The Senior Quality Engineer is an experienced individual contributor who applies sound technical judgment and data-driven problem solving to improve wafer fab yield, process capability, contamination control, and defect performance. The role works independently on defined projects and escalations and contributes to qualification, change control, and production ramp readiness.
Key Responsibilities
Wafer Fab Quality Assurance
Support and improve quality performance for wafer fabrication processes, products, and process modules.
Establish, monitor, and continuously improve controls for Incoming materials, in-process controls, wafer inspection, and final quality acceptance
Process excursions, nonconformance management, material review, and disposition
Statistical process control, process capability, defect density, yield, and corrective and preventive actions
Partner with Manufacturing, Process Engineering, and Equipment Engineering to support production ramp, new process introduction, tool and process qualification, change control, and sustained high-volume wafer fab operations.
Problem Solving & Continuous Improvement
Lead or support root cause analysis activities using 8D, 5-Why, Fishbone, fault-tree, and statistical methods for process excursions, wafer defects, yield loss, contamination events, and customer escapes.
Coordinate cross-functional corrective actions and verify effectiveness.
Analyze SPC trends, process capability, defect paretos, tool matching, wafer maps, and yield data to identify risk and prioritize improvements.
Quality Systems & Compliance
Ensure adherence to FormFactor quality systems, fab procedures, work instructions, control plans, and change-management requirements.
Support internal, customer, and third-party audits, including preparation, execution, evidence collection, and closure of findings.
Maintain and improve quality documentation, risk assessments, PFMEAs, control plans, qualification records, and reaction plans for wafer fab processes.
Technical Leadership & Expertise
Apply quality engineering methods to wafer fabrication processes such as photolithography, thin-film deposition, wet and dry etch, plating, cleaning, metrology, inspection, and related chemical processes.
Provide technical guidance to engineers, technicians, operators, and inspectors on process control, defect reduction, containment, and acceptance criteria.
Apply working knowledge of semiconductor fab controls, including SPC, control charts, process capability, measurement system analysis, tool qualification, tool matching, contamination control, and cleanroom discipline.
Participate in PFMEA, control plan, process qualification, and change-review activities with Process Engineering.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Represent Quality in daily fab reviews, qualification meetings, change-control reviews, and escalation forums.
Partner with Operations, Process Engineering, Equipment Engineering, Facilities, EHS, Supply Chain, and leadership to contain excursions and proactively mitigate process and product risks.
Communicate quality performance, technical risks, investigation status, and corrective-action progress clearly to stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications & Experience
Hands-on experience with one or more wafer fab process areas, such as photolithography, deposition, etch, plating, cleaning, metrology, inspection, or semiconductor chemical processes
Experience with JMP, Minitab, or similar statistical analysis software and manufacturing execution or yield-management systems
Experience supporting process transfers, tool installation and qualification, NPI, production ramps, or factory scale-up efforts
Working knowledge of ISO 9001, semiconductor quality systems, cleanroom controls, and structured problem-solving methods.
Skills
Change Controls, Containment, Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA), Cross Functional Projects, Data-Driven Decision Making, Measurement Systems Analysis (MSA), Process Capability, Process Qualification, Production Tracking, Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Statistical Process Control (SPC) .
Education & Experience
- Minimum of 5 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 3 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD without experience; or equivalent work | Required
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FormFactor Benefits
Benefits offered for this role include medical, dental, vision, EAP, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, flexible spending and savings accounts, 401(k), ESPP and paid time off.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
FormFactor is an equal opportunity employer. FormFactor complies with all national, state, and local laws that seek to promote equal opportunities for any applicant or employee without regard to age, race, color, gender, gender identity/expression, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability, marital status, pregnancy or related condition, military service, or any other legally protected characteristics. These protections apply to all aspects of employment, including but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotions, and compensation.
For roles that are designated as remote-eligible, employees cannot be located in: AL, AK, AR, DE, GA, HI, IL, IA, LA, ME, MD, MS, MO, NE, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, WV, WI, WY. This list is continuously evolving and being updated, please check back with us if the state you live in is on the exclusion list. A role is remote-eligible only when it is listed as "Remote" in the job location.
