Staff/Principal Engineer, NAND Realtime Defect Analysis

About the role

Micron is hiring a Staff/Principal Engineer for NAND Technology Development, responsible for Realtime Defect Analysis (RDA). The engineer develops and sustains advanced defect detection and inspection strategies that accelerate learning, improve yield and support technology transfer to manufacturing. The role leads defect analysis, inspection recipe and sampling optimization, excursion containment and cross-functional issue resolution, working with Process Integration, Yield, Data Science, Global Manufacturing and equipment suppliers.

Key responsibilities

• Own the site-level RDA strategy and annual roadmap aligned with NAND Technology Development nodes.
• Analyse experimental and production flows to detect, classify and trend systematic and random defects.
• Establish, track and report program health metrics such as baseline health, detection rates, false positives and mean time to resolution.
• Lead rapid containment of defect excursions: tool quarantine, hold criteria and 8D corrective actions.
• Develop inspection recipes and sampling strategies balancing sensitivity, throughput and cost of ownership.
• Correlate inspection signals with device performance and yield with Process Integration, Yield and Data Science teams.
• Evaluate and qualify next-generation optical and e-beam inspection capabilities and support supplier roadmap alignment.
• Standardize and share Best Known Methods, mentor engineers, drive safety, continuous improvement and lean initiatives, and communicate strategy and risks to engineering and leadership.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree with at least 7 years, or Master's/PhD with at least 5 years, of relevant semiconductor experience.
• At least 3 years of hands-on Realtime Defect Analysis experience in semiconductor manufacturing or equipment engineering.
• Demonstrated experience in defect inspection, process monitoring and yield learning.
• Preferred: experience supporting technology transfer to manufacturing and engaging inspection or metrology equipment suppliers.

Required skills

• Proficiency in Realtime Defect Analysis systems and workflows (defect detection, classification, trending, monitoring).
• Optical and e-beam inspection technologies, inspection recipe development and sampling optimization.
• Statistical data analysis, correlation development and large dataset interpretation.
• Structured root-cause analysis and corrective action methods, including 8D or DMAIC.
• Technical leadership, mentoring, clear communication and ownership-driven execution.