Electrical Design Engineer - FPGA

To make electronics, you need chips, wafers, transistors, reticles, and... To make these, you must see, test and manufacture them at scale—faster and better than ever before. That's where KLA comes in. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, you'll solve complex challenges, work alongside brilliant minds and help shape the future of technology.

Group/Division

The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics. The Surfscan® division develops unpatterned wafer inspection systems that detect nanoscale particles and surface defects early in semiconductor manufacturing. Its systems monitor wafer quality across a wide range of applications, enabling faster issue identification and improved process control.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise.

The KLA Surfscan Electrical Engineering team is looking for a talented Electrical Design Engineer to help develop next-generation inspection systems. This role focuses on high speed PCB design, FPGA development, and system integration.

The ideal candidate is a motivated engineer who can execute and drive projects from requirements and concept development through design, implementation, testing, integration, and troubleshooting. Working within a multidisciplinary teams, the engineer will contribute to PCB and FPGA/DSP designs, high-speed data acquisition, motion and system control, and system-level validation to deliver innovative and reliable solutions.

Main Responsibilities

·       Design, simulate, implement, verify, and optimize high-speed FPGA solutions, including high-bandwidth data acquisition, real-time data processing, and high-speed communication interfaces.

·       Perform bench-level, subsystem-level, and system-level integration, testing, debugging, and troubleshooting of FPGA-based hardware.

·       Develop test fixtures, test procedures, and automated test scripts for PCB prototypes, FPGA functional testing, qualification, and characterization.

·       Participate in technical design reviews, including PCB and FPGA design reviews, and provide constructive feedback to improve design quality, reliability, and manufacturability.

·       Follow the DFX design process to generate and maintain design documentation, test reports, and engineering release packages for manufacturing.

·       Collaborate closely with systems, software, electrical, mechanical, and manufacturing engineers to ensure successful product integration and validation.

Qualifications

·       Experience in FPGA development using AMD Xilinx or Intel (Altera) platforms, including Verilog and/or VHDL design, simulation, synthesis, implementation, and hardware debugging.

·       Experience with high-speed digital hardware, FPGA, and embedded processor development.

·       Solid understanding of FPGA-to-PCB interface design, clocking, timing analysis, timing closure, and constraint development.

·       Hands-on experience with hardware and firmware integration, board bring-up, debugging, and system-level testing of prototype hardware.

·       Experience designing FPGA-based PCBs, including power, clocking, configuration, high-speed interfaces, signal integrity, and board bring-up, is a plus.

·       Familiarity with engineering development tools such as OrCAD, Xilinx Vivado/ISE, Intel Quartus, Synplify, Questa/ModelSim, Python, and MATLAB.

·       Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose and troubleshoot complex issues in semiconductor equipment and instrumentation systems.

·       Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively as a team player in a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

·       Demonstrated ownership, urgency, and accountability, with a strong commitment to delivering high-quality engineering solutions..

Minimum Qualifications

• BSEE with 3+ years, or MSEE with 2+ years or PhD EE in electrical engineering

About KLA

We provide advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, process solutions, and computational analytics that make electronics possible, tackling complex challenges. From electron and photon optics to machine learning and data analytics, we seek perfection at the most fundamental level of matter in the universe. If you want to make electronics that push industries forward and make the world a better place, join us.

Total Rewards

Base Pay Range: $117,800.00 - $200,300.00 Annually Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.
Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Use of AI Statement 

At KLA, our interviews seek to understand your individual skills, problem-solving approach and authentic thinking. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation, the use of AI, recording tools or other technologies to generate, suggest or provide responses during interviews—whether virtual or in person—is not permitted unless explicitly approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation or invited by the interviewer. Use of these tools may interfere with our ability to evaluate your individual qualifications and affect your candidacy. KLA is committed to advancing innovation through responsible AI, and we value candidates who share this mindset.

Equal Opportunity Statement

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at [email protected] or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.

For additional information, view the US Know Your Rights poster on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.