Principal Reliability and Failure Analysis Engineer - Photonics

At Neurophos, listed as one of EE Times’ 2025 100 Most Promising Start-ups, we are revolutionizing AI computation with the world’s first metamaterial-based optical computing platform. Our design addresses the traditional shortcoming of silicon photonics for inference and provides an unprecedented AI engine with substantially higher throughput and efficiency than any existing solution.

We've created an optical metasurface with 10,000x the density of traditional silicon photonics modulators. This enables a solution with 100x gains in power efficiency for neural network computing without sacrificing throughput; we've made improvements there, too. By integrating metamaterials with conventional optoelectronics, our compute-in-memory optical system surpasses existing solutions by a wide margin and enables truly high-performance and cost-effective AI compute.

Join us to shape the future of optical computing.

Position Overview:

We are seeking an experienced individual contributor in reliability engineering to take ownership of the company's quality and reliability methodologies, standards, and validation programs, as well as our failure analysis activities for our innovative photonic AI modules. This hands-on role involves defining and implementing comprehensive reliability strategies, conducting failure analysis, and ensuring the long-term reliability of components and materials, including metasurfaces, silicon photonics, integrated circuits, free-space optics, and integrated modules. You will define reliability goals and statistically-driven tests for internal and outsourced reliability validation, perform risk assessments, analyze results, and collaborate closely with hyperscaler customers to align on reliability requirements. You will drive efforts to mitigate reliability risks, optimize processes, and support the transition from prototyping to high-volume manufacturing in a fast-paced, cutting-edge optical and AI technology-focused startup environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish the company's reliability methodologies and standards, including the development of physics-of-failure (PoF)-based models, reliability criteria, and lifetime projections for photonic and electronic components.

• Design and implement the reliability validation program, defining stress-test plans (e.g., thermal cycling, humidity, electromigration, and environmental stress testing), and overseeing outsourced execution to ensure compliance with industry standards such as JEDEC, Telecordia, IPC, and IEEE.

• Conduct detailed failure analysis investigations, including root cause identification using techniques such as SEM, EDX, FIB, TEM, X-ray, and CSAM, and implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) to enhance product reliability.

• Utilize statistical methods and data analysis to define and validate FIT rates, analyze failure trends, generate reliability models, and summarize results in comprehensive reports for internal teams and hyperscaler customers.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in silicon photonics, optical engineering, and VLSI design to assess reliability risks from thermal, mechanical, electrical, and optical stressors, optimizing module architectures for robustness and manufacturability.

• Serve as the primary interface with hyperscaler customers on reliability concerns, addressing requests, providing technical updates, and aligning on Pareto analyses and qualification reports.

• Research and stay current on product-level reliability for optical modules, including failure mechanisms in metasurfaces, waveguides, modulators, photodetectors, and integrated systems, drawing from literature, industry standards, and ecosystem partnerships.

• Work with external partners (e.g., OSATs and foundries) to evaluate manufacturing capabilities, monitor reliability qualifications, and drive continuous improvements in processes and materials.

• Perform hands-on work in lab settings, including analyzing prototypes, validating concepts, and iterating on designs based on empirical data.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field, with a solid foundation in semiconductor device physics and failure mechanisms.

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in reliability engineering, failure analysis, and validation for semiconductor or photonic technologies, including silicon photonics, VLSI devices, and optical modules.

• Deep expertise in reliability theory and practice, including PoF modeling, statistical analysis, data mining, and empirical data-driven improvements for FIT rates and lifetime projections.

• Proficiency in advanced analytical techniques such as SEM, SIMS, EDX, FIB, TEM, X-ray, CSAM, and TDR, with experience in fault isolation and root cause analysis for FEOL, BEOL, packaging, and photonic components.

• Strong understanding of reliability standards (e.g., JEDEC) and experience defining test structures, executing stress tests, and managing outsourced qualifications.

• Experience with reliability projects from concept through high-volume manufacturing, including DFX (design for testability, reliability, availability, and serviceability) for AI hardware.

• Familiarity with environmental stress testing methodologies (e.g., thermal cycling, vibration) and tools like ANSYS for thermal-mechanical modeling.

• Background in quality assurance, including FMEA, MBPS, and cross-functional aspects like DFM/DFT and cost considerations.

• Strong communication skills for presenting technical findings to senior leadership, customers, and cross-functional teams, with the ability to thrive in a dynamic startup environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven track record of working with large customers on reliability validation programs, risk assessments, and qualification processes.

What We Offer:

• A pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware.

• A collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment.

• Competitive compensation, including salary and equity options.

• Opportunities for career growth and future team leadership.

• Access to cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities.

This is a rare opportunity to work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI. As part of our elite team, you’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Be a key player in bringing this transformative innovation to the world.