Engineer in Plasma Dry Etching and Nanofabrication

ICFO is offering a Staff Research Engineer position to an experienced engineer with extensive expertise in plasma-based dry etching and nanofabrication. The successful candidate will be responsible for process development, operation, maintenance, user training, and technical support of Inductively Coupled Plasma Reactive Ion Etching (ICP-RIE) and Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) equipment within the Nanofabrication Laboratory (NFL) at ICFO.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop and optimize dry etching processes for dielectric, semiconductor, and metallic materials.
• Operate and maintain ICP-RIE and RIE systems.
• Train and support internal and external users.
• Develop new process recipes and characterization methodologies.
• Troubleshoot equipment and process-related issues.
• Collaborate with academic and industrial users in device fabrication projects.

Candidates must hold, at the time of contract initiation, a PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, Nanotechnology, or a related discipline.

We are looking for candidates with demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Plasma processing.
• Reactive Ion Etching (RIE).
• ICP-RIE process development.
• Thin-film deposition techniques (e.g., sputtering, evaporation, atomic layer deposition).
• Semiconductor microfabrication.
• Material and fabrication-process characterization.
• Vacuum systems and technology.
• Equipment operation, maintenance, and process troubleshooting.
• Cleanroom operation and user support.
• Experience with fluorine-, chlorine-, and argon-based plasma chemistries.
• Experience with optical microscopy, mechanical and optical profilometry, ellipsometry, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

A proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of Spanish and/or Catalan is considered an advantage.

What We Offer

• This is a full-time position.
• The contract offered will be a permanent contract for scientific and technical activities (ACT). A salary according to ICFO’s approved salary scales will be offered, commensurate with the level of the position and the candidate’s experience.

ICFO is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are selected exclusively on merit and potential on the basis of submitted application material. No restrictions related to disabilities, citizenship or gender apply to ICFO positions. ICFO abides by the principles of openness, efficiency, transparency, supportiveness, and international comparability as stated in the European Charter for Researchers and the European Code of Conduct for the Recruitment of Researchers.

Suitable candidates are requested to submit:

• Presentation letter with a declaration of interest,
• Curriculum Vitae, including contact details, The contact e-mail of two potential referees.

The selection process will follow open, transparent, and merit-based recruitment (OTM-R) principles. It will consist of:

1. Eligibility check of applications.

2. Assessment of merits (education, experience, and language).

3. Interview with shortlisted candidates.

Candidates may contact jobs@icfo.eu for formal enquiries regarding the application, as well as address scientific enquiries to joel.moser@icfo.es.

For updated information about ICFO, please visit https://www.icfo.eu.

Data Protection

In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and Organic Law 3/2018, ICFO informs applicants that their personal data will be processed exclusively for recruitment purposes.

• Controller: Fundació ICFO – Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, Av. Carl Friedrich Gauss 3, 08860 Castelldefels (Barcelona).
• DPO: dpo@icfo.eu
• Legal basis: performance of a task in the public interest.
• Rights: access, rectification, erasure, restriction, and opposition.
• Supervisory authority: Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) https://apdcat.gencat.cat.

All recruitment files will be retained in accordance with the Catalan public-sector archival retention schedule (DOGC 2117).

Reference: 1131

31st of August, 2026