Caleb Siemer
San Diego,CA
Summary
Results-driven semiconductor manufacturing and R&D professional with 7 years of extensive hands-on experience in high-purity chemical packaging, specialized delivery vessels, and vacuum systems. Proven expertise in leak checking, equipment assembly, troubleshooting, and technical documentation within cleanroom and hazardous chemical environments. Adept at cross-functional collaboration with engineers, scientists, quality assurance, and operations teams to drive project success and enhance operational efficiency. Committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and quality in all aspects of work.
Overview
7
7
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Associate Scientist - New Product Development, R&D
EMD Electronics
Carlsbad, CA
12.2024 - 06.2026
- Served as primary operator and technical point-of-contact for distillation and sublimation purification systems supporting new product development of high-purity semiconductor precursor materials.
- Built, operated, and troubleshot chemical purification systems involving dry scroll vacuum pumps, J-KEM vacuum controllers, nitrogen panels, J-KEM temperature controllers, thermocouples, manual diaphragm valves, stainless-steel tubing, and specialty fittings.
- Executed vacuum-controlled fractional distillations of inorganic vanadium precursors, and sublimation purifications of molybdenum chloride precursors.
- Designed process system layouts in Microsoft Visio and translated drawings into physical full-scale system builds involving tubing routes, valve placement, nitrogen panels, pressure control components, and instrumentation.
- Cut, bent, routed, and connected 1/4" and 3/8" stainless-steel process tubing using tube cutters, tube benders, VCR fittings, compression fittings, and NPT fittings.
- Performed quantitative vacuum leak checks prior to purification runs by calculating system volume, recording static rate-of-rise data, and verifying leak rate against internal acceptance criteria.
- Troubleshot leak check failures by isolating system sections from the vacuum source outward and correcting issues with VCR gaskets, compression fittings, ferrules, valves, and process tubing.
- Generated P&IDs, bill of materials, work instructions, MOC documentation, hazard assessment input, and electronic lab notebook experiments.
Research Technician - Small-Volume Manufacturing
EMD Electronics
Carlsbad, CA
01.2022 - 12.2024
- Supported the small-volume manufacturing operations for complex, high-purity semiconductor chemical samples packaged into specialized customer delivery vessels.
- Handled 100+ high-purity inorganic, organosilicon, and organometallic compounds, including occasional pyrophoric materials, while following strict safety and inert-handling procedures, PPE requirements, and inert-handling practices.
- Performed chemical transfers in inert atmospheres (glove box) by open-pour methods and custom-built small-scale transfer manifolds in exhaust hoods.
- Built small-scale chemical transfer manifolds using FEP tubing, PTFE Plasma-Tech valves, VCR fittings, Swagelok compression fittings, vacuum pumps, and nitrogen panels.
- Assembled lid-to-base vessel connections inside inert glove boxes using torque wrenches, star-pattern bolt sequencing, and specified in-lb torque requirements.
- Performed leak checks on manifolds and customer delivery vessels using rate-of-rise vacuum checks, pressure decay checks, outboard helium sniffers, and Pfeiffer inboard helium leak detection.
- Supported 5L flask-to-flask distillation projects for purification of OS precursor materials and trained technicians on project execution.
- Generated and revised work instructions and safety operating procedures to support safe, repeatable small-volume manufacturing operations.
Operations Technician - High-Volume Manufacturing
EMD Electronics
Carlsbad, CA
06.2019 - 12.2021
- Operated high-volume chemical packaging systems used to transfer high-purity chemicals into stainless-steel delivery vessels within exhausted hood environments and a Class 10,000 cleanroom.
- Connected and disconnected 1.2L, 2.5L, 19L, and 38L stainless-steel delivery vessels to systems using VCR face-seal connections.
- Used HMI screens to start, stop, monitor, and control automated chemical packaging sequences during production operations.
- Prepared vessels for packaging by removing labels, cleaning exterior surfaces with IPA and acetone, inspecting VCR beads and valve ports, and completing required documentation on vessel master sheets.
- Followed written work instructions, Class 10,000 cleanroom gowning requirements, PPE protocols, and safety procedures while handling high-purity chemicals.
- Used LoftWare, LIMS, and SAP to generate customer labels, verify QA specifications, and support production, inventory, and documentation workflows.
Education
Chemical Engineering
San Diego Mesa College
San Diego, CAHigh School Diploma -
Omaha Westside High School
Omaha, NESkills
- Semiconductor Manufacturing
- High-Purity Chemical Handling
- Cleanroom Gowning
- Vacuum Systems
- Leak Checking
- Rate-of-Rise Testing
- Pressure Decay Testing
- Stainless-Steel Tubing
- VCR Face-Seal Connections
- Swagelok Compression Fittings
- Nitrogen Panels
- Process Troubleshooting
- Equipment Assembly
- Glove box Operations
- P&IDs
- BOMs
- Work Instructions
- Hazard Assessments
- MOC Documentation
- Chemical Safety
- SAP
- LIMS
- Software
- Microsoft Visio
- Microsoft Office
Certification
- Industry Technician-24 Certification - California Specialized Training Institute
- Volunteer Emergency Response Team Member - EMD Electronics
Timeline
Associate Scientist - New Product Development, R&D
EMD Electronics
12.2024 - 06.2026
Research Technician - Small-Volume Manufacturing
EMD Electronics
01.2022 - 12.2024
Operations Technician - High-Volume Manufacturing
EMD Electronics
06.2019 - 12.2021
Chemical Engineering
San Diego Mesa College
High School Diploma -
Omaha Westside High School