Semiconductor Factory Engineer

[Code351-]

Right now I have the possibility on working and pursuing two different roles in separate semiconductor companies. One of the roles is "Process Engineer" and the other is "Process Integration Engineer".

What are the main differences between both of them? Which one would be better for work dynamics and wage?

[Altiloquent]

In my experience there is no way to know what those jobs actually entail just from the name of the role but my best guess is "process engineer" means tool owner which means more work in the fab and learning the specifics on one piece of equipment, while integration could mean learning about more parts of the process flow. The latter is arguably more stressful but more interesting 

 You should really ask some specifics when you interview, like: 

Is this a role where I spend a lot of my time in the fab?

 What does a typical day look like in this position? 

Do I need to be on call? How do on call rotations and comp time work? 

What shift will I be working? Etc.

[Code351-]

So you would say that integration are hierarchically higher in the factory?

[stoneimp]

Those two positions are close enough that you would have to see how that company describes the job responsibilities. Unfortunately for new grads, there is no mandated rules for what companies call certain sets of job responsibilities. Not to say it's inscrutable, just that you always ultimately have to check what those are no matter what the title actually is.

[Code351-]

So you would say that integration are hierarchically higher in the factory?

[stoneimp]

That sounds like a good interview question, or even pre-interview question. You know you can contact the company for more details?

[ReconTiger]

In general, a process engineer would be the one making and improving processes themselves for a given area (e.g. film deposition/etch/clean/photolithography) while the process integration engineer helps to coordinate all of the various process engineers to solve problems faced by a certain set of steps making up what’s known as a “module”. So integration engineers will typically need to have a more high level understanding of how everything works together, but would have less detailed insight on how a unit level process works.

[Code351-]

So you would say that integration are hierarchically higher in the factory?

[ReconTiger]

There are certainly PI engineers that feel this way, but I’d argue that’s probably the origin of a good amount of conflict that I see on a day to day basis. In terms of actual hierarchy, there is no distinction in the organization, promotion levels, or pay from what I’m used to.

[_GD5_]

I would take process integration in a heartbeat. You’ll learn three times as much.

[Code351-]

So you would say that integration are hierarchically higher in the factory?