Principal Materials and Failure Analysis Engineer (SIMS)

Coherent Corp.; Sherman (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Coherent Sherman is seeking a senior SIMS lead to establish and run a world-class SIMS laboratory. You will define capabilities, select equipment, and ensure readiness for operation across semiconductor and optoelectronic materials.

You will direct end-to-end SIMS workflows, report findings to engineers and management, and drive continuous improvement in throughput and data integrity. This role requires deep materials analysis expertise and cross-functional leadership in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Advanced SIMS/TOF-SIMS characterization expertise.
• Dopant profiling and contamination analysis in semiconductor materials.
• Experience with epitaxial growth technologies (MOCVD/MBE) and thin films.
• Strong understanding of device physics and failure mechanisms.

Responsibilities

• Lead SIMS laboratory establishment including capability definition and equipment selection.
• Develop strategic roadmap for SIMS capabilities across Coherent.
• Direct SIMS workflow from sample prep to data interpretation and reporting.
• Serve as site SME for SIMS analysis across manufacturing, R&D, quality, and product engineering.
• Define QC procedures, calibration methods, and maintenance plans for instrumentation.
• Lead installation, qualification, and optimization of SIMS instrumentation and lab infrastructure.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support new product introduction and reliability investigations.
• Mentor engineers, technicians, and interns to build analytical capability.

Skills

SIMS Analysis

TOF-SIMS

Dopant Profiling

Epitaxial Growth

SEM

FIB

TEM

XPS

DOE

Statistics

Data Analysis

Cross-functional

Education

PhD in Materials Science

MS in Materials Science

BS in relevant field

Tools

JMP

Excel

Job description

Job Description

• Lead the establishment of Coherent Sherman’s SIMS laboratory, including capability definition, facility requirements, equipment selection, installation, qualification, and operational readiness.
• Develop the strategic roadmap for SIMS characterization capabilities to support current and future semiconductor, photonics, and optoelectronic technologies across Coherent.
• Direct and perform a SIMS Materials Analysis workflow including sample preparation, tool setup, data acquisition, interpretation, reporting, and method development, with emphasis on quality, efficiency, throughput, and on-time delivery.
• Serve as the site Subject Matter Expert (SME) for SIMS analysis, providing technical leadership and guidance to manufacturing, epitaxy, R&D, quality, reliability, and product engineering organizations.
• Define and implement laboratory workflows, analytical procedures, quality systems, calibration methodologies, maintenance plans, and operational best practices to ensure world‑class analytical performance and data integrity.
• Lead the installation, acceptance testing, qualification, and ongoing optimization of SIMS instrumentation and supporting laboratory infrastructure.
• Partner with Equipment Engineering and Facilities teams to maximize tool reliability, uptime, and analytical performance through effective maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, and upgrade activities.
• Perform and coordinate advanced materials characterization and failure analysis using SIMS, SEM, FIB, TEM, EDX, optical microscopy, and other analytical techniques as required to solve complex technical problems.
• Lead complex analytical investigations and root cause analyses to identify material, process, and device‑related failure mechanisms and drive corrective actions.
• Prepare and publish technical reports tailored to specific audiences and effectively communicate analytical findings, conclusions, and recommendations to engineers, management, and customers as needed.
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams to support new product introduction, technology development, yield improvement, quality enhancement, reliability investigations, and cost reduction initiatives.
• Develop, qualify, and implement new SIMS analytical methods, sample preparation techniques, and measurement capabilities for emerging material systems, epitaxial structures, advanced devices, and next‑generation technologies.
• Drive continuous improvement of analytical processes, laboratory operations, measurement capability, throughput, automation, and overall operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with global Coherent materials characterization teams to transfer best practices, standardize methodologies, and establish Sherman as a key SIMS and materials characterization resource within the organization.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with internal customers, global Coherent facilities, equipment suppliers, third‑party laboratories, academic institutions, and industry experts to accelerate capability development and technology adoption.
• Establish and maintain analytical standards, procedures, calibration methodologies, and best practices to ensure high‑quality, repeatable, and reproducible measurements.
• Track material and device failure modes, maintain analytical databases and failure‑mode libraries, and provide periodic trend analysis and recommendations to management and engineering teams.
• Identify developmental opportunities for the Materials and Failure Analysis team; create training materials and mentor engineers, technicians, and interns to build organizational capability.
• Lead multiple complex projects simultaneously while balancing customer priorities, business needs, and laboratory objectives.
• Support customer‑facing technical discussions, audits, and presentations related to materials characterization, SIMS analysis, failure analysis, and technology development efforts.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree with 9 years of related experience, OR
• Master's degree with 7 years of related experience, OR
• PhD with 4 years of related experience.

Experience should include materials characterization, semiconductor processing, failure analysis, thin‑film technologies, epitaxial growth, or related fields. Experience supporting optoelectronic, photonic, or semiconductor manufacturing environments is preferred.

Skills

• Advanced expertise with SIMS and/or TOF‑SIMS characterization techniques.
• Demonstrated experience performing dopant profiling, contamination analysis, depth profiling, and materials characterization of semiconductor and optoelectronic materials.
• Experience with epitaxial growth technologies including MOCVD, MBE, sputtering, thin‑film deposition, or related processes.
• Strong understanding of semiconductor device physics, solid‑state physics, materials science, and failure mechanisms.
• Experience with advanced analytical techniques such as SEM, FIB, TEM, EDX, XPS, AFM, or related methods.
• Proficiency with data analysis software including JMP, Excel, and statistical analysis tools.
• Experience applying Design of Experiments (DOE), regression analysis, statistical process control, and data‑driven decision‑making techniques.
• Ability to develop analytical models, interpret complex data sets, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication, presentation, technical writing, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to lead technical projects and influence decisions across multiple organizations.
• Time management skills to efficiently organize work assignments, set estimated completion dates and meet or exceed those commitments.

Working Conditions

• Work in a class 10,000 clean room for extended periods.
• Work in a laboratory environment maintained at approximately 60°F (15°C) with tightly controlled temperature and low‑humidity conditions required for SIMS instrumentation performance.
• Wear ESD attire (shoes, frocks, wrist straps, etc.).
• Work with and around chemicals such as IPA, acetone, and laboratory process chemicals.
• Work with cryogenic materials including liquid nitrogen.
• Participating in team meetings including some outside typical work hours & flexibility to support a 24 hour manufacturing operation.

Physical Requirements

• Work in a laboratory environment with controlled temperature and humidity conditions, including extended exposure to temperatures maintained at approximately 60°F to ensure optimal SIMS equipment performance.
• Ability to safely handle and transfer liquid nitrogen, including pouring liquid nitrogen into approved containers and analytical equipment while wearing required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Manual dexterity sufficient to prepare analytical samples, including wafer cleaving, mounting, handling small specimens, and loading samples into characterization equipment.
• To have close visual acuity, with or without corrective lenses, to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; focusing microscopic images on a microscope or at a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts, and/or operation of precision positioning probes; using measurement devices; and/or assembly or destructive analysis of parts at distances close to the eyes.
• To have the visual acuity to distinguish colors to identify defects on parts.
• Job requires expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word in English; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Job requires perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and making fine discriminations in sound.
• Be able to review and investigate using a microscope, which requires employee to bend forward at the waist or spine, up to 1 hour at a time.
• Sedentary work that primarily involves sitting and standing up to 4 hours at a time to use a work station, microscope or solvent hood.
• Be able to walk considerable distances in the facility, sometimes with shoe covers, up to 500 meters, to reach other areas of the factory.
• Light work that includes moving objects up to 25 lbs over short distances.
• Ascending and descending step stairs and ladders.
• Occasionally able to kneel/crouch to reach objects below workstations, requires bending the legs and resting on the knees.
• Precision positioning manual probes using left and right hands and arms for up to 1 hour at a time.
• Must have the ability and willingness to wear cleanroom attire for up to 4 hours at a time.

Safety Requirements

All employees are required to attend scheduled training, follow the site EHS procedures and Corporate EHS standards. Mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory mandatory