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SUMMARY:
BSST is seeking a highly motivated experienced individual to join our team in Irwindale, California.  The Sr. Metallurgy Engineer will be focusing on two primary areas:

• Developing low contact resistance metallization solutions for thermoelectric materials, and
• Developing joining techniques for thermoelectric materials and other device elements.

The scope of the job will address diverse semiconductor and metal material systems and wide temperature ranges. This is a challenging opportunity for material scientist/engineer who will be contributing to core competency, high value-add technology component strategically important for the success of the company.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Devise metallization procedures for rapid turnaround device-level testing of prospective thermoelectric materials.
• Source and manage rapid metallization and bonding of prospective TE materials by outside services.
• Devise chemical compositions and specify processes for diffusion, contact and bonding layers.
• Arrange outside services for reliable, fast testing of suggested metallization schemes.
• Analyze the results using internal facilities and external analytical labs.
• Assure the availability of cost-effective production feasibility of chosen metallization approaches.
• Contribute metallurgy expertise to the team engineering activities in thermoelectric engine development.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Sr. Metallurgy Engineer, will work within a matrix organization with a team comprised of functional skills specialists and may have direct supervisory responsibility for one or more technicians.

Qualifications:

• Experience with low contact resistance metallization of semiconductors, preferably with elevated usage temperature, with emphasis on thermocycling stability.
• Experience with translating information from phase diagrams of diverse material systems into potential metallization recipes.
• In-depth understanding of current technologies in the solder and brazing industries and experienced in the development of new techniques and processes to facilitate these joining processes.
• Experience in metallization and surface activation methods, and the use and development of active brazing, soldering and hot pressing processes.
• Hands-on experience with metallization of semiconductors, bonding and analysis.
• External resource management when partnering with outside entities for services outsourcing.

Education and/or Experience:

Masters degree in Material Sciences, Metallurgy, Metallurgical Engineering or Semiconductor Manufacturing is required, advanced science or engineering degrees highly desired.

Ten years experience in the semiconductor, photovoltaic, thermoelectric or similar industry is required.  Must have a demonstrable, quantifiable track record of success in efficiently and rapidly developing metallization solutions.  Experience in high temperature (600 to 1000° C) materials systems is desired.