Failure Analysis Engineer, Photonics & Materials

HyperLight Corporation; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with matching

Parental Leave

Life and disability insurance

Commuter benefits

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

HyperLight Corporation in Cambridge, MA seeks a Failure Analysis specialist to own FA cases from question definition through reporting. You will perform SEM/EDS, XPS/Raman/FTIR analysis, and plan cross-sections with FIB, while coordinating outsourced TEM work.

The role requires hands-on cleanroom experience, independent operation, rigorous experimental design, and strong technical writing to support process improvements across photonics. In-person at our Cambridge site.

Qualifications

• Education and experience: BS + 3+ years cleanroom/characterization, or MS + 1–2 years, or PhD.
• Independent cleanroom experience with multiple processes and SOPs.
• Independent SEM operation and EDS interpretation.
• Ability to design analyses with proper controls and document results.

Responsibilities

• Own FA cases end to end: define questions, plan analyses, execute, write reports.
• Sequence analyses on irreplaceable samples; choose cross-sections wisely.
• Perform optical microscopy, SEM/EDS, FIB lift-out, AFM and profilometry as needed.
• Characterize surfaces and chemistry (XPS, Raman, FTIR) and interpret data.
• Manage outsourced analyses (TEM) with external labs.
• Support post-reliability FA on stressed parts and customer returns.
• Work in cleanroom on sample prep and light fabrication for demos.
• Write clear, evidence-based reports and present findings to stakeholders.
• Maintain sample custody and FA database records.

Skills

Independent cleanroom experience

Technical writing

Experimental design

Documentation and reporting

Safety training compliance

Analytical thinking

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

BS in materials science and engineering (or related field)

MS in one of the above with 1–2 years experience

PhD in one of the above

Tools

SEM operation

EDS analysis

FIB cross-sectioning

XPS data analysis

Raman spectroscopy

FTIR spectroscopy

TEM outsourcing management

Photolithography

E‑beam lithography

Ellipsometry

Profilometry

Job description

HyperLight Corporation in Cambridge, MA seeks a Failure Analysis specialist to own FA cases from question definition through reporting. You will perform SEM/EDS, XPS/Raman/FTIR analysis, and plan cross-sections with FIB, while coordinating outsourced TEM work.

The role requires hands-on cleanroom experience, independent operation, rigorous experimental design, and strong technical writing to support process improvements across photonics. In-person at our Cambridge site.