Micron's Departments
Each department at Micron contributes to the overall success of our manufacturing process. Click on the department names below to find out what they do and who they hire.
Design
At Micron, our design engineers are working on memory solutions for the systems of tomorrow. We're continually pushing the edge in memory density, speed, and power efficiency—all done with an eye towards low-cost, high-volume manufacturing. To design to such demanding specifications, we use custom CMOS VLSI design techniques overlaid on our revolutionary 6F
2 DRAM process. State-of-the-art design tools coupled with internally developed verification methodologies help guarantee first-pass success.
Design hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering
Fabrication
Manufacturing a semiconductor is much like building a skyscraper. We start with a silicon wafer (the foundation) and then add circuitry (floors), layer by layer. The layers are carefully constructed with patterns (hallways, rooms, closets, etc.) that create microscopic transistors, capacitors, diodes, and resistors. Finally, microscopic connections or wires (stairs, windows, fire escapes) are added to enable electrical currents to travel into, through, and out of the chip. This careful construction can take more than 90 days, depending on the complexity of the chip. And it all takes place in Micron's cleanrooms—which are 100 times cleaner than a hospital operating room—24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The fabrication department hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Microelectronics, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, Electronics Engineering Technology, Production Operations Management
Click here to review position descriptions: Fab Engineer, R&D Process Engineer, Manufacturing Integration Engineer, Manufacturing Associate, Associate Technician/Technician
Diffusion & Chemical Vapor Deposition
Thin layers of materials (e.g., silicon oxide, silicon nitride, or polysilicon) are deposited on or grown from the surface of the wafer. The first material deposited helps create the first layer of the semiconductor "skyscraper."
Photolithography Align
A quartz plate with the circuit pattern for a given level (the reticle) is aligned to the wafer. Ultraviolet (UV) light passes through clear regions of the reticle and exposes the photo resist with the circuit pattern—much like a camera exposes film.
Photolithography Develop
The photo resist is chemically treated in a development process that selectively removes the exposed regions of resist and leaves the unexposed regions containing the pattern information on the reticle.
Dry Etch
The wafers are placed in a vacuum chamber, and a mixture of gases is pumped into the chamber and excited by electricity. This excited gas is called plasma and eats away the material not protected by the remaining photo resist. When the right amount of material has been removed, the remaining material begins the pattern of the circuitry.
Wet Etch
If the wafer surface needs to be cleaned, the wafers can be immersed in a vat of chemicals and then rinsed with de-ionized water. Automated wet process systems minimize the need for people to directly handle the chemicals. Similar systems can be used in place of dry etch processes to remove material from selected regions on the wafer's surface.
Implant
Silicon regions of the circuit can be made either more insulating or conducting by introducing impurities known as dopants. Ion implantation, or implant, makes this possible. In implant, the exposed areas of a wafer are bombarded with charged ions of selected dopants. The ions come to rest in the implanted regions, helping to create conductors or other circuit elements such as diodes or transistors.
CMP
During the process of creating layers of circuitry, the wafer's surface can become very uneven. In CMP, or chemical mechanical planarization, the wafer is polished with textured pads and slurry (a gritty chemical that reacts with the material being polished) to flatten the topography of the wafer's surface.
Metal
This process helps create the "pathways" into, through, and out of the die. A layer of metal consisting of elements such as aluminum, copper, and titanium is deposited onto the wafer. The wafer then goes through align and etch processes to pattern the interconnections between different circuit elements.
Probe
Probe is the first level of testing before the wafer is cut into individual die. To test die, the wafer is positioned below a probe card. Contacts on the probe card touch corresponding bond pads on the die. These contacts allow a large computer-controlled tester to "talk" to the chip and expect a predetermined message back from the chip. This determines whether or not the die meets our standards.
A computer map of the wafer is generated showing the location and functionality results for each die, and a database of information is created. The computer will attempt to repair any die that does not meet our standards. Parametric tests are also performed at Probe to define variations in the fabrication process and to check the reliability of the parts.
Probe hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering
Click here to review positions descriptions: Probe/Wafer Sort Engineer
Assembly
Probe sends the wafers to Assembly. The purpose of Assembly is to package the semiconductor and image sensor chips in a protective structure that allows them to communicate with the outside world. There are many different consumer and commercial applications for semiconductors and image sensors; therefore, there are many different package configurations and assembly processes. The main assembly processes include Backgrind, Mount, Saw, Die Attach, Wire Bond, and Encapsulation. Conventional lead frame packages then go through Lead Finish and Trim and Form. The Ball Grid Array package process involves Laser, Ball Attach, and Singulation. Imaging packages go through the In-Line Assembly Systems which consist of process steps enclosed in one system due to the clean environment requirements.
Assembly hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, Electronics Engineering Technology
Current career opportunities in this field.
Test
Test is the last manufacturing step before Micron memory chips are shipped to customers around the world. In Test, each integrated circuit (IC) or device is verified to ensure it meets the high quality and reliability standards required by Micron. Test is responsible for testing memory devices and image sensors.
A majority of memory devices go through the following processes: Burn-in, Test Floor, Marking, Scanning, and Packaging. Imaging sensors are tested in a cleanroom environment using processes similar to the Test Floor, Scanning, and Packaging processes.
Test hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Production Operations Management, Electronics Engineering Technology
Click here to review position descriptions: Test Engineer, Manufacturing Associate
Systems Integration Group (SIG)
Systems Integration provides equipment, board-level products, and engineering services that are strategic to Micron.
Systems Integration hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering
Current career opportunities in this field..
Product Engineering
Micron's Product Engineering group debugs products and provides continuous support for product development and enhancement. Product engineers have vast responsibilities requiring knowledge of all areas of design, process, and production, as well as the products Micron develops. For this reason, Product engineers must be knowledgeable in all aspects of Design, FAB, Probe, Assembly, and Test. Each product developed and manufactured by Micron will have a Product Team assigned to it.
Product Engineering hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering Technology
Click here to review position descriptions: Product Engineer, TEM Technician
Information Systems
The Information Systems (IS) department designs, implements, and manages databases, information systems, and software solutions. IS also handles the overall information security required to protect technology. IS team members are involved with virtually every aspect of the computer environment at Micron. This includes purchasing and setting up equipment, installing software, and connecting computers to the Micron network. Through Software Support and Training, IS also provides training on the use of computers and software.
Information Systems hires the following majors: Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Computer Engineering
Click here to review position descriptions: Software Engineer
Quality & Reliability Assurance (QRA)
From the inspection of incoming material to the backend testing of assembled devices, Micron takes many steps to ensure the quality and reliability of all outgoing product. To assure and maintain this high level, Micron's Quality/Reliability Assurance (QRA) team members perform experiments and continually monitor our products. As a support group, the QRA department works closely with manufacturing and frequently requires assistance from these areas in order to perform these essential quality/reliability assurance functions efficiently. The QRA Department is composed of Engineering, DRAM, Flash, Module AQL, RMA—Component, RMA—Module, Package Reliability, Process Reliability, System Compatibility, Signal Integrity, ESD & Latch-up, Operations, Statistics, and Customer Service/Documentation.
Quality Assurance hires the following majors: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science
Click here to review positions descriptions: Quality Assurance Engineer
Administration
Various groups within Human Resources, Legal, and Finance comprise the majority of our administration departments.
Administration hires the following majors: Human Resources, Finance, Accounting
Current career opportunities in this field.