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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ionic Technician

💰 $ - $

🎯 Role Definition

The Ionic Technician is a hands-on technical professional who installs, commissions, maintains and troubleshoots ion-related equipment and systems—such as ion implant systems, ion exchange water treatment units, ionizers, plasma sources, and analytical ion instrumentation (e.g., mass spectrometers and ion probes)—to ensure safe, reliable, and high-yield operation in manufacturing, semiconductor, laboratory, or industrial water treatment environments. This role blends mechanical, electrical, vacuum and chemical process knowledge with rigorous safety protocols, documentation discipline, and continuous improvement to support production throughput, product quality and regulatory compliance.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Electronics Technician or Field Service Technician with experience on vacuum and high-voltage systems
  • Laboratory Technician or Chemical Technician with experience in water treatment or analytical instrumentation
  • Maintenance Technician or Manufacturing Technician with exposure to process equipment

Advancement To:

  • Senior Ionic Technician / Lead Field Technician
  • Process Engineer or Instrumentation Engineer (ion processes)
  • Field Service Engineer / Applications Engineer for ion equipment
  • Maintenance Supervisor or Reliability Engineer

Lateral Moves:

  • Control Systems / PLC Technician
  • Analytical Instrumentation Specialist (mass spec, ICP)
  • Cleanroom Facilities Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Install, commission and validate ion implantation, ion exchange or ionization equipment at customer sites or in-house facilities, performing mechanical assembly, vacuum bakeouts, leak detection, high-voltage conditioning and functional acceptance tests to documented specifications.
  • Perform preventive maintenance and routine service on ion-related systems (vacuum pumps, power supplies, ion sources, neutralizers, resin beds, and control electronics) according to maintenance schedules and OEM procedures to maximize uptime and extend equipment life.
  • Diagnose and troubleshoot complex electrical, mechanical, vacuum and plasma issues by using schematic interpretation, electrical test equipment, vacuum gauges, residual gas analyzers and oscilloscope diagnostics to rapidly restore equipment to specification.
  • Calibrate and verify instrumentation and sensors (ion gauges, pressure transducers, mass flow controllers, current monitors, temperature sensors) in accordance with calibration procedures and quality system requirements to ensure measurement traceability.
  • Conduct root cause analysis on recurring failures or process excursions, prepare actionable corrective and preventive action (CAPA) plans, and implement long-term fixes in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams to reduce mean time between failures (MTBF).
  • Execute safe high-voltage and hazardous-energy work on ion equipment following lockout/tagout (LOTO), confined space, and local electrical safety regulations while documenting safety steps and required permits.
  • Regenerate, condition and test ion exchange resins or ionization consumables, manage chemical handling (acid/base/antiscalant), and sample process streams for analytical verification to maintain water quality and resin performance.
  • Maintain and troubleshoot vacuum systems including turbomolecular, cryo and roughing pumps, vacuum valves and seals; perform leak localization using helium mass spectrometry and repair or replace vacuum components when required.
  • Support process engineers and production by tuning ion process parameters (beam current, energy, gas flow, pressure, substrate bias) to meet device specifications, and document process changes in process control systems and run books.
  • Conduct preventive cleaning, alignment and optical checks on ion sources, beamlines, and apertures to prevent contamination, beam drift and equipment damage; perform feedstock and spare-parts inventory management.
  • Execute on-call and field service responsibilities, responding to emergency breakdowns and customer escalations with diagnostic expertise, spare parts carriage, and remote or on-site resolution to minimize production impact.
  • Prepare and maintain detailed service reports, maintenance logs, calibration certificates and compliance documentation in CMMS or quality systems (e.g., SAP, Maximo), ensuring audit-ready traceability.
  • Fabricate, modify and assemble small mechanical assemblies and fixtures using hand tools, drilling, tapping and basic welding/fastening techniques as required to support repairs and field retrofits.
  • Install and configure control and automation systems that interface with ion equipment—PLC programming validation, sensor mapping, analog/digital I/O verification and SCADA/HMI troubleshooting—to ensure correct process control and data logging.
  • Conduct acceptance testing and burn-in procedures after repairs or upgrades, verify process reproducibility and statistical performance characteristics before returning equipment to production.
  • Train operators and junior technicians on safe operation, routine maintenance tasks, and first-line troubleshooting techniques for ion equipment to reduce operator errors and improve mean time to repair (MTTR).
  • Interface with OEM technical support and engineering teams to escalate complex faults, obtain technical bulletins, apply firmware updates and implement approved parts changes aligned with change-control processes.
  • Monitor and analyze equipment performance metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) such as uptime, cycle time, part yield and contamination incidents; propose design or procedural improvements to increase throughput and yield.
  • Manage hazardous waste streams, chemical neutralization, and disposal of contaminated materials according to environmental and workplace regulations, and maintain appropriate Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS/SDS) records.
  • Implement and follow cleanroom procedures, ESD protection and contamination control protocols when working in semiconductor or sensitive manufacturing environments to protect product integrity.
  • Participate in continuous improvement initiatives including Kaizen, 5S, and Six Sigma projects aimed at reducing downtime, optimizing spare inventory, and improving process stability.

Secondary Functions

  • Support engineering teams with data collection for process development experiments, including measurement set-up, data logging, and sample handling for lab analysis.
  • Collaborate with operations and supply chain to forecast spare parts needs, reduce lead times, and maintain critical spares inventory to avoid extended downtime.
  • Contribute to documentation updates for standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions and safety procedures based on field experience and lessons learned.
  • Assist in vendor qualification activities, evaluate third-party service providers, and help coordinate contractual service engagements and warranty support.
  • Support ad-hoc process improvement pilots and prototype installations to evaluate new ion technologies or consumables under production-like conditions.
  • Participate in scheduled audits and inspections by quality or regulatory bodies, providing technical support and corrective action input when non-conformances are identified.
  • Mentor junior staff and apprentices, providing structured on-the-job training and competency sign-offs for critical tasks and certified maintenance activities.
  • Maintain competency records and training certifications for specialized procedures such as high-voltage work, confined space entry, and hazardous chemical handling.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Hands-on experience operating and maintaining ion implanters, ion sources, ionizers, or ion exchange systems with a deep understanding of beam physics, vacuum technology and high-voltage systems.
  • Proficient with vacuum system components and diagnostics (turbomolecular pumps, roughing pumps, gauges, leak detectors and flange sealing techniques).
  • Strong electrical troubleshooting skills: reading electrical schematics, performing component-level diagnosis on power supplies, HV circuits, control boards and wiring harnesses.
  • Instrumentation calibration experience with pressure transducers, current/voltage sensors, mass flow controllers and temperature sensors, including use of calibration standards and certificates.
  • Competency in using diagnostic and test equipment such as multimeters, oscilloscopes, clamp meters, RGA (residual gas analyzer) and spectrum analyzers.
  • Experience with maintenance management software (CMMS) and work-order systems (e.g., IBM Maximo, SAP PM) for logging service history and spare-parts tracking.
  • Familiarity with PLCs, ladder logic, PID control loops, and basic HMI/SCADA troubleshooting to verify control system interactions with ion equipment.
  • Knowledge of chemical handling, resin regeneration chemistry, and wastewater treatment processes where ion exchange is involved.
  • Proven ability to perform root cause analysis (RCA) using structured methods (5 Whys, Fishbone, FMEA) and implement corrective/preventive actions.
  • Mechanical aptitude for disassembly, reassembly and alignment of precision components; ability to use hand tools, torque tools and basic fabrication equipment safely.
  • Experience with cleanroom protocols, ESD controls, gowning procedures and contamination control measures required in semiconductor or sensitive manufacturing.
  • Strong documentation skills: writing SOPs, maintenance procedures, calibration records and service reports to meet ISO or regulatory requirements.
  • Field service experience including travel, customer-facing troubleshooting, and the ability to carry and manage spare parts kits for rapid repairs.
  • Knowledge of electrical safety and regulatory compliance, including lockout/tagout (LOTO), NFPA 70E, confined space and hazardous energy control.
  • Experience with process parameter tuning and statistical process control (SPC) tools to maintain product/process quality.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability with an investigative mindset to diagnose complex multi-domain faults.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills for clear service reporting, operator training and customer interactions.
  • High attention to detail and methodical work habits to ensure reproducible maintenance and calibration results.
  • Ability to prioritize and respond under pressure during production-critical failures while maintaining safety and quality.
  • Collaborative team player who liaises effectively with engineering, production, quality and suppliers to implement solutions.
  • Continuous improvement mindset with openness to process optimization and adoption of best practices.
  • Time management and organization skills to balance preventative maintenance schedules, reactive service calls and documentation tasks.
  • Customer-focused attitude with professional presentation when representing the company on-site.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Associate degree or technical diploma in Electronics, Instrumentation, Mechanical Technology, Applied Physics, Chemistry, or equivalent hands-on experience (2+ years) in relevant equipment maintenance.

Preferred Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Instrumentation/Control Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, or a related technical discipline.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Electronics / Electrical Engineering
  • Instrumentation and Control
  • Mechanical Engineering / Manufacturing Technology
  • Chemistry / Chemical Engineering
  • Materials Science / Applied Physics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years of direct experience maintaining ion-related equipment (ion implanters, ion exchange systems, mass spectrometers, ionizers) in manufacturing, semiconductor, analytical, or industrial settings.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressive field service, maintenance or process-support experience with documented success in troubleshooting high-voltage, vacuum and process-control systems; prior OEM equipment training and certifications are highly desirable.
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