Real-Time Control Engineer

Axcelis Technologies - Beverly, MA

Full-time - Mid Level

Beverly, MA

11-50 employees

Machinery Manufacturing

About the position

The real-time control software engineer will be responsible for developing software, firmware, and FPGA logic for Axcelis ion implanter control systems. These systems are large, complex capital equipment used by semiconductor manufacturers, operating fully automated 24/7 to manufacture semiconductor integrated circuits. The ion implanter systems implant ions into silicon wafers by directing an ion beam onto the wafers, achieving wafer processing rates that exceed 500 wafers per hour. Reliability and maximum uptime are critical, with an absolute minimum of failures required. The wafers are implanted in a high vacuum environment within a process chamber, and wafer handling control is managed using Delta Tau PMAC controllers and commercial servo amplifiers. In this role, the engineer will design, implement, and test control software to introduce new control features while maintaining existing ones. A thorough understanding of current implant control features and new control hardware is essential for developing the necessary software and firmware. The engineer will also be responsible for writing subsystem verification and test routines, collaborating closely with mechanical, hardware, validation/reliability, and manufacturing engineering disciplines to ensure seamless integration and functionality of the control systems.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and test control software to implement new control features and maintain existing control features.
• Learn and fully understand existing implant control features.
• Learn and fully understand new control hardware to develop software and firmware for hardware control.
• Write subsystem verification and test routines.
• Work closely with mechanical, hardware, validation/reliability, and manufacturing engineering disciplines.

Requirements

• A minimum of a BS in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering.
• 5+ years of experience in software development for controlling electrical/mechanical systems.
• Excellent software skills with a strong background in embedded hardware/software architecture.
• Knowledgeable in computer networking architectures, topologies, and hardware communication protocols such as TCP/IP, RS232, RS485, and USB.
• Good understanding of electrical/mechanical systems and hands-on experience working in a lab environment.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Experience with high-speed digital signal processing and big data management and processing.
• Familiarity with RTOS, preferably VxWorks, and experience with single-thread/single-core/multi-thread/multi-core parallelization.
• Experience with Board Support Packages (BSP) and Device Tree Drivers for custom hardware interfaces.
• Experience with AXI interface management between ARM and FPGA.
• FPGA design experience, preferably with Vivado/Xilinx, but not strictly required.
• Knowledge of FIR filtering, IIR filtering, and FFT signal processing.