Careers Archives - Skywater Technology

A Day in the Life of a SkyWater Engineer

By Rocket55 | September 4, 2024

By R&D/OPC Engineer Rajan Vatassery

Solving the Unsolvable is an exciting daily challenge SkyWater engineers embrace in their quest to create new technologies and a range of chips for safer cars, implantable medical devices, satellites — and other highly specialized government projects that protect the United States. Eager to learn about the types of engineers SkyWater employs, and how they help us launch new technologies that have never been created before — we sat down with OPC Engineer Rajan Vatassery, a highly motivated problem-solver with a passion for the latest technology and here’s what he said….

I’ve always enjoyed solving puzzles and have a curious, bold-thinking mind

After graduating with a doctorate in materials chemistry from the University of Minnesota — I started my career at Intel — finding a job that matched my skills in optical proximity correction, or OPC. After working at Intel in Portland, Oregon for six years, family drew me back to Minnesota — and in 2019, I joined the SkyWater team as a technical lead — the person who interfaces between a customer and our factory.

I enjoyed that role because in a previous job I felt compartmentalized, whereas having a connection with the end customer as a SkyWater tech lead was exciting! Development was also faster and easier when cooperatively troubleshooting issues with a customer than when I had no contact with designers. After a year of being a tech lead, I moved back to OPC to be surrounded by more technical problems — and I still make sure I can get the full picture from the customer and designer.

At SkyWater there are many career paths for engineers — and numerous openings for entry level engineers, mid-career professionals and technology experts.

If you have an analytical, forward-thinking mindset and strong problem-solving skills, you should investigate SkyWater. Below are a few of the types of engineers SkyWater employs:

Advanced Technology Services engineer (tech lead)
Design engineer
Platform integration process engineer
Process development engineer
New product introduction engineer
Radiation hardening engineer
Reliability engineer
Quality assurance engineer
Yield engineer

Engineering roles are some of the best paying roles in the semiconductor industry

Each job requires specialized knowledge and skills as the field is constantly evolving — and you can learn new skills on the job daily at SkyWater, and structure your own development. In my opinion, this is one of the best aspects of SkyWater; if you have a good idea that will improve the company’s performance while also developing your skills at the same time you will almost always get approval for your project!

The pay range for engineers at SkyWater is competitive to larger companies in California or Oregon. Combined with the lower cost of living in Minnesota, my move from Portland to St. Paul put us in a better spot financially — and the Midwest is much more family oriented.

At SkyWater, you’ll join us in developing experimental technologies that have never been made — anywhere

The feasibility studies that we are conducting on radiation-hardening processes for healthcare and aerospace & defense markets, for example, often make or break a new technology. When it ultimately catapults into large-scale production, it makes a big difference for not only our customers and SkyWater — but also for the industrial capabilities of the United States.

In healthcare, for example, advances in life sciences, automation, AI, and a range of enabling technologies are combining to enable scalable innovation in a growing variety of genetic sequencing, clinical diagnostic and medical device applications — and we’re driving these things forward each day.

When you’re walking a tightrope — which is what our manufacturing line does — there are gusts of wind that can blow you off. As engineers, we make sure that doesn’t happen by making changes to stabilize the path in front of us.

Vatassery works with an ASML TWINSCAN lithography tool, which uses light to print tiny patterns on silicon – a fundamental step in producing microchips.

We take designs from our customers and develop ways to make their final product more manufacturable by removing as much variability in the process as possible, increasing process margin. Variability can come from a customer’s requirement/request to use a different material that gives the final product special capabilities such as superconductivity. Or variability could stem from a customer’s design being laid out in an unusual way that other designers haven’t thought of yet. More advanced tools are always arriving, offering additional ways for making a process better, such as the ASML TWINSCAN — as well as the game-changing Multibeam direct-write tool that will bring us capability no other large fab has had.

We always engineer the most robust process that we can — with robust margins to go along with it. For example, recently we had two different materials we wanted to test for a customer. One of them was a slightly more-dense glassy material and the other one was a less-dense glassy material. One of those materials is going to have a better process margin than the other— and we need to crunch the data to figure that out. All of the data that is relevant. All of our figures have merit and have to be crunched together to determine which material has the biggest process margin. Data analysis tells us the answer.

Rajan Vatassery discusses a development topic with Process Engineer Liliana Dinca to get her input.

As America’s Trusted Foundry, if we make the best quality chips in the world — with the best processes and security possible, our chips will be in high demand — and no other company inside or outside of the United States will be able to compete with us.

A large portion of my day is consumed with making improvements.
For example, let’s say a customer sends us a design which has never been manufactured – anywhere. The design may require engineering improvements to the process the customer originally envisioned. This happens in most cases because we are the manufacturing experts. Our Advanced Technology Services, or ATS engineering side works hard to develop these improvements so the customer can move to production. At that step there are the same considerations. By building a robust foundation for the process we make sure that the process developed in ATS is going to run in our factory for a long time.

Data science is another big component of what I do.
We leverage several databases that contain process data, metrology data, and yield or sort data, for example. My job as an R&D engineer is to get data into a spot that is easy to make a decision on making something better. If I can convince myself, I can convince my colleagues.

When recruiting on campus, I tell students, “At SkyWater you can find a problem, dig into it, own it, and fix it.”

Rajan Vatassery and Josh Krueger, student intern from the University of Minnesota, are developing a system for classifying SEM images.

And SkyWater coworkers not only appreciate the effort and hard work that you’ve done, but they’ll also keep an eye out for you in in the future. And the scope of your involvement is deep too — so you have information about the big picture of how the technology will be used and can engineer it best.

I recruit for engineers and interns at Purdue, the University of Minnesota CSE and other technical colleges. Our student intern from the University of Minnesota student is working with the team to create a methodology to classify images from our SEM — or scanning electron microscope. High-performing interns often accept full-time jobs with SkyWater after they graduate. Some people are hungry for knowledge and just want to learn. That mindset blossoms at SkyWater.

I participate in SkyWater employee activities such as the MS150 Bike Ride

I can even bike to work, so it’s easy to build exercise into my routine. I put my bike on the bus on the way into work in the morning — and SkyWater is less than a mile from a major transit station, so I ride that portion to work. And then after work, I bike all the way home. It’s really nice to have mass transit so close. If it gets really cold, or I just don’t feel like biking — I put my bike on the bus. To ride in the winter, I have studded tires in case there’s ice on the road, although last winter I only used them once.

Why stay at SkyWater? We don’t have a lack of interesting problems to solve. And that’s one thing that keeps me here.

Some of my friends do Sudoku or play video games to challenge their mind with problems to solve. For me, my job is my puzzle. Every day I’m solving puzzles, and it is really intellectually engaging. I don’t need to go solve Sudokus or Wordles. I have all the puzzles I need when I put on the bunny suit and head into the fab. And I’m shoring up the United States’ semiconductor manufacturing base. I am contributing to valuable work each day, creating a career with purpose — which is also important to me.

I returned to Minnesota to be close to family, and the summers are fantastic with lakes everywhere! The spring and fall are almost unbeatable—but I like the winter most because I can do whatever I want outdoors, and never get sweaty. Minnesota is also a great place to raise your family. The cost of living is low. It’s the best of both worlds—the excitement of the city combined with nature.

Parks in Minnesota are among the best in the nation, including the walking trails behind SkyWater. It’s so nice to get a little fresh air on a break. Another thing I enjoy are the concerts. Minnesota is home to some of the most famous musicians in the world — including Prince, Bob Dylan, The Replacements, Soul Asylum, The Jets, Charle Parr, Judy Garland, Jayhawks and many more — so if you enjoy concerts like I do, Minneapolis and St. Paul have so many venues that you could see a new act every night of the year for the rest of your life. The photo above is from a Portugal. The Man concert I attended at First Avenue earlier this year.

The tenure in our SkyWater engineering team is strong

And our engineering needs continue to grow as we are awarded government contracts and other important commercial contracts in biomedical and advanced sensing.

Are you bold thinking?
Find your place on our team and help us solve the unsolvable.

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A Day in the Life of a Development Engineering Technician

By Rocket55 | March 28, 2024

By Sr. Development Engineering Technician and Shift Leader Makena Burke

SkyWater development engineering technicians perform experiments for our Advanced Technology Services engineering team in search of the perfect recipe to improve processes and scale production for our customers. Performing side quest experiments is not only fun — it also speeds fabrication and increases quality. In this role, there are options for compressed 12-hour shifts and a standard 8-hour shift — to allow time for personal quests too.

We sat down with Makena Burke who joined SkyWater nearly two years ago as a process technician. She is one of two 12-hour, split-shift leaders, who enjoys mentoring new technicians and our Earn While You Learn techs.

Let’s go behind the glass to see what it’s like to work in a place where you never stop learning and experimenting…

SkyWater has the compressed workday down to a science

I graduated from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities with a chemical engineering degree called Bioproducts, Biosystems Engineering or BBE — which is a very specialized chemical engineering discipline. We studied the food and biofuels engineering industries, so I learned a lot about designing experiments, and how manufacturing & processing works — which has many similarities to what I’m doing in the semiconductor industry for SkyWater.

I was able to work full-time as a process technician — while finishing my degree at the same time. This streamlined approach was possible because my manager was super accommodating around my class schedule. In Fall 2022 while training, I worked a modified afternoon shift (noon – midnight, Wednesday – Sunday) for the first six months. Then I switched to night shift (6 p.m. – 6 a.m.) in during the Winter semester. I had a great connection with my manager, my team and my trainer regarding flexibility. The compressed work hours really helped.

A recipe for scaling up production

My manufacturing and chemistry background helps me with SkyWater recipes — as we look for improvements for scaling production. I love that at SkyWater, there’s always somebody smarter than you, somebody who knows something different than you — and they’re willing to teach you.

To fabricate computer chips, SkyWater uses recipes of ingredients — such as silicon and germanium — which are processed by depositing chemicals or etching, which Burke is able to observe through a port hole.

My typical day involves making sure customer lots are moving and looking for ways to improve

1. After pass down, I check my Teams messages to see if anybody needs help. As a lead position, I respond to new technicians and I also make sure our Earn While You Learn students feel confident to do their assigned task — or help them. Our Earn While You Learn techs work part-time for SkyWater while attending school. They can transfer to a full-time position after graduation, which is really nice.

2. I expedite my assigned customers’ work in progress. We work with engineers during the day to get the Problem Lot List, or PLLs, figured out — so that we can keep moving overnight.

Burke checks on the Evatec tool in the SkyTech Center.

3. I track customer lots to keep the tools running and lots moving. We use an app that was created by one of our employees that helps me connect with the right people to get problem lots solved. If it’s an ATS lot and tool problem, I’ll talk with the process or tool engineer, our maintenance tech — and I’ll also work with the ATS manager who owns the lot. This way, we communicate a plan to get the lot moving, and the tool up and running.

4. We speed innovation for our customers by getting ATS requests done within 24 hours. ATS requests and Run Status Changes are engineering experiments managed in the ATS Request Tracker app where engineers have requested side quests to investigate ways we can improve over our standard process — such as a recipe creation on different tools. I look for areas of interest (like a new tool), so that I can self-direct my career. To date we’ve completed more than 3600 requests. In the SkyTech Center, some tools’ quals are not automated — so tool owners put in requests to tell us what quals the tools need to be able to run lots.

If there is a request that’s a hot lot and really needs to move, the ATS Request Tracker keeps technicians in communication about their projects. It’s also a good way to let new employees guide their own training and advocate for their interests. In the photo above, Makena Burke shows new Technician Lane Frye how to track and expedite customer lots.

5. Some customers require direct, dedicated support every day — so we dedicate technicians to these specific customers. That’s the service level we provide. That’s how we move quickly to production. These dedicated technicians attend meetings for their assigned customer so that they have first-hand experience and contact with the lot. They understand the process deeply and push the customer’s WIP.

6. We log foundry time for our customers. As an ATS technician, I log 11.25 hours of foundry time in my 12-hour shift. I am doing something every minute of my day and billing hours — whether that’s to an administration task, training, or time working for my customers on their lots.

Burke shows a new technician how to expedite a customer’s lot.

7. You can learn up to 300 tool sets. Many technicians may aspire to work as engineers, so they will eventually transfer to become a process or tool engineer. I think people really value their time as a development engineering technician because they get to learn all different sides of the fab. We can use almost every tool — so it’s a great way to get to know SkyWater.

8. Generally, 70% of my day is in the fab — and 30% is in an office setting performing admin work, training, or taking breaks.

9. Near the end of my shift, I organize my day so I can have a successful pass down for the next person. I try not to start tasks at the end of the day that I know would be stressful for somebody else to complete. We’ll do training checklists and tests, watch videos, get experience with the tools — and then hopefully the next day we’ll search for those requests and return to the tools to really solidify our learning.

What keeps me excited about working here?

Truly my group of technicians. I think that all of us have a really good relationship. We’re a relaxed group, but high-paced. At SkyWater everybody is open to training each other. When I stepped into SkyWater on my first day, I knew that there were so many people I could learn from. I think SkyWater has a lot of employees who want to share what they know. And if you’re able to connect with those people, it makes time here a lot of fun. If you’re working as an ATS technician, SkyWater allows for a lot of time to be part of different interest groups.

I’m part of the SKYward Women’s Group, the Employee Activities Committee and I’m on the Emergency Response Team — where I participated in 40 hours of ERT training. I also like that I can switch around my hours for learning new things. I can even come in for overtime if we have interest group meetings that I’d like to attend when I’m not working. I’m also a part of a morale team where we have held a potlucks and other fun things to help keep employees happy.

I have family and friends in town, so on my time off I attend events in Minneapolis and St. Paul like art and live music, go to different museums, and explore with my roommate. I also played in the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships this winter on Lake Nokomis.

In Minneapolis this past winter, Lake Nakomis was set up for the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships. Burke, who is one of two women who play in her hockey league, didn’t let the -10 degrees temperature stop her.

There are many shifts and career paths available

Wafer services technicians who have acquired valuable experience can grow their careers with SkyWater in the ATS group — in a specialized photo or etch area. Others move into engineering. We value our employees’ experience and skills to help solve problem lots during their respective shifts and aggressively promote from within.

A variety of shifts are shown below.

Curious and want to learn more? Explore what’s possible.

View Current Development Engineering Technician Openings

View All Openings

Find your place at skywatertechnology.com/careers

Developing the Talent of the Future through World-Changing Partnerships

By Rocket55 | July 12, 2023

By SkyWater Florida Human Resources Director Ben Larry

Semiconductors are essential ingredients of modern life. Life-saving medical devices, automotive safety enhancements, consumer electronics and American national security require semiconductors. For the U.S. semiconductor industry to thrive, we need talent — approximately 250,000 workers (including 50,000 engineers) in the next five years. That’s a huge gap. As a fast-growing domestic foundry, our commitment to workforce development and finding creative ways to develop skills and talent in our local communities is essential to doing the world-changing work we hope to achieve.

Join us as we talk with Ben Larry about helping people find a place on our team — the workforce of the future.

Find your place on our team as an embedded engineer

Public-private resource bonds with SkyWater

A SkyWater government customer has partnered to bring a recent mechanical engineering graduate onsite at SkyWater Florida for six months through an Embedded Rotational Program. Working on a metrology tool and documenting the many different steps in the hybrid bonding process, she created one complete process flow. Her work will help immensely in standing up our hybrid wafer bonding technology and defining the technology transfer process. For the recent graduate, who had no tool experience, the value of gaining hands-on fab experience is priceless to becoming a well-rounded engineer.

XBS200 Tool — An Embedded Rotational Program is instrumental in standing up our hybrid bonding technology. This SUSS XBS-200 Microbonder will be used for 200 mm ZiBond^® and DBI^® services at SkyWater Florida.

As a part of her rotation at SkyWater, the embedded engineer created a database that keeps track of where lots are located, upcoming steps, and the data and recipes used. This cooperative effort increases learning exponentially and plants the seeds needed to bring a new technology to market. “Hybrid bonding technology is one of three technology pillars we are diligently maturing at SkyWater Florida,” explains Larry.

Getting in SHIP shape
The State-of-the-Art Heterogenous Integrated Packaging (under the Department of Defense’s Trusted & Assured Microelectronics Program) develops sustainable models for DOD access to State of The Art, or SOTA, packaging leveraging commercial fabrication lines, such as SkyWater. Sharing what she learned and developed during her SkyWater rotation, the embedded engineer presented a technical roundtable to the SHIP team in June.

Experience professional work in a fab with an internship or co-op

See what it it’s like to work in a fab with a SkyWater internship or co-op. We will mentor you as you learn and gain hands-on experience.

SkyWater internships and co-ops offer an experiential education — with a chance step into the realm of professional work in a semiconductor fab in Florida. “There has not been a fab in Central Florida for 15 years, so many residents don’t know who we are or what we do,” states Larry. “That’s one reason we bring business and community leaders, and college/university staff and students onsite to tour the campus. We also attend college/university events. Professors and students tell us that they would prefer to stay in Florida to work in the semiconductor industry. So, we make sure they know we are here!”

SkyWater Florida will have five new college/university interns this year
Two students will attend from Purdue University, one grad student from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and two students from the University of Florida. These students began networking and building relationships before beginning their internship. They chose housing together for the summer and decided to live in a local Air BnB — which is fantastic!” said Larry.

You will wear a bunny suit, safety glasses and gloves when working in the fab.

Valencia Technical College, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and the University of Florida are important workforce development partners for SkyWater in Florida
“Valencia Technical College provides training and certification programs to students in mechatronics and robotics,” explains Larry. “We hired two Valencia graduates — Anita Scott and Cory Orr. These two graduates were well-prepared for careers in the semiconductor industry. Anita is returning to Valencia for robotics certification, which SkyWater’s Educational Assistance program will support.”

In Minnesota, SkyWater partners with Hennepin Technical College and the University of Minnesota.

SkyWater is building a $1.8 billion fab in Indiana — partnering with Purdue University to educate students and then hire them locally

Purdue’s new interdisciplinary Semiconductor Degrees Program teaches undergraduate and graduate students the essential skills for the semiconductor industry such as integrated circuits and chip design. It also teaches crucial chip-manufacturing steps, chemicals, tools, materials, packaging, manufacturing and supply-chain management. SkyWater representatives present career options in the program’s introductory seminar course. Advanced courses cover semiconductor materials and devices, as well as system-on-chip design.

The conceptual design above shows a new SkyWater fab in the Discovery Park District — a 400-acre, mixed-use development adjacent to Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus.

The program builds on Purdue’s SCALE program, which trains undergrads to design and build semiconductors for space. This year, Purdue will launch a new program which will educate workers for SkyWater. Supported by state and regional economic-development organizations, the program will include operator and technician training through associate degree courses at partner Ivy Tech Community College.

An internship at SkyWater’s Florida foundry confirmed Purdue undergraduate Anika Bhoopalam’s interest in the semiconductor industry.
Bhoopalam, a senior majoring in chemical engineering with a minor in electrical and computer engineering, feels that the physics, materials science, and engineering courses she has taken — combined with research lab experience fabricating thin films and solar cells — have prepared her well. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. with a focus on materials science and solid-state physics so she can continue working in chip manufacturing.

Start exploring SkyWater semiconductor careers in high school

Just across the street from the SkyWater Florida facility is NeoCity Academy, a STEM high school. SkyWater regularly partners with the school on learning projects and internships. Larry recalls, “In 2022, we hired four students for summer internships. Based on their excellent performance, these students earned three-hour-per-day co-op positions during the following school year. In 2023, we have five NeoCity Academy student interns with us. Our goal is to give students a meaningful experience and hopefully they will choose a semiconductor career with us after graduation.”

Prepare for your career with a SkyWater Foundation scholarship

$100,000 awarded through the SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program.
Apply next year— opening February 2024

Ten recipients have been selected by Scholarship America to receive up to $10,000 each through the launch of the SkyWater Foundation’s Annual Scholarship Program. The scholarship application was open to students in any major or field of study. Applicants pursuing a certificate or degree in STEM — or science, technology, engineering, mathematics — were especially encouraged to apply. Scholarship America received nearly 1200 applications for SkyWater Foundation’s scholarships within the initial 10 application days.

With $100,000 awarded, the SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program helps students like Jason Zheng, a first-generation student currently attending Binghamton University, who is pursuing a computer science career. Zheng says that from a young age, he was curious about what went on behind the scenes of games, websites, and hardware, which led him to take apart and reassemble many projects along the way. Zheng is actively involved in many open-source online projects in addition to mentoring students who want to learn more about computer science.

Join our team as a full-time employee

In SkyWater Florida, we’re adding approximately 200 new jobs by 2024 — and we face challenges
One challenge is that there is a shortage of bachelor’s and graduate degree students who are U.S. citizens which is a requirement for employment in our fab as a Trusted supplier to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Initially in Florida, we needed to hire semiconductor industry experts to start up operations. Once tools are installed and qualified, we need to hire junior-level engineers and technicians. In addition to the employment options we mentioned, we also offer apprenticeships, employment through Semi VetWorks, and Earn While You Learn part-time student employment.

Find your place on our team

Browse current openings
Email SkyWater Florida Human Resources Director Ben Larry
See the impact we are making in our community

Sneak Peek: SkyWater CEO Tom Sonderman will talk about SkyWater’s workforce development innovations at SEMICON West

SkyWater Foundation’s First Annual College Scholarship Program Awards $100,000 in Support of US Workforce Development

By Rocket55 | June 27, 2023

Recipients include students pursuing critical STEM career paths

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – June 27, 2023 – SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced 10 recipients have been selected by Scholarship America to receive $10,000 each through the launch of SkyWater Foundation’s annual Scholarship Program, thanks to the generous support of the Oxbow Foundation. While the scholarship application process was open to students in any major or field of study, applicants pursuing a certificate or degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) were especially encouraged to apply. Scholarship America received over 1100 applications for SkyWater Foundation’s scholarships over the course of 12 days.

Applicant eligibility included: high school graduates or current college undergraduates who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-or-four-year college, university or vocational-technical school for the entire 2023-2024 academic year with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent). Competitive applicants were considered by academic record, demonstrated leadership, extracurricular activities and a statement of educational and career goals and objectives.

The SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program is helping students like Victoria A. from Georgia pursue their goals in higher education. As valedictorian of her high school class, a soon-to-be freshman at Duke University and a first-generation college student, she said, “This scholarship is enabling me to attend a private, out-of-state university which would otherwise be implausible for me.” Hers is a testament of how “these scholarships truly aid students who matriculate into institutions in hopes of financial and career-wise success for their families.”

With $10,000 awarded to each of the 10 recipients, the students are attending a range of universities from Georgia Institute of Technology to MIT and Stanford, among others. The areas of study include STEM-focused majors such as computer science and electrical engineering as well as areas like business, commerce, finance and others.

According to Amanda Daniel, SkyWater’s chief people officer, “The scholarships awarded by the Foundation will help students realize their academic dreams by making their education more accessible, leading to promising career opportunities. It also contributes to the on-going effort of industry to work with institutions in support of domestic workforce development. In particular, STEM education is central to the revitalization of the U.S. semiconductor industry, and we are committed to working with local and national communities to develop the critical talent needed for the future.”

In a world where nearly 70% of new jobs require a bachelor’s degree, but fewer than 50% of workers have one (according to nonprofit Opportunity@Work), these scholarships are helping bridge that gap and equip students with the education they need for promising career paths. In a 2021 report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, adults with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $2.8 million during their careers – $1.2 million more than the median for workers with a high school diploma.

“The board of the Oxbow Foundation is thrilled to be a major contributor to the SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program and to witness the transformative impact it has on students like Victoria,” said Oxbow Foundation director, Julia Unterseher. “By providing financial support, we are enabling talented individuals to pursue their educational goals and unlock opportunities for themselves and their families.”

Added director Elise Unterseher, “The Oxbow Foundation is proud to contribute to the advancement of STEM education and the development of future leaders in the semiconductor industry. The SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program makes education more accessible and aligns with our commitment to fostering education. These scholarships are empowering students to pursue higher education and unlock greater earning potential, setting them up for success in their future careers.”

About SkyWater Foundation’s Annual Scholarship Program
The Oxbow Foundation and SkyWater Technology, Inc. in partnership have established the SkyWater Foundation Fund, Inc. to offer a college scholarship program. Annually, The Oxbow Foundation expects to contribute up to $100,000 to the program for up to 10 students. The maximum annual award provided to any recipient is $10,000. The SkyWater Foundation has selected Scholarship America, a non-profit organization, to manage and administer the scholarship program.

The SkyWater Foundation Scholarship Program may be cancelled or terminated at the discretion of the Oxbow Foundation and/or the Board of Directors of SkyWater Technology, Inc. at any time.

About SkyWater Technology
SkyWater (NASDAQ: SKYT) is a U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturer and a DMEA-accredited Category 1A Trusted Foundry. SkyWater’s Technology as a Service model streamlines the path to production for customers with development services, volume production and heterogeneous integration solutions in its world-class U.S. facilities. This pioneering model enables innovators to co-create the next wave of technology with diverse categories including mixed-signal CMOS, ROICs, rad-hard ICs, power management, MEMS, superconducting ICs, photonics, carbon nanotubes and interposers. SkyWater serves growing markets including aerospace & defense, automotive, biomedical, cloud & computing, consumer, industrial and IoT. For more information, visit www.skywatertechnology.com/.

SkyWater Technology Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements that are based on the Company’s current expectations or forecasts of future events, rather than past events and outcomes, and such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which may cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Key factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to be different than expected or anticipated include, but are not limited to, factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of its annual report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and in other documents that the Company files with the SEC, which are available at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

SkyWater Company Contact: Tara Luther | 952.851.5023 | tara.luther@skywatertechnology.com
SkyWater Media Contact: Lauri Julian | 949.280.5602 | lauri.julian@skywatertechnology.com

Life at SkyWater

By Rocket55 | May 18, 2023

By Chief People Officer Amanda Daniel

What if you could help people become healthier?
What if you could make cars safer?
And what if you could turn the “impossible” into reality?
At SkyWater, you can do that — and enjoy coming to work!

Every day, we improve lives around the world — by co-creating new technologies and encouraging courageous innovations in our thriving SkyWater culture

SkyWater Chief People Officer Amanda Daniel joined SkyWater two years ago and has been nurturing a growing, resilient culture where people want to come to work and explore what’s possible. She explains, “Whether in Minnesota, Florida, or working remotely — we want to help our employees find their place as members of our team. Emotional, financial, professional and social wellbeing are very important — so we offer a variety of benefits to provide support in these key areas.”

Join us as we talk with Ms. Daniel about how to find meaningful work with purpose through building resilience and health.

A well-rounded approach to emotional well-being

SkyWater employees co-created technology for temperature sensors to combat COVID-19, which improved the lives of people around the world.

From the reaches of space to the palms of our hands, our team creates solutions no one else can. Because SkyWater is an innovation-driven, problem-solving business resilience and flexibility are critical to our success. While some people may have a natural disposition toward resilience, resilience can also be learned and practiced over time by engaging in practices such as mindfulness, self-care, social support and positive thinking.

In some cases, seeking professional support can also be helpful. This is why SkyWater recently launched a new program through Lyra Health to provide employees and their family members with a range of resources to support their emotional wellbeing. The program offers a variety of mental health benefits, including 1:1 counseling and coaching on a variety of topics including self-care, parent and caregiver stress, anger management, anxiety and depression, alcohol use, work stress, burnout, relationship challenges and many others.

Lyra Health offers benefits that are available 24/7.

The program provides access to in-person and virtual counseling sessions throughout the year, ensuring that support is available 24/7. This new benefit reflects SkyWater’s commitment to helping employees build resilience by prioritizing their mental health.

In addition, to this new and innovative mental health benefit, SkyWater also offers employees more traditional wellness benefits, including an employee assistance program, paid time off and holidays, fitness club discounts and competitive medical, dental and vision coverage.

SkyWater supports your financial well-being

Financial well-being programs in the workplace can help employees reduce stress, improving overall well-being. That’s why SkyWater offers a variety of tools, programs and benefits to help people feel stable with their finances including:

Career pathing to progress in your career with promotional opportunities.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan – two times per year employees can elect to participate to buy stock at a discount and become an owner!
401k benefit for retirement savings.
Financial seminars for current and future financial planning.
Hitting company financial goals for additional compensation.
Performing at a high level to earn more – pay for performance culture.

Professional well-being: Join our bold-thinking, world-changing team

SkyWater co-creates solutions for medical, industrial, consumer, automotive, and aerospace & defense markets.

“We believe that when people feel that they add value to an organization, they are more likely to be fulfilled, productive and engaged in their work,” states Ms. Daniel. “We are creating technology that’s changing the world! So, our employees are always learning and growing in their current roles — which is supports professional wellbeing. When we all work and grow together as One Team, we have the power to do great things.”

We provide employees with a range of tools and training — including tuition reimbursement, apprenticeships, scholarships, in-house training and mentoring to build your SkyWater career. You set the pace for how fast you want to go!

SkyWater Florida celebrates our first cohort to become certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belts. The group will focus on reducing waste, improving quality and maximizing innovation.

A strong work community to enhance your social well-being

According to Ms. Daniel, “Building positive relationships and having friends at work is an important part of overall well-being. As humans, we need to feel connected to feel fulfilled in our work and personal lives, so we have created opportunities to build those connections. In addition to having a wonderful lunchroom with views of the Minnesota River Valley where co-workers eat, meet, and play games — we also have paths behind our Minnesota facility where co-workers walk over lunch for a healthy break. Likewise, our Florida facility offers beautiful indoor and outdoor areas, where employees enjoy breaks, meet for picnics and celebrate accomplishments.”

There are many opportunities to participate in team projects and events including:

Culture Builders sessions — These sessions are designed for all employees to understand what we do at SkyWater and how we do it. This helps employees align to our culture and bond with the team.
Women’s Networking Committee — This group formed on March 8th which was also International Women’s Day. We encourage all employees to join interest groups (such as the Safety team, BikeMS team, or other interest group) to support you on your work journey.

International Women’s Day was the perfect time to kickoff a SkyWater Women’s Employee Networking group! Over lunch, the women discussed challenges and ideas for recruiting, empowering and recognizing women at SkyWater and beyond.
Employee Activities Committee – Employees can volunteer for corporate, social and team events to get more involved socially, meet people, and feel connected.

SkyWater’s Employee Activities Committee recently sponsored a Spring Cleaning event to celebrate Earth Day. HR Generalist Brittany Palmer pitched in by moving out old phones.

Employees enjoyed pizza and socializing in the break room during the 5S Spring Cleaning event.
Peer-to-peer recognition and manager recognition — Appreciation for accomplishing key milestones and living by our core values is offered through Fond. Recognition reinforces that we are doing what is right for our aligned goals and helps employees feel appreciated. Employees can redeem corporate perks, rewards and send recognitions on Fond, which offers thousands of items and rewards so that employees have the power to choose exactly what they want.
Giving ongoing feedback – We encourage employees to participate in ongoing feedback with their manager, in small teams, with a new leadership team Sounding Board, in surveys – and more. SkyWater leaders want to understand what’s going right, what needs fixing and to hear employee ideas for change. It’s a problem-solving, solution-finding approach.
Communication — It boils down to communication — making sure people have the information they need to do their job and feel connected. All communication avenues are important including company meetings, on-site communication screens, 1:1 recurring meetings with managers, department meetings, company intranet and in-person training.

SkyWater’s Employee Activities Committee serves cider, cocoa and other fun treats at our quarterly company meetings.

SkyWater is working with the State of Indiana and Purdue University to foster a robust microelectronics ecosystem.

SkyWater’s core values guide our behavior

Our core values – Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration, Growth Mindset and Empowerment – influence the way we interact with other employees, customers and stakeholders. Our strong company values help to build a positive, healthy, resilient and productive work environment, foster employee engagement, and inspire trust and loyalty from customers.