Senior Manufacturing Engineer – Thin Film Engineering (PVD, PECVD, ALD & RIE)

About Ensurge Micropower

Ensurge Micropower (OSE: ENSU) is a pioneer in solid-state microbattery technology, enabling the next generation of intelligent, connected devices. Leveraging proprietary thin-film and roll-to-roll manufacturing, Ensurge delivers safe, high-energy-density batteries for wearables, health tech, industrial sensing, and defense applications. As our technology transitions from development to production, disciplined manufacturing execution becomes the differentiator.

Role Overview Ensurge is seeking a Senior Manufacturing Engineer (IC) to own and scale the Thin-Film Engineering processes — deposition (PVD/Sputtering, PECVD, ALD) and etch (RIE) — from pilot through early production. This role is not just about process — it is about delivering manufacturing results.

Responsibilities

Own daily manufacturing performance for the PVD/Sputtering, PECVD, ALD, and RIE process areas

- Drive output, yield, uptime, and cycle time

- Support production directly — troubleshooting issues in real time

- Partner with Operations to ensure line execution meets plan

Convert R&D processes into repeatable, production-ready workflows

- Define and lock critical process parameters (CPPs) — e.g., chamber pressure, Ar/process gas flow, RF/DC power, substrate bias, deposition rate, film stress and thickness uniformity targets (PVD/PECVD); precursor/co-reactant pulse and purge times, cycle count, growth per cycle (GPC), and substrate temperature (ALD); RF power, gas chemistry (e.g., CF4/O2/Cl2), etch rate, selectivity, sidewall profile/anisotropy, DC bias, and endpoint detection (RIE)

- Define and lock control limits and OCAPs

- Ensure processes are robust, stable, and scalable

Work with Equipment Engineering to:

- Define tool requirements (sputter cathodes/targets, PECVD chambers, ALD reactors and precursor delivery systems, RIE/ICP-RIE chambers and endpoint detection systems, RF/DC power supplies, vacuum, gas delivery, and abatement/scrubber systems)

- Improve reliability and uptime

- Implement process-driven upgrades

- Lead tool qualification and process acceptance

- Ensure equipment supports throughput, precision, and repeatability

Own flow from substrate input → deposition/etch → downstream handoff to assembly

- Reduce bottlenecks, WIP, and inefficiencies

- Improve line balance and production scheduling alignment

- Support layout and flow improvements as the system scales

Partner with Quality to implement:

- SPC and process control on film thickness, stress, uniformity, and conformality

- Film characterization (ellipsometry, profilometry, XRD, SEM/AFM, four-point probe) to validate deposition results against CPPs

- Traceability and data capture

Build and maintain:

- SOPs

- Process specs

- Control plans

- Ensure manufacturing is data-driven and auditable

Lead structured RCA on:

- Yield loss

- Defects

- Downtime

- Use characterization data (SEM, XRD, cross-section imaging) to root-cause excursions

- Implement sustainable fixes — not workarounds

- Drive continuous improvement aligned to operational excellence principles (standard work, DMS, etc.)

Qualifications

Required

- 7–12+ years in manufacturing engineering with thin-film deposition and etch (PVD/sputtering, PECVD, ALD, and/or RIE) in battery, semiconductor, or thin-film industries

- Proven experience owning manufacturing processes on the floor

- Strong track record of driving yield and throughput improvements

- Experience supporting or leading pilot → production scale-up

- Hands-on mindset — comfortable working directly with equipment, technicians, and operators

- Working knowledge of thin-film characterization techniques (e.g., ellipsometry, profilometry, XRD, SEM) and their use in validating and controlling deposition processes

Preferred

- Understanding of film stress engineering, plasma physics, RF coupling, and DC self-bias

- Understanding of plasma etch chemistry, selectivity, anisotropy, and endpoint detection (RIE/ICP-RIE)

- Familiarity with ALD precursor chemistry, self-limiting surface reactions, and pulse/purge sequencing

- Vacuum systems and chamber conditioning experience

- Experience with image-based film/defect characterization (SEM, optical microscopy) and correlating characterization data back to process control limits

- Experience with MES, traceability systems, or data-driven manufacturing

Salary Range: $162,000-$198,000 The base salary range is specific to California. The salary of the final candidate selected for this role will be determined by a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training.