Product Physical Failure Analysis Engineer

Altera; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Altera, the world’s largest pure-play FPGA solutions provider, is seeking an experienced Physical Failure Analysis Engineer in San Jose, CA. You will identify root causes for yield, reliability, and customer returns, and collaborate with design and process teams to improve devices and packages.

Responsibilities include driving failure analysis using SEM, FIB, EDX, and interpreting data from emission microscopy and probing techniques.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor failure analysis.
• 8+ years of experience with Layout & Design tools (Virtuoso, Avalon, SysNav, etc.).
• 8+ years of experience independently implementing failure analysis using die milling/thinning, FIB, SEM, and EDS.
• 8+ years of experience driving investigations to root cause and driving yield/reliability improvements.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Product/Yield/Reliability Engineers to drive fault isolation during product development, yield improvement and reliability risk assessments
• Support physical failure analysis and root cause determination of semiconductor device failures
• Collaborate with Fault isolation engineers or Independently interpret Emission microscopes, Laser Voltage Probing and OBIRCH data and to define physical failure analysis process
• Independently define, and execute physical failure analysis tools such as SEM, FIB and EDX
• Experienced with layout, schematic and design analysis tools
• Develop reports and communicate findings to the responsible engineers on a regular basis

Skills

Root cause analysis

Failure analysis

Yield improvement

Semiconductor technology

Communication

Education

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

Tools

Virtuoso

Avalon

SysNav

Job description

About Altera

At Altera™, our independence as the world’s largest pure‑play FPGA solutions provider gives us the focus, speed, and agility to innovate without compromise. With more than four decades of industry‑leading FPGA expertise, our singular mission is to deliver the programmable technologies that help customers differentiate, innovate, and scale across rapidly evolving markets like AI, cloud, networking, and edge. As an independent company, we move faster, invest deeper, and partner more closely—empowering our teams to drive breakthrough innovation and shape the future of the FPGA industry.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced semiconductor Physical Failure Analysis Engineer responsible for root cause identification on yield, reliability and customer returns. Drives failure identification in processes and products and searches for improvements to enhance yield, performance, quality, and reliability of next generation product and package technologies. Collaborates with design and process development engineers to determine relationship of materials properties and electrical performance and thoroughly explains fundamental aspects of material and device interactions as needed to assist in the transfer new product to manufacturing. Adds to the development of electrical, analytical, and mechanical methodologies by developing failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and maintaining control plans throughout the product lifecycle. Applies strategic failure analysis capabilities for future technologies and products, drives automation and improvement of failure analysis process, and conducts innovative use of new analytical tools, equipment, and methodologies. Develops, records, and performs failure analysis on systems and components to identify root cause, analyze failure reports, and recommend corrective action to prevent reoccurrence of problems.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Product/Yield/Reliability Engineers to drive fault isolation during product development, yield improvement and reliability risk assessments
• Support physical failure analysis and root cause determination of semiconductor device failures
• Collaborate with Fault isolation engineers or Independently interpret Emission microscopes, Laser Voltage Probing and OBIRCH data and to define physical failure analysis process
• Independently define, and execute physical failure analysis tools such as SEM, FIB and EDX
• Experienced with layout, schematic and design analysis tools
• Develop reports and communicate findings to the responsible engineers on a regular basis

Salary Range

The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job‑related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.
$149,100 - $215,925 USD

Applicant Screening

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• 8+ years of experience in semiconductor failure analysis
• 8+ years of experience with Layout & Design tools (Virtuoso, Avalon, SysNav, etc.)
• 8+ years of experience independently implementing failure analysis using die milling/thinning, Focused Ion Beam milling for layer‑by‑layer deprocessing of silicon die, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and Energy Dispersive X‑ray Spectroscopy
• 8+ years of experience driving investigations to root cause and driving yield/reliability improvements

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of FPGA architecture
• Understanding design debug features (DFT)
• Experience with using Teradyne Ultraflex tester
• Experience in semiconductor packaging failure analysis

Job Type

• Regular
• Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)
• Primary Location: San Jose, California, United States

Posting Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.

About Altera (Altera: Accelerating Innovators)

Altera provides leadership programmable solutions that are easy‑to‑use and deploy in applications from cloud to edge, offering limitless AI possibilities. Our end‑to‑end broad portfolio of products including FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, System on Modules, SmartNICs and IPUs provide the flexibility to accelerate innovation. Altera is helping to shape the future through pioneering innovation that unlocks extraordinary possibilities for everyone on the planet.