Staff Failure Analysis Engineer

Job Title

Staff Failure Analysis Engineer

Role Summary

Perform in-depth failure analysis on semiconductor products to improve product quality, yield, and customer satisfaction. Work on physical and electrical fault isolation, characterization, and root-cause reporting.

Collaborate with Design, Product Engineering, Quality Assurance, and Foundry Operations to identify failure mechanisms and support corrective actions.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Required experience varies by degree: Bachelor's + 8 years, Master's + 6 years, or PhD + 3 years (see Education Requirements).

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Plan and execute root-cause failure analysis on a variety of IC products.
• Use bench characterization and electrical testing to reproduce and document failure symptoms.
• Perform physical fault isolation and imaging to correlate electrical faults to silicon coordinates.
• Apply analytical techniques (X-ray, SAM, PEM/EMMI, OBIRCh, thermal emission) and deprocessing (decap, polishing, etch) as appropriate.
• Produce clear technical reports and failure disposition recommendations for internal teams and customers.
• Coordinate cross-functional investigations with foundries, test groups, and design teams to implement corrective actions and yield improvements.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience (education and minimum years are listed under Education Requirements):

• Strong understanding of front-end semiconductor fabrication (CMOS, BCD, analog/mixed-signal) and IC packaging technologies.
• Proficiency with bench test equipment (oscilloscopes, SMUs, power supplies, multimeters) to power-up and characterize devices.
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, netlists, and physical layouts (e.g., Cadence Virtuoso, GDS viewers).
• Hands-on experience with failure analysis workflows including non-destructive imaging and deprocessing techniques.
• Clear technical writing and communication to explain findings to engineering and non-technical stakeholders.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with SEM, EDS/EDX, or FIB for advanced physical analysis.
• Experience with analog, power management, or mixed-signal ICs.
• Familiarity with industry standards (AEC-Q100, JEDEC) and formal problem-solving methods (8D, 5 Whys).

Education Requirements

One of the following is required: Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Microelectronics, or a related field plus a minimum of 8 years related experience; OR a Master's degree plus a minimum of 6 years related experience; OR a PhD plus a minimum of 3 years related experience. Equivalent practical experience is implied by the degree/experience alternatives listed.

About the Company

Company: Renesas

Headquarters: Hitachinaka, Japan

Renesas is a global leader in embedded semiconductor solutions, providing high-quality products across automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT sectors. With over 22,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the company focuses on scalable solutions that enhance user experience and drive innovation while committed to sustainability and energy efficiency.