Materials Scientist - Advanced Packaging Metallization

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Qnity Electronics has an exciting and challenging opportunity within Advanced Circuit & Packaging (ACP) for a Materials Scientist located in Marlborough, MA. This role focuses on materials and metallurgical innovation for advanced packaging interconnects, with strong emphasis on grain engineering for Cu‑Cu bonding and intermetallic compound (IMC) behavior, barrier layer performance, and reliability of Cu / barrier / SnAg solder systems.

The successful candidate will provide technical leadership in grain engineering, microstructure control, IMC suppression, and reliability characterization for next‑generation metallization technologies supporting microbumps, Cu pillars, TSV, and hybrid bonding applications.

• Lead materials and metallurgical development for advanced packaging metallization, with focus on Cu, barrier layers, and SnAg solder interconnects.
• Establish structure‑property‑process relationships linking plating chemistry, deposition conditions, and thermal history to microstructure and reliability.
• Drive grain engineering and microstructure tuning to enable fine‑pitch, high‑reliability interconnect architectures.

• Lead intermetallic compound (IMC) characterization at Cu / barrier / SnAg solder interfaces, including IMC phase identification, morphology, thickness, and growth kinetics.
• Investigate Cu‑Sn, Cu‑SnAg, Ni‑Sn, and mixed (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ / (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄ IMC systems under reflow, thermal aging, and high‑temperature storage conditions.
• Evaluate and down‑select barrier materials and alloys to mitigate excessive IMC growth, voiding, and interfacial degradation.
• Correlate IMC evolution with co‑planarity, joint geometry, diffusion behavior, and interconnect scaling limits in fine‑pitch and mixed‑CD designs.

• Design and execute reliability characterization strategies for advanced packaging interconnect stacks, including multi‑reflow exposure, thermal aging, and stress‑driven degradation studies.
• Perform failure analysis linking IMC behavior and microstructural evolution to reliability risks such as cracking, spalling, voiding, and joint embrittlement.
• Translate IMC and reliability learnings into material design rules, barrier selection guidelines, and plating process optimization.

• Lead advanced materials characterization using techniques such as SEM, TEM, EBSD, XRD, AFM, EDS line scans, and FIB/PFIB cross‑sectioning.
• Drive root‑cause analysis for complex, low‑precedent metallization and reliability challenges.

• Lead technical projects through structured innovation and stage‑gate processes; define plans, milestones, and deliverables with accountability for outcomes.
• Mentor and technically guide team members; influence cross‑functional teams through scientific leadership.
• Communicate results clearly to internal stakeholders, customers, and partners through reports and technical presentations.

• Maintain rigorous technical documentation and support intellectual property generation.
• Demonstrate strong commitment to laboratory safety and safe operating practices.

• Ph.D. in…