MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process

Seek Thermal; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Seek Thermal in Santa Barbara, CA, USA, seeks an MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process Engineer to drive MEMS die fabrication through packaging and testing. You will work with external suppliers on front-end MEMS and back-end assembly, optimize yields, and qualify new processes for production.

You will apply DOE, SPC, and FMEA in a production environment, interact with cross-functional teams, and occasionally travel to supplier sites. A BS or MS in a related field is required.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in a relevant engineering/physical science field with MEMS/semiconductor experience.
• 5+ years hands-on MEMS or semiconductor wafer fab process engineering.
• Experience with front-end MEMS and back-end packaging processes.
• DOE, SPC, and FMEA applied to production environments.
• Strong communication with suppliers, vendors, and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and sustain MEMS fabrication processes to meet yield and cost targets.
• Develop and qualify wafer-to-wafer bonding, packaging, and hermetic sealing.
• Characterize interfaces with SEM, SAM, and metrology across processes.
• Design DOEs and analyze data with JMP or Python for yield improvements.
• Manage external suppliers and disposition nonconforming material.
• Lead root-cause analyses and drive corrective actions through MRB/CCB.
• Collaborate with design, test, reliability, and quality teams on NPIs.

Skills

MEMS process engineering

Wafer fab

Assembly/packaging

DOE

SPC

FMEA

Cleanroom

Metrology data

Supplier communication

ITAR compliance

Travel readiness

Education

BS in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field

MS preferred

Tools

JMP

Python

LabVIEW

Job description

MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process

Seek Thermal Santa Barbara, California, United States

About this position

Description:

Under the direct supervision of the Wafer Management Director, the MEMS Semiconductor and Assembly Process Engineer is responsible for the MEMS sensor die from wafer fabrication through wafer‑level packaged and tested die. This fab‑less role involves working with multiple external suppliers and spans front‑end MEMS processes (thin‑film deposition, lithography, metallization, etch, and release) and back‑end assembly (wafer‑level hermetic vacuum sealing/bonding, wafer probing, dicing, die attach, and wire bonding). Working with suppliers, the engineer will sustain and improve yield on production processes, develop new processes and tools, and qualify them for production manufacturing. The position operates in both cleanroom and non‑cleanroom manufacturing environments, supporting Production and Engineering.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own and sustain MEMS fabrication processes (PECVD/sputter deposition, photolithography, DRIE and wet etch, sacrificial release) to yield, Cpk, and cost targets.
• Develop and qualify assembly and packaging processes: wafer‑to‑wafer bonding, getter activation and vacuum sealing, dicing, die attach, and wire bonding.
• Characterize bond interfaces and package hermeticity using SAM, IR microscopy, SEM/FIB cross‑sections, and long‑term vacuum‑integrity monitoring.
• Design and run DOEs; use SPC and statistical analysis (JMP, Python) to identify drivers of yield loss and drive corrective and preventive actions.
• Manage outsourced process steps at external suppliers: define specifications, review vendor data, run qualification lots, and disposition non‑conforming material.
• Perform root‑cause failure analysis; drive containment and permanent fixes through the MRB/CCB process.
• Partner with device design, test, reliability, quality, and engineering functions on new‑product introduction and design‑for‑manufacturability reviews.

Requirements:

• BS in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field; MS preferred.
• 5+ years of hands‑on process engineering in MEMS or semiconductor wafer fab, with at least 2 years covering assembly/packaging (wafer bonding, die attach, wire bond, or hermetic sealing).
• Working knowledge of thin‑film and etch processes and their interaction with downstream packaging (stress, outgassing, surface preparation for bonding).
• Demonstrated use of DOE, SPC, and FMEA in a production environment.
• Comfortable in a cleanroom (gowning required); able to read metrology and failure‑analysis data and act on it.
• Clear written and verbal communication with suppliers, vendors, operators, and cross‑functional engineers.
• Occasional travel to suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• U.S. Person status as defined by ITAR (if required by product line).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with microbolometers or other vacuum‑packaged MEMS infrared sensors.
• Wafer‑level packaging experience.
• Knowledge of and experience with anti‑reflective coatings.
• Wafer defect identification and corrective action to improve yield.
• Familiarity with MEMS reliability test methods.
• Experience managing external foundry and supplier relationships.
• Python or LabVIEW scripting for data handling; ISO 9001 quality‑system experience.

PM18