Senior Research Engineer - Wafer Bond (all genders)
- Villach
- Presence
- Fulltime
- Published: 13.05.2026
- Unlimited
Are you ready to drive cutting-edge wafer bonding technologies? Join our wafer-level packaging team and help pioneer innovative processes for bonding and debonding wafers, enabling the development of next-generation 3D and heterogeneous integration technologies.
Your future tasks include:
- Development and optimization of wafer bonding processes for advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration
- Operation and ownership of wafer bonding equipment (wafer bond cluster line as well as stand-alone wafer bonder)
- Process development for permanent and temporary wafer bonding techniques such as metallic, adhesive, anodic, glass frit, hydrophilic and surface activated bonding (SAB)
- Pre-bond surface preparation including lithography, plasma activation, and wafer cleaning processes
- Integration of bonding processes into microfabrication flows in cleanroom environment
- Characterization of bonded interfaces using bond metrology tools (e.g. void inspection, strength testing, alignment accuracy)
- DOE planning, process control, and yield improvement
- Data analysis and documentation of process performance
- Contribution to internal and collaborative R&D project
- Technical reporting and support in scientific publications
Your profile:
- University degree in Microfabrication, Physics, Electronics, Materials Science or a related field.
- Minimum of five years' hands-on experience in cleanroom processing and semiconductor fabrication.
- Proven track record in wafer bonding process development and optimisation
- Experience as a tool owner for wafer bonding systems (cluster tools are strongly preferred).
- Strong practical experience with lithography, plasma activation and wafer cleaning
- Hands-on experience with both permanent and temporary bonding techniques
- Solid knowledge of W2W and D2W bonding approaches (sequential and collective).
- Experience with multiple bonding technologies: anodic, glass frit, metallic, adhesive and SAB
- Familiarity with bond characterisation and metrology techniques
- Understanding of surface chemistry and interface physics relevant to bonding
- Strong problem-solving skills and process-oriented thinking
- Experience in DOE, statistical analysis and process control is advantageous.
- Ability to work independently in a clean room and as part of a multidisciplinary team
- Fluency in English; German is a plus
Important Facts about SAL:
- Diverse research activities with many technical challenges.
- State-of-the-art laboratory facilities and equipment.
- Location in the heart of Europe in Austria – relocation support for non-European nationalities.
- Internal and external training opportunities for career development.
- Family & children friendly - actively shaping the compatibility of family and career.
- “Vital4SAL” to promote a healthy workplace (e.g. SAL coaching pool, trainings on mental health, physical activities, healthy snacks, 24/7 accident insurance)
- € 4 per day meal allowance in restaurants or € 2 per working day in supermarkets.
- Public transport initiative (subsidy for the “Klimaticket”)
- Our values: Open door policy, flexibility in working hours, casual dress code, diverse teams, working with people of different nationalities, informal communication, lifelong learning, compatibility of family and career, sustainability, personal growth, and collective advancement.
This position is subject to the Collective Agreement for employees in non-university research (Research CA) starting in occupational group E (E1 salary = EUR 4.056, paid 14 times a year) based on 38,5 hours per week). For this position we offer competitive salaries and additional benefits based on your experience and qualifications, starting with a minimum gross salary of EUR 65.000 (annual, based on an All-in contract).
About us:
Silicon Austria Labs (SAL) is a top research center for Electronics and Software Based Systems (ESBS). At three locations (Graz, Villach, Linz), SAL is conducting research along the entire ESBS value chain in the areas of sensor systems, power electronics, intelligent wireless systems, microsystems and embedded systems to develop future-oriented solutions for industrial production, health, energy, mobility, safety and more. SAL brings together key players from industry, science and research and thus valuable expertise and know-how and conducts cooperative, application-oriented research along the value chain. Cooperative projects are co-financed by SAL and enable a fast and unbureaucratic project start. SAL is thus shaping the high-tech location Austria and Europe and developing the future.
Innovation is our top priority and so are our employees. We are a family-friendly company and support the compatibility of work and family as much as possible. That is why we have been awarded the Work and Family Certificate until 2026. But we are constantly working on new measures to offer our employees an environment where they feel good, healthy and motivated.