Photophysics Research Scientist

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) plays a critical role in developing advanced long-range technology in collaboration with product divisions and strategic marketing, working on future technology like light sources, lasers, and sensors. We are engaged in the research and development process, and once the technology is mature, we partner with product engineering groups who then build products based on the technology we’ve developed. The Office of the CTO also provides technical input into KLA’s strategic planning process, program reviews and Product Life Cycle (PLC) phases. We provide our broad technology expertise and cross-division experience to ensure we leverage the collective knowledge within our company.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

This position requires a solid understanding of interaction mechanism between photons and materials, and its application to photochemistry, photocontamination, and materials selection under high power ultraviolet light exposure. The candidate must have high proficiency in experimental and data analysis, demonstrate the ability to extract clear results from complex data sets.

The candidate will provide guidance and leadership in the following areas:

• Surface analytical and data analysis; Extraction of clear results and conclusions from data sets.

• Making actionable plans from analysed data and discussions with subject matter experts.

• Failure analysis while working closely with other engineering groups, such as material research scientists, optics engineers, opto-mechanical engineers and laser systems engineers to ensure the feasibilities of new material/process to KT products

• Strong team building with CTO team in Milpitas and other groups involved in the projects.

• Understands UV driven photo contamination, and implementation of control via materials selection, cleaning processes and purge control. Establish the reliability model of optics under certain UV radiation conditions.

• Provides guidance to opto-mechanical engineers to meet reliability and performance specs of our next generation opto-mechanical sub-systems.

• Guiding the design teams on proper contamination control packaging/materials selection

• Conducting laser damage test and analysis as needed

  • Optical coating improvements

  • Bulk optics

  • Non-linear optics

  • Supplier qualification and development

Requirements:

• Strong knowledge in material physics, optics and surface science.

  • Analytical instruments: optical interferometer and other surface analytical techniques (GCMS, SEM, AFM) a plus

• Strong knowledge on optics crystal and thin film optics coating technology

• Comfortable with hands on mechanical work and design of experiments. Experience in setting up optical bench for conducting opto-electronic measurements

• Excellent communication and presentation skills

• Must be a good team player

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in physics, optics or related with at least 2 years of experience.

We offer a competitive, family friendly total rewards package. We design our programs to reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment, while ensuring we provide benefits that meet the diverse needs of our employees.

KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer