R&D VCSEL Designer
$112,050 - $192,500 USD yearly
Design GaAs-based VCSEL devices, EPI structures, and wafer fabrication flows.
Originally posted 29 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
This role is responsible for the design of new GaAs-based VCSEL devices and VCSEL technology platforms. Work encompasses epitaxial structure design, wafer fabrication flow development, device characterization, and physical data analysis.
What you'll do
- Design new GaAs-based VCSEL devices and VCSEL technology platforms.
- Develop mask layout, EPI structure, and fabrication flows covering etching, metallization, dielectric passivation, implantation, oxidation, and wafer fusion.
- Characterize devices through laser diode testing at wafer probe and chip-on-carrier for LIV, spectra, polarization stability, and near-field and far-field beam parameters under CW, ms pulsed, and ns pulsed operation.
- Analyze test data using semiconductor device physics and modeling tools to correlate characterization results to epi, fab, emitter design, and die layout inputs.
- Coordinate with internal teams and contract manufacturers to transfer designs, wafer fabrication flows, and characterization methods to manufacturing.
- Generate key intellectual property from new design and manufacturing concepts.
What you'll need
- Master's degree in optoelectronics or relevant field with 3 years of experience, or a PhD degree.
- Direct experience with VCSEL design and wafer fabrication.
- Solid knowledge of semiconductor device physics, process technology, and equipment.
- Experience with photomask layout and software data analysis tools such as Excel, JMP, or Minitab.
- Hands-on data processing skills using Python or Matlab.
Nice to have
- PhD with industry experience.
- Experience with optoelectronic device modeling including electrical, optical, and thermal domains.
Skills: VCSEL, GaAs, Epitaxial Growth, Wafer Fabrication, Device Physics
More semiconductor jobs: GaN and SiC jobs
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 49-day median for Compound Semiconductor Engineering roles.
Compound Semiconductor Engineering · Compound Semiconductor
|
Open roles in category
72
|
Median days open
49 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$120k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Lumentum | All employers we track in this specialty (72 roles · 25 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 8 | 72 |
| Median days open | 108 d | 49 d (+59 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $120k |
Skills observed across this category: VCSEL, GaAs, Epitaxial Growth, Wafer Fabrication, Device Physics
Who's hiring in this category
- Infineon Technologies · 9 open roles · median 49 d
- MACOM · 8 open roles · median 1 d
- Coherent Corp · 7 open roles · median 127 d
- Lumentum (this employer) · 6 open roles · median 114 d
- Texas Instruments · 5 open roles · median 47 d
- STMicroelectronics · 4 open roles · median 74 d
How we counted: 72 open Compound Semiconductor Engineering (Compound Semiconductor) roles from 25 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 29 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there. Figures refresh nightly.