, process-window behavior, and pattern fidelity.
• Ability to analyze complex simulation and wafer metrology data and perform structured root-cause analysis to inform computational or process improvements.
• Experience scripting or programming for engineering automation and data analysis (Python, Perl, Tcl, shell scripting, or equivalent).
• Strong collaboration, planning, organizational, and communication skills; fluent in written and verbal English.
• Willingness to travel up to 10%.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience developing, qualifying, and maintaining production OPC technology files for advanced process technologies.
• Experience with model-based OPC, lithography modeling, computational patterning, and process-window optimization.
• Familiarity with leading computational lithography/OPC platforms and large-scale compute environments for mask synthesis and verification.
• Experience correlating simulations with wafer metrology to improve OPC models, recipes, or process assumptions.
• Understanding of interactions among lithography, etch, design rules, mask manufacturing, metrology, and yield.

Education Requirements

Required: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, or a related technical field. Preferred: Master’s degree or PhD in those fields. (Source allows related technical fields; no explicit "equivalent experience" clause is stated.)

About the Company

Company: GlobalFoundries

Headquarters: Saratoga Springs, New York, USA

GlobalFoundries is a leading contract manufacturer for the global semiconductor industry, with facilities in multiple countries, including the USA. The company develops a broad portfolio of semiconductor technologies and employs around 13,000 people worldwide. GlobalFoundries focuses on enhancing competitiveness in specialized application solutions and fostering innovation in mobile communications, consumer electronics, and automotive applications.