at Apple
Location
Santa Clara, United States of America
Compensation
$147k–$272k USD
Type
full time
Posted
Today
Market range · company + function + seniority
p25 · target · p75 · n=800
Posted $272k · in the market band
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Imagine yourself at the center of our SoC bring-up and product ramp effort, collaborating across circuit design, process engineering, DFT, and failure analysis teams — with a critical impact on getting functional products to millions of customers quickly.
Drive the silicon debug effort involving custom circuits from initial bring-up through volume ramp, owning failure isolation from symptom to root cause.
Work with circuit design teams to define silicon characterization and debug requirements for test chips and product chips.
Engage with PE / DFT / FA teams to plan and execute electrical and physical characterization strategies.
Perform design analysis, modeling/simulation, SPICE simulation, statistical analysis, and silicon bring-up to understand and reproduce failure signatures.
Work closely with systems and lab teams to reproduce circuit-level behavior using MBIST, functional diagnostics, and characterization structures.
Plan and interpret FA analysis — translating electrical failure signatures into targeted physical analysis strategies and understanding how FA technique choices impact observable circuit behavior.
Leverage eFA and pFA techniques including Dynamic Laser Stimulus (DLS), Lock-in Thermography (LIT), Nanoprobe, Focused Ion Beam (FIB), TEM/SEM, EMMI, and Physical Failure Analysis (PFA) to identify defect mechanisms and localize failures to specific circuit nodes.
Understand the circuit impact of FA techniques — including how photon emission, voltage contrast, charge injection, sample preparation, and probe-induced perturbations may influence or mask failure modes during analysis.
BSEE/MSEE
Experience in one or more of the following areas: SRAM circuits, custom circuit design, silicon debug.
Experience in design or debug of low-voltage / low-power custom circuits.
Deep understanding of deep-submicron device physics, leakage mechanisms, and technology interactions with device behavior.
Solid understanding of device matching, device noise sources (1/f, thermal), extrinsic noise sources (supply noise, jitter), and their impact on high-precision circuits.
Familiarity with electrical failure analysis (eFA) techniques and physical failure analysis (pFA) workflows, and the ability to plan FA strategies based on electrical debug data.
Understanding of Dynamic Lock-in Thermography (DLS) and Lock-in Thermography (LIT) for localization of resistive and leakage defects, including their sensitivity limits and how thermal signatures correlate to specific circuit fault modes.
Knowledge of Nanoprobe techniques for electrical probing of deep-submicron nodes, and appreciation of how probe contact, voltage bias, and electron beam exposure can perturb sensitive analog or memory circuits.
Awareness of how physical sample preparation steps (deprocessing, FIB cross-section, delayering) can alter or destroy evidence of electrical failures, and how to coordinate FA plans that preserve failure signatures.
Ability to interpret FA results (photon emission maps, OBIRCH, thermal maps, TEM/SEM imagery) in the context of circuit topology and failure electrical signatures.
Ability to conduct structured experiments during silicon debug, gather and analyze large datasets, and utilize scripting to support efficient handling of debug data.
Proficiency in scripting languages (Python, Perl, or others) and CAD automation tools.
Knowledge of industry-standard circuit design and simulation tools.
Do you have a passion for solving the hardest problems in silicon? Do you thrive at the intersection of circuit theory, device physics, and hands-on failure investigation? As part of our Silicon Debug group, you'll take complex, often elusive silicon failures and systematically uncover their root cause — from electrical characterization all the way down to physical analysis. You and your team will apply deep engineering fundamentals and cutting-edge failure analysis techniques to enable product ramp at scale. Your efforts will directly impact the quality and reliability of state-of-the-art ASICs that power experiences for millions of customers worldwide. Join us, and you'll play a central role in ensuring the silicon we build is everything it needs to be.
We have an extraordinary opportunity for Silicon Debug Engineers to investigate and root-cause failures in advanced custom digital megacells (SRAM memories, on-chip sensors, custom data paths) used in high-performance, low-power SoCs. You will bridge the gap between electrical debug and physical failure analysis, working at the frontier of silicon investigation.
Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant
At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.
Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace
Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants
Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.
Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant
At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.
Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace
Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants
Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.
Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant
At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.
Learn about accessibility in Apple’s workplace
Learn about reasonable accommodations for job applicants
Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.
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