Senior Research Engineer, Bonding Eng Ops (FAB), IME

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research; Singapore; On-site; SGD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology and Research is seeking an Advanced Packaging Bonding Engineer to support semiconductor research. This role emphasizes operational control of bonding processes within a research and pilot line setting.

The ideal candidate will ensure process robustness and facilitate advancements in technology transfer initiatives. Required qualifications include a Bachelor's degree and experience in advanced packaging or bonding technologies. Proficiency in data analysis tools is essential for success.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Materials Science, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 3–5 years in advanced packaging or bonding technologies.
• Strong understanding of bonding fundamentals.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day operational engineering control of bonding processes.
• Establish and maintain process control frameworks.
• Monitor and control key KPIs including bond strength and yield.

Skills

Process control

Data analysis proficiency

Bonding fundamentals understanding

Experience in bonding technologies

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Tools

JMP

Python

Excel

Job description

Job Summary

Advanced Packaging Bonding Engineer supports translational semiconductor research by bridging advanced packaging innovations with industry‑relevant manufacturing practices. The role focuses on operational engineering control of bonding processes—including wafer‑to‑wafer, die‑to‑wafer, and hybrid bonding—within a research fab or pilot line environment.

The engineer ensures process robustness, alignment accuracy, yield performance, and scalability for transfer to industrial partners, while maintaining operational discipline comparable to leading semiconductor packaging and assembly fabs.

This position plays a critical role in enabling heterogeneous integration, 3D integration, chiplet architectures, and advanced packaging schemes through joint development programs (JDPs) and technology transfer initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Own day‑to‑day operational engineering control of advanced bonding processes (e.g., thermo‑compression, hybrid bonding, direct bonding).
• Establish and maintain process control frameworks (SPC, control plans, excursions, process windows) balancing R&D flexibility with manufacturing rigor.
• Monitor and control key KPIs including alignment accuracy, bond strength, interface quality, voiding, defectivity, and yield.
• Perform rapid troubleshooting, root cause analysis, and corrective actions to ensure tool uptime and experimental integrity.
• Enable research‑to‑manufacturing translation by ensuring bonding processes are scalable, repeatable, and high‑yielding.
• Support co‑development with industry partners on advanced integration schemes (e.g., chiplet stacking, hybrid bonding interconnects, 3D ICs).
• Provide engineering input to researchers on bonding process trade‑offs such as thermal budget, alignment tolerance, throughput, and integration complexity.
• Support bonding tool qualification, baseline setup, and matching across multiple platforms.
• Collaborate with Equipment Engineering and vendors on alignment systems, bonding heads, chuck design, and process hardware optimization.
• Support introduction of new bonding technologies, materials, or tool upgrades with appropriate risk assessment and operational readiness.
• Sustain qualified bonding processes while enabling controlled experimentation via process window characterization and drift monitoring.
• Analyze inline and offline data (e.g., metrology, microscopy, electrical test) to identify yield limiters such as voids, misalignment, and interfacial defects.
• Drive continuous improvement to enhance bonding quality, overlay accuracy, reliability, and throughput.
• Work closely with industry partners to align bonding process conditions, integration strategies, and reliability requirements.
• Support technology transfer activities including process documentation, baseline definition, and readiness assessment for partner manufacturing lines.
• Participate in technical reviews, cross‑functional meetings, and joint debugging of integration challenges.
• Maintain comprehensive process documentation, SOPs, and experimental plans.
• Generate clear engineering reports summarizing bonding performance, risks, and recommendations.
• Contribute to best practices for advanced packaging and bonding operations within research fab and industry collaboration programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related disciplines.
• 3–5 years of experience in advanced packaging or bonding technologies (e.g., wafer bonding, die bonding, flip‑chip, hybrid bonding).
• Strong understanding of bonding fundamentals: surface preparation, adhesion mechanisms, alignment/overlay, thermal/mechanical effects, and defectivity.
• Experience in process control (SPC, DOE, excursion handling) and operations‑focused engineering.
• Proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., JMP, Python, Excel).

Preferred / Added Advantages

• Hands‑on experience with hybrid bonding, Cu‑Cu bonding, or direct wafer bonding platforms.
• Familiarity with 3D integration, chiplet architectures, TSV/interposer‑based packaging.
• Understanding of metrology and inspection techniques (e.g., IR imaging, SAM, X‑ray, overlay measurement).
• Exposure to industry–research collaborations, JDPs, or technology transfer programs.
• Strong communication skills across multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders.

Key Attributes for Success

• Strong integration and manufacturing mindset in a research‑driven environment.
• Ability to balance process discipline with experimental flexibility.
• Structured, data‑driven problem‑solving approach.
• Collaborative and industry‑oriented mindset.
• High ownership and reliability in complex, cross‑functional programs.