MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process Engineer

Seek Thermal, Inc; Goleta (CA); On-site; USD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Seek Thermal, Inc. is seeking a MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process Engineer to own MEMS fabrication from wafer to packaged die.

The role involves front-end MEMS processes and back-end assembly, working with external suppliers in a fab-less environment, supporting production and engineering in both cleanroom and non-cleanroom settings. You will drive yield improvements, develop new processes, qualify them for production, and communicate with suppliers and cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or related field (MS preferred).
• 5+ years experience in MEMS/semiconductor wafer fab, with 2+ years in assembly/packaging.
• Experience with thin-film/etch processes and their impact on packaging.
• Proficient in DOE, SPC, and FMEA in production environments.
• Strong reading of metrology data and communication with suppliers and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Own and sustain MEMS fabrication processes to meet yield, CpK, and cost targets.
• Develop and qualify assembly/packaging: wafer bonding, die attach, wire bonding.
• Characterize bond interfaces and hermeticity using SAM, IR, SEM/FIB.
• Design DOEs; perform SPC and analysis to identify yield drivers and corrective actions.
• Manage outsourced steps with suppliers; define specs and review data.
• Lead root-cause analyses and MRB/CCB containment fixes.
• Collaborate with design, test, reliability, quality, and manufacturing teams on new products.

Skills

MEMS fabrication

Wafer packaging

DOE

SPC

FMEA

Vendor mgmt

Education

BS in Engineering

Tools

JMP

Python

LabVIEW

Job description

MEMS Semiconductor & Assembly Process Engineer

• Full-time
• Compensation: USD 105,000 - USD 145,000 - yearly

Hi, We’re Seek Thermal.
Join us on our mission to make thermal imaging a part of everyday life!
At Seek, you'll get to work with the world-class engineers that pioneered the technology, and now they're building an organization that’s built on that same pioneering spirit…but we can’t do it alone. We want your ideas, your enthusiasm, and your passion to help us make thermal imaging a part of everyday life, for everyone.
We love where we work, and so can you.

SUMMARY

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.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 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.
• 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.

Why Join Seek Thermal?

You'll join a high‑performing, collaborative accounting team where you'll have the opportunity to build a broad accounting skill set while learning from experienced team members.

Our team values accuracy, accountability, continuous improvement, and working together to get things done well. We encourage people to ask questions, bring forward ideas, and understand the why behind their work.

As Seek Thermal grows, we want this role to grow with it. Our goal is to provide the mentorship, experience, and increasing responsibility needed to develop into a well‑rounded accounting professional.

Our Story
The company was founded in 2012 by two industry pioneering scientists, Bill Parrish, PhD and Tim Fitzgibbons PhD, who spent 40 years advancing the state of military and professional‑grade thermal imaging technology. Following their previous two companies, Amber Engineering and Indigo Systems, each with successful acquisitions, Seek Thermal is their third venture with the mission to make thermal imaging a part of everyday life.
An unseen world of energy surrounds us. We only see some of it with our eyes, light from a source of energy reflected on objects around us. But even though we can’t see it, all objects produce or retain heat. When viewed through a Seek Thermal camera, this world of heat can be converted to images, providing important information useful in solving everyday problems that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. Seek thermal imaging lets you see the world of heat instead of the world of light.
Seek Thermal is partnered with Raytheon and NXP to design and deliver high-quality, affordable thermal imaging sensors and products across the globe at scale. As one of the few companies in the world capable of building sensors, Seek Thermal has shipped hundreds of thousands of thermal imaging products around the world as it continues to make thermal imaging an accessible, everyday tool, so people can do their jobs safer, faster and smarter.