Principal FA Technician

Infineon•Leominster, MA

22h•$79,700 - $109,600•Onsite

About The Position

As a Principal FA Technician on our Quality & Excellence team, you will uncover the root causes behind every single error, drive transformational improvements, and implement forward-thinking solutions to ensure our products exceed the highest standards of quality, reliability, and performance. This role is crucial for driving continuous improvement and making quality a culture.

Requirements

Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (EE), Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, or Mechanical Engineering.
Alternative: High School Diploma/GED with 10+ years of progressive, documented experience in semiconductor failure analysis, specifically in power devices.
Minimum 8–10 years in Failure Analysis.
At least 5 years specifically focused on Power Semiconductors Industry.
Deep expertise in non-destructive and destructive physical analysis techniques, with a strong understanding of high-current electrical phenomena.
Subject Matter Expert (SME) in wide-bandgap (WBG) technologies and advanced packaging structures, capable of leading complex root-cause investigations and mentoring junior staff in a high-reliability environment (Automotive, Industrial, AI sectors).
Deep understanding of Si Trench MOSFET, and GaNHEMT structure, operation principles, and typical failure mechanisms (e.g., latch-up, secondary breakdown, thermal runaway, gate oxide integrity).
Expert knowledge of power module architectures, including: chip embedded and capacitor embedded substrates, flip chip and die stacking.
Advanced technologies: SAC305 and 95/5 SnSb tin-antimony solder alloys, and sintered silver die attach, Chip-on-Board (CoB), Embedded Power, and Wire Bond vs. Sintering vs. Copper Clip interconnects.
Ability to mentor junior technicians, define best practices, and lead technical escalations.
Meticulous attention to detail; ability to distinguish between sample introduction artifacts and actual failure mechanisms.
Strong technical writing skills for detailed FA reports; ability to explain complex physical findings to electrical engineers and customers.
Creative thinker who can design custom experimental setups to isolate elusive failure modes.
Proficiency with FA image analysis software (e.g., AMETEK Dage, Quorum Technologies, Oxford Instruments).
Basic familiarity with data analysis tools (JMP, or Python) for statistical reliability analysis.

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Materials Science or Electrical Engineering with a focus on semiconductor reliability or power electronics.
Experience in one or more of the following industries is highly desirable: Automotive Electronics (EV/Hybrid Vehicle Inverters, OBC, DC-DC). Industrial Drives (VFDs). Renewable Energy (Solar/Wind Inverters). Consumer Power Supplies (Server PSUs, EV Chargers).
Certified Failure Analysis (CFA) or similar industry certification.
SO/IEC 17025 internal auditor training.
Health & Safety certifications (e.g., OSHA, chemical handling).

Responsibilities

Perform parametric testing on power devices under high-voltage and high-current conditions using specialized testers (e.g., curve tracers, dual-pulse testers) to identify leakage currents, threshold voltage shifts, or on-resistance (R DS(on) /Ron) anomalies.
Utilize Lock-in Thermography (LIT) and Dynamic IR Thermography to locate hot spots and leakage paths under operating conditions, which is critical for identifying short circuits in high-power modules.
Perform fine-pitch electrical probing on bare die (BCD/Trench FET/GaN) to isolate failed sub-circuits or power loops within complex multi-chip power modules.
Analyze flip chip on laminate via alignment, die stacking and die attach interfaces, solder connection voiding and solder ball formations in large-area LGA substrate power packages. Detect delamination between the die attach, and chip embedded PCB substrates.
Prepare high-quality cross-sections of power modules to inspect die attach thickness, solder joint integrity, and interface quality between silicon dies and substrates.
Execute precise mechanical or chemical decapsulation of power modules and power stages (e.g., chip embedded LGA substrates, multi-chip QFN) without damaging the die, embedded PCB vias and solder connections.
Use Focused Ion Beam milling to expose specific layers within the power device structure for SEM imaging, particularly for identifying electromigration, gate oxide punctures, or substrate cracks in silicon and trench FET devices.
Analyze devices that have exceeded Safe Operating Area (SOA) limits, identifying thermal runaway, secondary breakdown, or latch-up mechanisms.
Perform specialized analysis (e.g., TEM, FIB-SEM) to identify ESD-induced damage to gate oxides or parasitic thyristors in power switches.
Investigate failure modes related to environmental stress, such as chloride ion corrosion, flux residue effects, or dendritic growth in humid environments. Specialize in failure mechanisms unique to BCD silicon, vertical trench FET, and Gallium Nitride (GaN), including high-voltage breakdown, gate charge anomalies, and interface states.
Create and optimize Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for handling internal and external customer samples, ensuring safety and preventing sample introduction of artifacts.
Oversee the calibration and preventive maintenance of high-power test setups, thermal imagers, and precision polishing equipment.
Author detailed failure analysis reports that clearly link physical evidence to electrical failure modes, providing actionable recommendations for design or process improvements.
Ensure strict adherence to safety protocols when handling power modules and test equipment.
Manage the safe handling and disposal of chemicals used in decapsulation, etching, and cleaning processes (e.g., strong acids/bases).
Ensure all FA activities comply with ISO/TS16949 (automotive), IATF 16949, or ISO 9001 standards, and maintain audit-ready documentation.