Intern, Failure Analysis Engineering

pSemi Corporation is a Murata company driving semiconductor integration. pSemi builds on Peregrine Semiconductor’s 30-year legacy of technology advancements and strong IP portfolio but with a new mission—to enhance Murata’s world-class capabilities with high-performance semiconductors. With a strong foundation in RF integration, pSemi’s product portfolio now spans power management, connected sensors, optical transceivers, antenna tuning and RF frontends. These intelligent and efficient semiconductors enable advanced modules for smartphones, base stations, personal computers, electric vehicles, data centers, IoT devices and healthcare.

From headquarters in San Diego and offices around the world, pSemi’s team explores new ways to make electronics for the connected world smaller, thinner, faster and better.

The Intern, Failure Analysis (FA) Engineering will be working with pSemi FA engineers to learn and master the pSemi Failure Analysis flow. The learning will cover integrated circuit (IC) failure mode electrical bench verification, IC fault isolation techniques, physical analysis of isolated failure site, and FA report writing. The training will consist of analyzing field returns (RMA), qualification failures, and/or yield failures of RF and mixed signal CMOS products.

The assigned tasks will be diverse and complex in nature which requires exceptional organization skills and high attention to detail. This position will need to exercise sound judgment in methods used to solve problems and in the evaluation of the results.

• Perform preliminary failure analysis as needed, including: external visual examination, scanning acoustic microscopy, radiographic examination, and bench testing.
• Perform electrical bench testing and interpret ATE datalogs to aid in localizing electrical failures.
• Perform integrated circuit (IC) fault isolation to identify failure mechanism(s) utilizing schematics, layouts, IC design analysis, Focused Ion Beam (FIB) pad microprobing, device characterization, Photon Emission Microscopy (PEM), Externally Induced Voltage Alteration (XIVA) and IR Thermal Emission.
• Work with FA, product, design and technology engineers to isolate root cause of failures.
• Generate detailed failure analysis reports for both internal and external customers.
• Work toward becoming an expert at fault isolation techniques such as PEM, XIVA, and IR Thermal Emission.

• Knowledge in failure analysis engineering, product engineering, characterization engineering, or IC design experience
• Experience with standard lab equipment: oscilloscope, power supplies, semiconductor parameter analyzer, vector network analyzer, RF spectrum analyzer, signal generator, etc
• Quick learner, able to detect problems and react accordingly
• Extreme attention to detail
• Comfort and desire to be challenged
• An attitude/practice of continuous improvement

• Strong desire to increase one's depth and breadth in the field of fault isolation/failure analysis

• Current student in Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD program in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Physics, Material Science or equivalent

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. This position requires the ability to occasionally lift office products and supplies, up to 20 pounds.

Thank you for your interest in our temporary position. Please be advised that the selected candidate will be employed and receive all wages directly from a third-party…