Senior Materials and Failure Analysis Technician (SIMS) - Sherman, TX, United States
Originally posted 6 July 2026 by the employer.
About the role
A Senior Materials and Failure Analysis Technician (SIMS) is responsible for supporting materials characterization and failure analysis activities through the operation of SIMS and analytical laboratory equipment. This position supports establishing and operating Coherent Sherman's SIMS laboratory, covering sample preparation, data collection, laboratory startup, and equipment qualification.
What you'll do
- Support establishing and operating the SIMS laboratory, including laboratory startup, equipment qualification, and development of operating procedures. - Perform SIMS workflow activities including sample preparation, wafer cleaving, sample mounting, tool setup, recipe execution, data collection, and preliminary data analysis. - Operate SIMS instrumentation and analytical tools such as optical microscopy, SEM, FIB, probe stations, and FTIR on semiconductor, photonic, and optoelectronic devices. - Support failure analysis investigations by preparing samples, collecting data, documenting observations, and assisting engineers with root cause analysis. - Prepare technical reports, data summaries, and presentations documenting analytical results with minimal supervision. - Perform routine equipment checks, calibrations, preventive maintenance, and support tool troubleshooting, repairs, and upgrades alongside equipment and facilities teams.
What you'll need
- Minimum of 6 years of related laboratory, semiconductor manufacturing, materials characterization, metrology, or failure analysis experience; OR an Associate/technical degree with 4 years of related experience; OR a Bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Engineering Technology, or a related technical discipline. - Experience operating analytical laboratory equipment in semiconductor, materials characterization, or failure analysis environments. - Experience with semiconductor wafer handling, sample preparation, and wafer cleaving techniques. - Understanding of chemistry, materials science, and semiconductor device fundamentals. - Ability to safely handle chemicals and cryogenic materials, including liquid nitrogen. - Ability to work in a class 10,000 cleanroom and a temperature-controlled laboratory (~60°F / 15°C) wearing ESD attire.
Nice to have
- Experience with SIMS or TOF-SIMS analysis. - Experience with optical microscopy, SEM, FIB, probe stations, FTIR, or similar analytical equipment.
This role has been open 107 days — well above the 55-day median for Failure Analysis Engineering roles.
Failure Analysis Engineering · Failure Analysis
|
Open roles in category
193
|
Median days open
55 d
|
Median salary
$116k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Coherent Corp | All employers we track in this specialty (193 roles · 39 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 193 |
| Open roles in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family | 155 | 10066 · 107 employers |
| Median days open | 107 d | 55 d (+52 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $116k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 35 open roles · median 76 d
- GlobalFoundries · 14 open roles · median 29 d
- Lam Research · 14 open roles · median 45 d
- Infineon Technologies · 13 open roles · median 50 d
- Intel Corporation · 10 open roles · median 48 d
- STMicroelectronics · 10 open roles · median 49 d
How we counted: 193 open Failure Analysis Engineering (Failure Analysis) roles from 39 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 21 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Process, Fab & Equipment family row. Figures refresh nightly.