Senior Staff Failure Analysis Engineer

Job Title

Senior Staff Failure Analysis Engineer

Role Summary

The Senior Staff Failure Analysis Engineer leads die- and package-level failure analysis of analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits. The role supports customer and internal failure investigations, produces formal technical reports, and provides actionable recommendations to manufacturing, design, and test teams.

Experience Level

Senior — requires substantial practical experience; posting specifies at least 7 years of semiconductor IC failure analysis experience.

Responsibilities

Principal responsibilities include technical leadership of failure investigations, reporting, and cross-functional coordination.

• Perform die-level and package-level failure analysis using multiple FA tools and techniques independently.
• Isolate faults, characterize failure modes, and perform circuit-level analysis and bench testing.
• Document findings in formal FA reports for customers and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate with QA & Reliability, Design, Applications, Wafer Fab, Assembly, Product and Test Engineering to determine root cause and corrective actions.
• Develop and improve FA techniques, maintain laboratory equipment and consumables, and support lab process optimization.
• Be available for occasional flexible hours to meet urgent customer requests.

Requirements

Key must-have skills, hands-on tools, and experience. Nice-to-have items are listed separately.

Must-have:

• At least 7 years of semiconductor IC failure analysis experience.
• Hands-on experience operating: Curve Tracer/Parametric Analyzer, Scanning Acoustic Microscope, SEM/EDX, Photon Emission/Laser Signal Injection microscope, and microprobing equipment.
• Hands-on experience with physical FA steps: chemical decapsulation/deprocessing/staining, mechanical/parallel lapping, mechanical cross-sectioning/polishing (ion milling is optional).
• Proficient in electrical circuit analysis, bench testing and instrumentation.
• Knowledge of IC fabrication, semiconductor physics, BJT and MOSFET operation, and basic circuit configurations.
• Strong verbal and written communication, analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to coordinate with cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to work in a laboratory environment.
• Proficient with MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with FIB cross-sectioning and circuit edit, STEM/TEM, nanoprobes (EBIC/EBAC), and STEM/TEM methods.
• Experience analyzing III-V materials such as GaAs and InP.
• Background in Product Quality and Reliability, Test/Product Engineering, Design/Validation/Characterization, Applications, or Wafer Fabrication.
• Experience using AI tools to assist analysis or workflow.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Engineering Physics, Electrical Engineering, or Electronics Engineering is specified.

About the Company

Company: Semtech

Headquarters: Camarillo, California, USA

Semtech Corporation is a high-performance semiconductor company providing IoT systems and Cloud connectivity solutions. The company focuses on delivering innovative technology solutions that support a smarter, more connected, and sustainable planet, with a dedication to quality across infrastructure, industrial, and consumer markets.