Lead Scientist, CMP/pCMP

Job Title:

Lead Scientist, CMP/pCMP

Job Description:

The Role:

Entegris is seeking a Lead Scientist with deep chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) and post-CMP cleaning (pCMP) experience to lead the development of advanced slurry and cleaning solutions for semiconductor applications.

In this role, you will apply broad technical expertise and in-depth knowledge of CMP and pCMP mechanisms to solve complex customer and product-development challenges. You will lead critical technical workstreams, define experimental strategies, and translate structure-performance relationships into differentiated products and process solutions.

The Lead Scientist will work across global R&D, Applications, Analytical, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, Marketing, and customer-facing teams. This position is an experienced technical leadership role and does not require direct people-management responsibility.

In this role you will:

Technical Innovation & Product Development

• •Lead the formulation and process development of CMP slurries and pCMP cleaning chemistries for advanced semiconductor applications.
• •Define technical strategy, test plans, decision criteria, and development pathways for complex projects with significant technical ambiguity.
• •Establish structure-property-performance relationships involving abrasive particles, oxidizers, inhibitors, complexing agents, polymers, surfactants, dispersants, and cleaning additives.
• •Develop mechanistic understanding of material removal, selectivity, defectivity, corrosion, residue removal, particle contamination, surface condition, and formulation stability.
• •Design and direct statistically robust experiments, including DOE and multivariate analysis, and integrate wafer, coupon, analytical, and formulation data to guide development decisions.
• •Lead troubleshooting and root-cause analysis for complex slurry, cleaning, process, equipment, scale-up, and customer-performance issues.

Product Commercialization & Customer Success

• •Partner with Applications teams to design and execute CMP and pCMP evaluations on relevant films, substrates, test wafers, and patterned wafers.
• •Translate customer requirements and device/process trends into product specifications, technical milestones, and differentiated value propositions.
• •Lead technical reviews and communicate conclusions, risks, and recommendations to senior R&D leaders, cross-functional stakeholders, and customers.
• •Support raw-material selection, formulation robustness, scale-up, technology transfer, product qualification, and New Product Introduction.
• •Drive intellectual property creation through invention disclosures, patent support, technical documentation, and protection of proprietary know-how.

Technical Leadership & Operational Excellence

• •Provide technical mentorship to scientists, engineers, and technicians and help establish best practices for experimental rigor, data quality, and laboratory execution.
• •Build productive global networks and influence technical direction across teams without relying on direct authority.
• •Maintain exemplary EHS, chemical-handling, quality, and documentation practices and actively strengthen a safety-first culture.
• •Travel up to 30%, including customer sites and global technology or manufacturing locations, based on business needs.

Traits we believe make a strong candidate:

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, Surface Science, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience; OR a Master’s degree with a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience; OR a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience; equivalent education and experience may be considered.

Demonstrated hands-on experience in CMP slurry development, pCMP cleaning development, CMP process development, or closely related semiconductor surface-processing technology.

Deep understanding of CMP and pCMP fundamentals, including surface chemistry, colloid and interface science, particle behavior, chemical-mechanical interactions, corrosion control, residue removal, and defect mechanisms.

Proven ability to independently solve complex, multi-variable technical problems and to determine appropriate methods, experiments, and decision criteria.

Strong record of designing and analyzing statistically rigorous experiments and converting complex datasets into clear technical conclusions and next steps.

Experience connecting formulation composition and process conditions to removal rate, selectivity, defects, surface quality, cleaning efficiency, and product robustness.

Experience with semiconductor materials such as metals, dielectrics, barrier or liner films, and advanced interconnect materials is preferred.

Experience supporting customer engagements, product qualification, scale-up, technology transfer, or commercialization is strongly preferred.

Demonstrated technical leadership, influence, mentoring capability, and effective collaboration across global and cross-functional organizations.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technically complex information in English to global teams and customers.

Strong commitment to laboratory safety, data integrity, intellectual property protection, and disciplined technical documentation.

Your success will be measured by:

Technical leadership: Establishes credible technical direction and resolves high-impact CMP and pCMP challenges through sound scientific judgment.

Innovation and differentiation: Creates protectable formulations, mechanisms, methods, or product concepts that deliver meaningful customer value.

Project impact: Delivers critical technical milestones, manages uncertainty and risk, and enables timely project decisions.

Customer relevance: Connects customer process requirements to practical, robust, and differentiated material solutions.

Collaboration and influence: Builds effective global partnerships and aligns cross-functional teams around evidence-based recommendations.

Talent development: Raises team capability through mentoring, technical reviews, knowledge sharing, and rigorous experimental standards.

Safety and quality: Demonstrates visible leadership in EHS, data integrity, documentation, and product-development discipline.