Senior / Principal PIC Test Engineer
Xscape Photonics
Senior / Principal PIC Test Engineer
Xscape Photonics
Develops photonics solutions for AI hardware
Senior / Principal PIC Test Engineer
Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced PIC Test Engineer with deep expertise in both wafer-
level and die-level optical and electrical test for Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs).
This role will own the test strategy and execution across the full product
lifecycle—from early silicon bring-up through high-volume manufacturing (HVM).
The ideal candidate is a recognized technical authority in test architecture, PIC
Design-for-Test (DFT), yield learning, and factory scalability, with proven leadership
in driving robust test solutions across multiple technology nodes and product
families.
Key Responsibilities-
Wafer-Level Test Strategy & Architecture
Define and own the wafer-level PIC test roadmap across multiple product lines
and technology platforms.
Architect scalable, high-throughput optical + electrical wafer probe solutions,
balancing alignment accuracy, probe stability, and test time.
Establish release criteria, guard-banding strategy, and wafer test coverage
models aligned with product requirements.
Die-Level Testing
Define and own tests not carried out at wafer level. Examples include Optical
Vector Analysis (OVA) testing, and polariazation-resolved testing.
First Silicon Bring-Up &Test Content Development
Lead first-silicon bring-up efforts, including test content definition, limit setting,
and characterization flows.
Drive rapid yield-learning loops in partnership with design, process integration,
and fabrication teams.
Enable fast debug and iteration during early node transitions and new platform
ramps.
DFT & PDK Collaboration
Influence PIC Design-for-Test features and PDK structures to improve wafer-level
scalability, including:
Partner with design teams to embed manufacturable test hooks early in the
development cycle.
Yield Ownership & Data-Driven Analysis
Own wafer-level yield, parametric distributions, and systematic defect learning.
Perform advanced spatial analytics using wafer maps and statistical methods to
separate random vs systematic process issues.
Lead root-cause investigations related to lithography bias and
process drift.
Manufacturing Readiness & Factory Scale-Up
Establish golden wafer / golden die methodologies for production stability and
tool correlation.
Partner with foundries and OSATs to qualify wafer-level optical probe
infrastructure.
Drive successful transfer of test flows into volume manufacturing environments
with strong cross-tool correlation.
Technical Leadership & Team Development
Serve as the technical escalation point during yield crises and manufacturing
transitions.
Mentor and develop junior engineers, setting engineering standards and best
practices across wafer-level test programs.
Multiply organizational impact through scalable infrastructure, DFT influence, and
test standardization.
Qualifications
Required
10+ years of experience in PIC test engineering, wafer-level probing, or
photonics manufacturing test.
Proven ownership of wafer-level optical/electrical test strategy from R&D through
HVM.
Expertise in:
o Wafer-level optical probing
o Die-level test development. For example: characterization of polarization
splitter-rotators and characterization of component backreflection.
o Probe card qualification
o Yield learning and spatial analysis
o Test time optimization
o Foundry engagement and factory transfer
Preferred
Experience with high-speed optical and electrical testing of photonic integrated
circuits or optical transceivers.
Experience specifically with silicon photonics PICs, testing over a broad
wavelength range.
Experience influencing PIC DFT and collaborating closely with PDK development
teams.
Strong background in high-volume semiconductor or photonics manufacturing
ecosystems.
Demonstrated leadership in scaling test infrastructure across multiple nodes and
product families.
Develops photonics solutions for AI hardware
Xscape Photonics develops photonics-based hardware to boost AI, ML, and simulation performance. Its products are light-based hardware and related services that deliver high bandwidth and low energy use, enabling faster data processing for AI models and HPC workloads. The company differentiates itself through a strong leadership team grounded in quantum and nonlinear photonics, a focus on scalable, high-performance photonics solutions, and a collaboration-driven approach that serves tech companies, research institutes, and industries needing advanced computing power. Its goal is to accelerate the adoption of photonics in AI and HPC by delivering reliable, scalable, energy-efficient photonic hardware and expertise.
Explore more opportunities at Xscape Photonics