Failure Analysis Engineer

Samsung Austin Semiconductor is one of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the world and an integral part of Central Texas for more than 26 years, driving job generation, economic impact and engagement with the surrounding community.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor serves a global customer base with broad semiconductor process technology offerings that impact everyday life including mobile, graphic, consumer, networking/high performance computing, Internet of Things, RF and automotive. Through successful collaborations with foundry customers and a continuous drive to develop the most cutting-edge technologies, Samsung Austin Semiconductor has become a major player in the foundry market. Samsung Austin Semiconductor's technology portfolio ranges from 65nm to 28nm using planar transistor technology to the more advanced 14nm 3D FinFet technology.

With more than 3,300 employees, 2.45 million square feet of floor space, and more than 600+ acres in land holdings, Samsung Austin Semiconductor's economic impact in 2021 generated $6.3 billion into Austin's economy through salaries and other expenditures. Plus, that same year, its parent company, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd announced a $17 billion investment to boost semiconductor production capacity at a new site in Taylor, Texas. This is in addition to the $18 billion invested in Samsung Austin Semiconductor's Austin, Texas campus, since 1996 -- making it one of the largest direct foreign investments in United States history.

Samsung Austin Semiconductor is a premier and growing employer who provides a great place to work, is committed to environmental stewardship and being a good corporate citizen. Our employees are the key to our success and we invest in our people with competitive compensation & benefit packages, career development opportunities and programs that enhance physical, emotional and intellectual well-being. Our employees work at various locations throughout Central Texas including the main plant on East Parmer Lane in northeast Austin, a satellite office near Pflugerville and the construction site in Taylor, Texas. Learn more at www.samsung.com/us/sas .

Roles and Responsibilities:

Job Summary/Overview

• The primary function of this position is to apply failure analysis expertise and project management skills to provide timely and excellent support for every assigned FA submission.
• Tasks to include set up a complete FA plan for every assigned job, which includes reviewing background information, FA hardware/software readiness, timeline estimation, update and reporting FA finding to internal and external customers.
• Customer's product ownership and representative of Analysis Engineering team. Cross department's collaboration opportunities by attending customer meetings, pre-alignment meetings, yield meeting & etc.
• Candidates would also need to collaborate with multiple groups within and outside the department to deliver timely results, root cause finding and drive corrective actions.
• Successful candidate would have a multi-tasking opportunity to contribute in a fast-paced semiconductor environment.
• Flexibility in work schedule is required.

Specific Job Duties

• Conduct physical failure analysis from low yield lots, baseline material, qualifications, and customer requests.
• Identify the cause of failure by performing the adequate sample selection, identifying the optimal analysis techniques to ensure fast and accurate results for both internal and external customers.
• Support manufacturing and engineering teams with physical failure analysis results for new process introduction, product transfer activities with Integration and Process Engineering teams.
• Represent the Analysis Engineering department in foundry customer meetings providing on time analysis results.
• Analyze electrical as well as imaging results finding root cause to problems and publishing them to team members and customers on time.
• Recommend analysis approach based on customer's failure mode data as well as our own electrical isolation results.
• Generates and compiles high quality FA report to internal and external customers.
• Develop methods to improve team's analysis capability and/or reduce job turnaround time.

Work Hour Expectations - Shifts, Weekends, Overtime, On call?

• C-Shift (7am - 7pm, Sat - Tue, alternate Wed)

Skills and Qualifications:

Education, Training, Certification(s) and Minimum years of experience required:

• BS in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Material Science, Physics, or closely related discipline.
• Preferred MSc or PhD with failure analysis experience.
• 2 - 5 years of experience in performing wafer/die level failure analysis (package level is a plus)

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Software, and Tools: List MOST important requirements first. Then, list soft skills desired (but not required), experience:

• Familiar with wafer/die level FA methodology.
• Hands-on experience on FA tools and well mastered of FA techniques includes SEM, FIB, PVC, AFM, EBAC, EBIC, OBIRCH, PEM, Thermal Imaging & etc.
• Good understanding of FinFET technology and electrical characteristics at transistor level.
• Able to interpret FA data, electrical data at transistor level, review pFA defects and formulate to an inline fail mechanism theory/model.
• Able to identify inline and/or pFA defect trends, determine root cause and drive corrective actions to completion.
• Experience with layout software (Camelot and/or Avalon).
• Refine complex FA data into Fab language summary in generating FA report.
• Strong project management, written and verbal communication skills.
• Teamwork oriented player with good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Able to work in fast paced and multi-tasking environment.
• Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Experience in handling customer returns FA is a plus.
• Experience in developing new FA techniques is a plus.