Senior Materials and Failure Analysis Technician (SIMS)
On-siteSherman, Texas, United States
Job Summary
Establish and operate Coherent Sherman's SIMS laboratory, including startup, equipment qualification, and procedure development. Perform SIMS workflow activities such as sample preparation, wafer cleaving, tool setup, recipe execution, and data collection while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency. Operate SIMS instrumentation and supporting equipment like optical microscopy, SEM, and FIB to conduct advanced materials characterization and failure analysis on semiconductor and photonic devices. Support root cause investigations by preparing samples, collecting data, and documenting observations for engineers. Prepare technical reports and presentations with minimal supervision and maintain inventories of consumables, chemicals, and cryogenic supplies. Write work instructions, standard operating procedures, and training materials while mentoring technicians and engineers on laboratory procedures and safety practices. Collaborate with Principal Engineers and Facilities teams to support tool maintenance, troubleshooting, and performance improvements. Maintain ISO standards and adhere to strict EHS protocols involving liquid nitrogen, chemicals, and cleanroom attire.
Required Qualifications
- Six (6) years of related laboratory, semiconductor manufacturing, materials characterization, metrology, or failure analysis experience
- Associate degree or technical degree with four (4) years of related experience
- Bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering Technology, or related technical discipline
- Experience operating analytical laboratory equipment in semiconductor, materials characterization, or failure analysis environments
- Proficient understanding of chemistry, materials science, and semiconductor device fundamentals
- Ability to safely handle chemicals and cryogenic materials, including liquid nitrogen
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and preparation of technical reports and presentations
- Ability to work independently with limited supervision while maintaining high-quality work output
- Strong analytical, organizational, presentation, technical writing, and cross-functional collaboration skills
- Time management skills to efficiently organize work assignments, set estimated completion dates and meet or exceed those commitments
- Must have the ability and willingness to wear cleanroom attire for up to 4 hours at a time
- All employees are required to attend scheduled training, follow the site EHS procedures and Corporate EHS standards
- Nitrile gloves for handling the following: IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol), acetone and wafers, die or any other parts submitted for analysis
- Laser safety glasses for testing high power laser parts
- Safety glasses and goggles (prescription or standard) to be used when handling the following: Die punch tool, pouring liquid nitrogen and cleaning with chemicals
- Thermal Gloves for handling liquid nitrogen
- Sharps gloves for handling sharp parts
- Face shield for handling liquid nitrogen or cleaning parts with chemicals
- Apron and chemical gloves for pouring chemicals
- To have close visual acuity, with or without corrective lenses, to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; focusing microscopic images on a microscope or at a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of precision positioning probes; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or destructive analysis of parts at distances close to the eyes
- To have the visual acuity to distinguish colors to identify defects on parts
- Job requires expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word in English; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly
- Job requires perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound
- Be able to review and investigate using a microscope, which requires employee to bend forward at the waist or spine, up to 1 hour at a time
- Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting and standing up to 4 hours at a time to use a workstation, microscope or solvent hood
- Be able to walk considerable distances in the facility, sometimes with shoe covers, up to 500 meters, to reach other areas of the factory
- Light work that includes moving objects up to 25lbs over short distances
- Ascending and descending step stairs and ladders
- Occasionally able to kneel/crouch to reach objects below workstations, requires bending the legs and resting on the knees
- Precision positioning manual probes using left and right hands and arms for up to 1 hour at a time
- Work in a class 10,000 clean room for extended periods
- Work in a laboratory environment maintained at approximately 60°F (15°C) with tightly controlled temperature and low-humidity conditions required for SIMS instrumentation performance
- Wear ESD attire (shoes, frocks, wrist straps, etc.)
- Work with and around chemicals such as IPA, acetone, and laboratory process chemicals
- Work with cryogenic materials including liquid nitrogen
- Participate in team meetings and support activities that may occasionally occur outside normal working hours
- Depending on location, this position may be responsible for the execution and maintenance of the ISO 9000, 9001, 14001 and/or other applicable standards that may apply to the relevant roles and responsibilities within the Quality Management System and Environmental Management System
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with SIMS or TOF-SIMS analysis preferred
- Experience with semiconductor wafer handling, sample preparation, wafer cleaving, and laboratory sample preparation techniques
- Experience with optical microscopy, SEM, FIB, probe stations, FTIR, or similar analytical equipment preferred
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.