Reliability Engineer – ASIC-Integrated Thin-Film Devices

As a flagship research center in nanoscience and nanotechnology, our mission is to open and explore new frontiers of knowledge at the nanoscale, and bring value to society in the form of new understanding, capabilities and innovation, while inspiring and providing broad training to the next generations of researchers. Our values are Commitment, Collaboration and Transformation.

Our research lines focus on the newly-discovered physical and chemical properties that arise from the behaviour of matter at the nanoscale. ICN2 has been awarded with the Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence distinction for three consecutive periods (2014-2018 and 2018-2022 and 2023-2026). ICN2 comprises 20 Research Groups, 7 Technical Development and Support Units and Facilities, and 2 Research Platforms, covering different areas of nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Job Title: Reliability Engineer - ASIC-Integrated Thin-Film Devices

Department: Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices

Description of Group/Project: The Advanced Electronic Materials and Devices (AEMD) group focuses on the material sciences and technology aspects of novel electronic materials, with a strong emphasis on graphene and other 2D materials such as MoS2. The group also works towards the development of technological applications based on these materials in electronics, bioelectronics, neural interfaces, etc.

The activities cut across different scientific aspects, from the fundamentals (the physics of devices and semiconductors) to materials (growth of graphene and MoS2 materials by CVD and MOCVD, surface functionalisation, advanced characterisation), through to devices (fabrication technology, nanofabrication) and applications (neural implants and biomedical technologies, flexible electronics, energy harvesting).

The activities cut across different scientific aspects, from the fundamentals (the physics of devices and semiconductors) to materials (growth of graphene and MoS2 materials by CVD and MOCVD, surface functionalisation, advanced characterisation), through to devices (fabrication technology, nanofabrication) and applications (neural implants and biomedical technologies, flexible electronics, energy harvesting).

Main Tasks and responsibilities:

We are seeking a Reliability Testing Engineer with a recently completed PhD and a strong background in thin-film reliability for implantable or bioelectronic systems, together with experience or familiarity in bonding rigid structures such as ASICs onto flexible polyimide-based thin-film devices. The candidate will contribute both to the development and optimization of bonding approaches for ASIC-integrated thin-film systems and to the design and execution of stability and reliability studies for packaged devices. You will combine hands-on experimental work with deep technical analysis, identify failure mechanisms across material, interface, bonding, and package levels, and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to improve the robustness of next-generation neurotechnology. This is a highly attractive role for candidates who enjoy:

• building and refining reliability and stability test strategies

• working on thin-film systems that include bonding, packaging, and interconnect challenges

• understanding how failure emerges at interfaces rather than just within materials

• combining hands-on experiments with rigorous data analysis

• translating test outcomes into better design, process, bonding, and packaging decisions

As Reliability Engineer, you will help define how ASIC-integrated thin-film neurodevices are assembled and evaluated under demanding conditions that matter for real use. Main responsabilities of the position are:

• Develop test methodologies for evaluating packaged devices in physiologically relevant and in vivo-inspired conditions, with attention to moisture ingress, delamination, interface degradation, bonding integrity, interconnect failure, and encapsulation stability.

• Design, develop, and optimize bonding approaches for rigid ASICs and related structures onto flexible polyimide-based thin-film devices, with attention to alignment, handling, interconnect integrity, and compatibility with downstream packaging and testing.
• Design and execute stability and reliability test plans for thin-film devices and packaged thin-film structures, including architectures integrated with or connected to ASIC-based systems.

• Support R&D efforts for ASIC-bonded thin-film structures to be assembled, handled, packaged, and tested in a repeatable and informative way.

• Analyze failure mechanisms at the material, interface, bonding, package, and system level, and translate findings into clear engineering recommendations.

• Support device assembly, bonding, and laboratory activities where needed, including handling of fragile structures and reliability test setups.

• Produce high-quality technical reports, maintain strong documentation and traceability, and communicate results clearly in cross-functional reviews.

• Help shape the long-term reliability strategy for next-generation implantable thin-film neurotechnology.

Requirements:

PhD recently completed in Materials Science, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Micro/Nanotechnology, Microsystems, Bioelectronics, Neural Engineering, or a related discipline.

You will likely be especially strong in this role if your PhD involved some combination of:

implantable thin-film devices

chronic or accelerated reliability testing

in vivo or explant-adjacent validation

encapsulation / hermeticity / barrier-layer strategies

chip-to-thin-film integration and rigid-to-flex bonding

failure analysis of flexible bioelectronic systems

test platforms for packaged microsystems in saline or physiological environments

• Knowledge and Professional Experience:

Strong research background in thin-film reliability, especially where devices were tested under wet, physiological, chronic, in vivo, or implantation-relevant conditions.

Experience with advanced packaging or encapsulation approaches for thin-film devices, especially where packaging enabled reliable operation and testing of bonded or hybridized structures.

Experience with bonding, or strong familiarity with bonding, rigid structures such as ASICs onto flexible polyimide-based thin-film devices, including process integration, alignment, handling, and interface-related challenges.

Demonstrated experience designing experiments for investigating failure mechanisms, extracting meaningful reliability metrics, and converting raw test data into engineering conclusions.

Clear technical communicator with strong ownership, autonomy, and a practical problem-solving mindset.

Comfortable moving between hands-on lab work and structured technical analysis.

Summary of conditions:

• Full time work (37,5h/week)
• Contract Length: Temporary (1 year)
• Location: Bellaterra (Barcelona)
• Salary will depend on qualifications and demonstrated experience.
• Support to the relocation issues.
• Life Insurance.

Estimated Incorporation date: as soon as possible.

El contrato está financiado por el Departamento de Investigación y Universidades de la Generalitat de Catalunya, dentro del programa PRODUCTE (ref. 2025 PROD 00282).

How to apply:

All applications must be made via the ICN2 website and include the following:

Applications will be review continuously.

Equal opportunities:

At ICN2, we foster an inclusive and safe work environment, free from any form of discrimination-whether based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, origin, culture, religion, disability, or any other personal or social condition. We are committed to ensuring equal treatment and opportunities in all our processes, especially in recruitment, which is based solely on talent, experience, and ability. We implement proactive policies for inclusion and harassment prevention that reinforce our commitment to respect and fairness. If you share these values and are looking to grow in an open and diverse environment, ICN2 is ready to welcome you.