Senior SiC Power Semiconductor Designer - Power Modules
Design the physical architecture behind next-generation SiC power systems. Cactus Materials is looking for a senior engineer to lead the architectural design, simulation and packaging development of advanced SiC power modules. Cactus Materials, Inc. is a dynamic, fast-growing Power and Photonic semiconductor startup company based in Tempe, Arizona. Our Power Division specializes in the cutting-edge design and manufacturing of next-generation Silicon Carbide (SiC) power semiconductors. As this wide-bandgap technology transforms the global power landscape into a more efficient critical power infrastructure, we engineer high-voltage SiC solutions designed for the world’s most demanding environments. We move fast, solve hard engineering problems, and collaborate closely across device design, manufacturing, and customer integration to bring disruptive technologies tailored to specific customer needs. Our innovations enable global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to build next-generation equipment that power critical infrastructures, including AI datacenters, smart grids, solar farms, energy storage facilities, electrical transportation charging hubs and other power intensive industrial processes. We are seeking a Senior SiC Power Semiconductor Designer – Power Modules to lead the architectural design, simulation, and packaging development of our advanced SiC power modules. In this role, you will design the physical modules that house our cutting-edge SiC die, turning raw semiconductor performance into robust, high-power modules. Key Roles and Responsibilities Module Architecture & Layout Design: Lead the mechanical, electrical, and thermal design of high-voltage (1200V to 20kV) and high-current SiC power modules (including half-bridge, full-bridge, and multi-phase topologies). Design innovative layouts while optimizing manufacturing, PCB integration, thermal management, overall electrical performance, and cost. Parasitic Extraction & Electromagnetic Modeling: Perform advanced electromagnetic simulations to extract and minimize package stray inductance and resistance. Ensure internal module layouts mitigate voltage overshoot, current asymmetry among paralleled dies, and electromagnetic interference (EMI).Thermal & Stress Analysis: Conduct multi-physics finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate thermal dissipation, steady state and transient thermal impedance, and thermo-mechanical stress profiles. Optimize module design to withstand extreme thermal cycling and high-temperature operation. Advanced Material & Packaging Selection: Select, evaluate, and qualify cutting-edge packaging materials and technologies. This includes active metal brazing (AMB) substrates, advanced die-attach methods (e.g., silver/copper sintering), heavy wire/ribbon bonding, high-performance encapsulants, and low-thermal-resistance baseplates and a good understanding of housing design and injection molding. Design for Manufacturability (DFM): Bridge the gap between prototype design and volume manufacturing. Collaborate closely with wafer fabrication teams and backend assembly partners to establish scalable, high-yield assembly processes and design rule checks (DRC). Interface with global supply chain to identify opportunities and processes to improve Cactus’s manufacturing processes. Prototype Validation & Testing: Characterize initial module prototypes in the lab. Analyze module parasitics, high-voltage isolation/partial discharge capabilities, and switching performance (via double pulse testing) to validate simulation models and refine designs. Work with test engineering to define sockets and test methodologies for advance high-power testing such as Keysight, National Instruments or equivalent. Failure Analysis & Reliability: Participate in qualification testing (e.g., High-Temperature Reverse Bias, Power Cycling, Thermal Shock) and lead failure analysis (using tools like acoustic microscopy, X-ray, and cross-sectioning) to continuously improve module reliability and lifetime.
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, Materials Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field with a strong focus on electronic packaging or power semiconductors.
Experience:
5+ years of direct industry experience designing and developing high-power semiconductor modules.
Simulation Tools: Expertise in finite element analysis (FEA) and parasitic extraction software, such as ANSYS Q3D, ANSYS Icepak, COMSOL Multiphysics, SolidWorks, or equivalent tools.
Packaging Fundamentals: Deep understanding of power module packaging concepts, including high-voltage isolation, creepage/clearance constraints, layout optimization for parallel dies, and wire-bonding mechanics.
Lab & Testing Skills: Hands-on experience with power laboratory equipment, including high-voltage curve tracers, partial discharge testers, and double pulse test setups for dynamic characterization.
Soft Skills: Excellent problem-solving capabilities, a collaborative startup mindset, and strong written and verbal communication skills for presenting design reviews to cross-functional teams and technical customers.
Preferred Requirements:
Advanced Degree: Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering with a thesis or research focus explicitly on SiC power module packaging and thermal management.
Advanced Sintering & Interconnects: Proven experience with void-free silver (Ag) sintering processes, copper (Cu) wire bonding, or leadless/planar interconnect technologies.
High-Power Application Domain: Familiarity with the rigorous reliability standards and operational stresses required by heavy industrial and grid-tied hardware, such as STATCOMs, solid-state transformers, or central solar inverters.
Why Join Cactus Materials?
At Cactus Materials, you won’t spend years optimizing a legacy corporate roadmap or navigating endless layers of bureaucratic approval. Instead, you will help architect the next generation of wide-bandgap power technology from the ground up. This is a rare engineering environment where physics is challenging, the development cycles are fast, and the work genuinely matters. As a technical leader in our agile environment, your decisions will directly shape our device architecture, process development, and strategic direction. You will have true end-to-end technical influence spanning materials, devices, packaging, and system-level performance, directly defining the products, patents, and future of our company. Located at the center of Arizona’s booming semiconductor ecosystem, we offer competitive compensation and a collaborative culture built for innovators. If you are looking for a career-defining opportunity to design technology that reshapes the global power infrastructure for decades to come, Cactus Materials is where you belong.
