Senior Process Engineer

Senior Process Engineer: Advanced Packaging & Interconnect

NoiseFigure Research is seeking a Senior Process Engineer, Advanced Packaging & Interconnect Materials to lead hands-on process development, optimization, and validation for advanced microelectronics packaging, wafer-level interconnects, electronic materials, and next-generation wearable technology applications.

This role focuses on advancing existing proof-of-concept processes into repeatable, measurable, and reliable engineering workflows. The position requires extensive hands-on experience in wafer-level microfabrication, polymer dielectric processing, printed metal interconnects, wafer and die bonding, materials characterization, custom tooling, and reliability testing.

The Senior Process Engineer will independently manage technical development activities, including experimental planning, equipment operation, process optimization, test vehicle development, metrology, statistical analysis, and technical documentation. The position requires advanced engineering judgment, minimal technical ramp-up, and accountability for achieving customer specifications, project milestones, and documented technical deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, optimize, and validate coupon- and wafer-level (100–200 mm) advanced packaging processes, including stencil and screen printing, metal ink and paste sintering, polymer dielectric processing, lithography, physical vapor deposition (PVD), electroplating, and wafer/die bonding.
• Develop polymer dielectric and interconnect processes involving spin coating, dry-film lamination, laser or photolithographic via formation, curing, thermocompression bonding, and polymer adhesive bonding.
• Design and execute structured experiments, DOE activities, process-window studies, and statistical analyses to improve electrical performance, bond strength, yield, repeatability, and manufacturability.
• Design, fabricate, and evaluate electrical and mechanical test vehicles, including daisy-chain structures, Kelvin structures, and shear/pull samples, to characterize interconnect resistance, adhesion, bonding quality, and process performance.
• Design and fabricate custom fixtures, alignment jigs, printing and lamination tools, hot-press fixtures, and mechanical test fixtures using CAD, 3D printing, machining, and external fabrication resources.
• Evaluate metal inks, pastes, polymer dielectrics, adhesives, and substrate materials through rheology, particle-size analysis, TGA/DSC, resistivity measurements, adhesion testing, and supplier-supported technical trials.
• Perform metrology, characterization, reliability testing, and failure analysis using microscopy, profilometry, SEM/EDS, cross-sectioning, die-shear/pull testing, electrical measurements, thermal cycling, and temperature/humidity stress testing.
• Independently operate, troubleshoot, and maintain cleanroom and laboratory equipment, including mask aligners, spin coaters, wet benches, plasma etchers, PVD sputtering systems, electroplating equipment, and bonding tools.
• Develop and maintain experimental run sheets, process recipes, SOPs, test procedures, inspection records, data summaries, and technical reports supporting repeatable processes and customer deliverables.
• Collaborate with NFR engineering teams, customer researchers, equipment vendors, materials suppliers, and external fabrication partners to resolve technical challenges, improve process capabilities, and complete project milestones according to agreed timelines and specifications.

Expected Outputs and Performance Indicators

• First 30 Days: Reproduce the established baseline packaging process, demonstrate independent equipment and process execution, and assume ownership of experimental run sheets, SOPs, and outstanding DOE activities.
• By Month 3: Deliver quantified electrical yield, interconnect resistance, and bond-strength data using established test vehicles, supported by documented characterization and statistical analysis.
• By Month 6: Complete initial reliability evaluations, demonstrate a first pitch-scaling process iteration, and establish documented, repeatable process conditions.
• Demonstrate measurable improvements in process repeatability, electrical yield, bond integrity, material performance, and manufacturing feasibility.
• Deliver accurate experimental records, test data, process recipes, validation summaries, technical reports, and customer documentation packages.
• Identify and resolve process limitations, equipment constraints, material incompatibilities, and reliability concerns through documented engineering analysis.
• Support timely completion of customer product deliverables, prototypes, technical outputs, test results, and project milestones in accordance with agreed timelines, specifications, quality expectations, and internal review standards.
• Establish reliable handoffs of process-development results, engineering recommendations, and technical documentation to relevant research and engineering teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. with 5+ years of relevant hands-on experience, or a Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant hands-on experience, in advanced packaging, microfabrication, or electronic-materials process development. Degree must be in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a directly related field.
• Demonstrated experience personally developing and operating wafer-level packaging processes, including polymer dielectrics (BCB, polyimide), lithography, PVD, plating, lamination, and wafer or die bonding.
• Extensive hands-on experience in ISO 5–7 cleanroom environments, independently operating equipment such as mask aligners, spin coaters, wet benches, RIE/ICP plasma etchers, PVD sputtering systems, and electroplating tools.
• Strong understanding of materials science and interconnect behavior, including sintering, diffusion, adhesion, interfaces, thermal expansion, glass transition temperature, modulus, residual stress, and warpage.
• Experience designing and fabricating custom fixtures using 3D CAD (SolidWorks, Fusion 360, or NX), GD&T, 3D printing, basic machining, and fabrication-ready engineering drawings.
• Hands-on experience with optical/confocal microscopy, profilometry, SEM/EDS, metallographic cross-sectioning, die-shear/pull testing, four-point probe measurements, and daisy-chain resistance testing.
• Demonstrated ability to advance new processes from proof-of-concept to documented, repeatable execution using DOE, statistical analysis, and tools such as JMP, Minitab, or Python.
• Strong technical communication, troubleshooting, documentation, and independent problem-solving skills, with the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced laboratory research environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with printed electronics, including stencil, screen, inkjet, or aerosol-jet printing of metal nanoparticle/microparticle inks and pastes, and thermal, pressure-assisted, or photonic sintering.
• Experience with fine-pitch interconnects, Cu pillars, micro-bumps, thermocompression bonding, flip-chip bonding, IR/optical alignment, and wafer/die bonding systems such as EVG, SUSS, Finetech, SET, or Palomar.
• Experience conducting JEDEC-based reliability testing, including thermal cycling, THB/HAST, and failure analysis using C-SAM, X-ray/CT, or FIB.
• Experience with thermo-mechanical FEA using ANSYS, COMSOL, or Abaqus to analyze warpage, stress, and packaging reliability.
• Experience developing new laboratory capabilities, integrating benchtop equipment, establishing process workflows, and scaling experimental methods to more advanced manufacturing platforms.
• Proficiency with Python for data analysis, engineering automation, and AI-assisted engineering tools.

Required Skills and Knowledge

• Advanced semiconductor packaging and wafer-level interconnects
• Cleanroom microfabrication and process integration
• Polymer dielectrics, metal inks, pastes, and electronic materials
• Lithography, PVD, plating, lamination, and wafer/die bonding
• Printed electronics and sintering processes
• Design of Experiments and statistical process analysis
• Test vehicle design and electrical/mechanical characterization
• CAD, fixture design, GD&T, and rapid prototyping
• Materials characterization, metrology, and failure analysis
• Reliability testing and process qualification
• Technical documentation, SOPs, and experimental reporting
• Independent engineering judgment and technical problem-solving
• Customer specifications, milestones, and deliverable accountability
• Cross-functional research and engineering collaboration

Work Environment

This position is performed on-site in an advanced research, engineering, cleanroom, and microelectronics laboratory environment. Work may involve semiconductor wafers, advanced packaging materials, chemical processing, polymer dielectrics, bonding equipment, lithography tools, vacuum deposition systems, microscopes, metrology systems, laboratory instrumentation, and confidential customer technical information.

The employee is required to comply with applicable laboratory safety procedures, cleanroom protocols, chemical handling requirements, PPE, ESD controls, equipment operating procedures, customer confidentiality requirements, export-control restrictions, and technical documentation standards.

Benefits

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Health insurance
• Health Savings Account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance