Senior/ Lead Research Engineer (FAB), Bonding Process Control, IME

Senior/ Lead Research Engineer (FAB), Bonding Process Control, IME

We are seeking a Bonding Process Control Engineer responsible for owning, optimizing, and sustaining wafer-level bonding processes including hybrid wafer-to-wafer bonding, chip-to-wafer bonding, and Temporary Bonding & Debonding (TBDB) across multiple wafer sizes and thicknesses.

This role focuses on process stability, SPC governance, yield improvement, defect reduction, and robust process-control strategies for both development and small-volume prototying. The engineer will play a critical role in enabling next-generation heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

Process Control & SPC Ownership

• Own and maintain SPC control strategies for bonding processes across multiple toolsets.
• Define Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) and Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs) such as alignment accuracy, bond strength, defectivity, warpage, and thickness.
• Establish and optimize control limits, reaction plans, and process windows to ensure process robustness and manufacturability.

Yield Improvement & Defect Reduction

• Drive yield enhancement through structured data analytics, statistical modeling, DOE, and correlation studies.
• Lead root-cause investigations for issues such as voids, delamination, alignment offsets, particle-induced defects, and bonding non-uniformity.
• Implement systematic defect-reduction strategies and corrective actions.

Tool & Recipe Ownership

• Serve as the process owner for bonding toolsets, including recipe setup, qualification, matching, and continuous improvement.
• Execute tool health monitoring, run-to-run control, and equipment baseline management.
• Collaborate with equipment engineering to enable uptime, stability, and PM efficiency.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with process integration, R&D, equipment engineering, manufacturing, and quality teams to achieve product ramps, technology transfers, and new capability development.
• Support development builds, engineering lots, and technology bring-up activities.

Troubleshooting & Advanced Analytics

• Diagnose complex process failures involving void formation, debonding, overlay/registration errors, thermal mismatch, and stress-related defects.
• Apply AI-assisted analytics (where available) and multivariate methods to accelerate fault isolation and process optimization.

Documentation & Governance

• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation:
1. SOPs
2. Control Plans
3. OCAPs (Out-of-Control Action Plans)
4. Process Qualification Packages
• Ensure compliance with internal quality systems and customer requirements.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Materials Science, Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, or related fields.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in wafer bonding, advanced packaging, 3D integration, or related semiconductor process engineering.

Process & Tool Expertise

• Practical experience with hybrid wafer bonding, direct bonding, and/or Temporary Bonding & Debonding (TBDB) equipment.
• Familiarity with bonding-related metrology such as IR inspection, SAM, profilometry, bond-strength measurement, overlay/alignment metrology, and thickness mapping.

Data & Statistical Skills

• Strong command of SPC, process control methodology, statistical data analysis, DOE, and problem-solving frameworks (e.g., 8D, FMEA).
• Experience in high-volume manufacturing or advanced packaging R&D environments is a strong plus.

Industry Knowledge

• Understanding of 3DIC, chiplets, hybrid bonding, and advanced packaging process flows.
• Experience with HVM tools, bonding chemistry, plasma activation, surface conditioning, and thermal/mechanical behavior of bonded wafer stacks is advantageous.