Applications Development Engineer

Company Overview

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.

Group/Division

With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) Division provides industry leading metrology solutions for worldwide semiconductor IC manufacturers. The FaST Division portfolio of metrology products includes hardware and software solutions for optical film thickness, optical critical dimension (CD), composition, and resistivity measurement systems. These products are essential for the IC manufacturers as they provide critical metrology capabilities for the development and implementation of their advanced IC processes. The FaST division is committed to support our customers to achieve performance entitlement of our solution and we effectively partner with our customers from their early research and development phase to the high volume in-line manufacturing implementation specific for their process needs. The division consists of a global team located in US, Israel, China, and India.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

Key Responsibilities:

1. Customer Engagement & Technical Support

• Act as a primary technical contact for customers on OFM applications.
• Support tool installation, qualification, and production ramp at customer sites.
• Work closely with customers to understand process challenges and provide optimized metrology solutions.
• Deliver timely troubleshooting and resolution for application-related issues.

2. Application Development

• Develop and optimize recipes for optical metrology (e.g., thin film thickness and material characterization).
• Perform model setup and refinement (e.g., optical stack modeling, Drude-Lorentz fitting).
• Ensure measurement accuracy, repeatability, and correlation to customer reference methods.
• Support both inline process control and offline characterization use cases.

3. Demo & Evaluation Execution

• Execute customer demos, evaluations, and acceptance tests (e.g., Tier-2).
• Prepare and analyze data to demonstrate tool capability and application performance.
• Drive spec closure and meet customer requirements within defined timelines.
• Improve demo efficiency, throughput (T-put), and cycle time.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with product engineering and R&D teams to report issues and drive improvements.
• Provide feedback on application gaps, customer needs, and competitive insights.
• Collaborate with field service engineers to ensure tool performance and uptime.
• Align with global application teams to leverage best practices.

5. Process & Technology Support

• Support advanced semiconductor applications including:
  • Logic (e.g., HKMG, FinFET/GAA)
  • Memory (DRAM, 3D NAND)
  • Advanced packaging (e.g., film stacks, redistribution layers)
• Assist in developing new use cases and expanding OFM capability in emerging areas.

6. Operational Excellence

• Maintain high productivity and responsiveness to customer needs.
• Track and improve key metrics:
  • Throughput (T-put)
  • Recipe robustness
  • Measurement precision and accuracy
• Ensure proper documentation of applications, models, and learnings.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience

• Master’s or PhD in Materials Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 3–8+ years of experience in semiconductor applications, metrology, or process engineering.

Technical Skills

• Knowledge of:
  • Optical metrology (ellipsometry, reflectometry, scatterometry)
  • Thin film characterization and modeling
  • Semiconductor process integration (logic, memory, or packaging)
• Familiarity with optical modeling techniques (e.g., Drude-Lorentz, RCWA) is a plus.
• Strong data analysis and problem-solving skills.

Soft Skills

• Strong customer-facing communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and in cross-functional teams.
• Detail-oriented with strong execution capability.
• Fast learner with adaptability in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with OFM or similar metrology platforms.
• Experience supporting tool demos or qualifications at customer sites.
• Familiarity with advanced packaging or emerging device structures.

Success Metrics

• Successful tool qualification and customer acceptance
• Application performance (accuracy, stability, robustness)
• Demo/evaluation success rate
• Customer satisfaction and responsiveness
• Contribution to new application enablement

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years

Base Pay Range: $102,000.00 - $173,400.00 AnnuallyPrimary Location: USA-OR-Hillsboro-Beaverton-KLAKLA’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.

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 talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.

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