← All roles

PECVD Process Engineer, Solar Cells (Starlink)

SpaceX· AI Satellite Solar Engineering
Apply on company site
Bastrop, TXFull-timePosted 5d ago

About the role

PECVD process engineer responsible for development, optimization, and scaling of PECVD processes for intrinsic passivation and doped layers in high-efficiency SHJ solar cells for Starlink satellites and Starship missions.

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, 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 improvements
  • Developing, implementing, and maintaining new and/or improved manufacturing processes, equipment, technologies, and facilities
  • Analyze production processes and machinery from first principles, physics-based approach
  • Develop experiments to diagnose and correct manufacturing problems using DOE and statistical methods; optimize process conditions and materials to improve optical/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; demonstrate ownership of production outcome across yield, uptime, and cost

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline
  • 1+ years of experience in system design, analysis, and/or system implementation (internship and extracurricular experience applicable)

Skills

Required:PECVD process engineeringSHJ surface passivation and carrier-selective contacts
Nice to have:Thin-film characterization

Benefits

  • Not specified in the description
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About SpaceX

defense-aero-and-safetysetter-30setter-30-2026-q1wing-list-2026wing-list-2026-giga-stage
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at SpaceX