Principal Systems Design 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. First to deliver the best imaging and classification data for every defect or point on any layer at any time. EBeam's mission encapsulates its role as the "eyes" of KLA's product line, providing timely information on defects and critical locations on the wafer at the highest spatial resolution possible. Customers use EBeam products alongside KLA patterned and bare wafer inspectors to quickly understand the nature of defects and other imperfections on product wafers and take action to correct the manufacturing process.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

Group/Division

EBeam's mission encapsulates its role as the "eyes" of KLA-Tencor's product line, providing timely information on defects and critical locations on the wafer at the highest spatial resolution possible. Customers use EBeam products alongside KLA-Tencor patterned and bare wafer inspectors to quickly understand the nature of defects and other imperfections on product wafers and take corrective action in the manufacturing process.

Roles and Responsibilities

Successful candidate shall be part of the Systems Engineering team that is responsible for development, integration and characterization of systems that include electron sources, detectors, electro-optical components, vacuum, high voltage electronics, signal & image processing and machine control SW.

He/ She shall work at our customer site to lead complex technical problem solving and system development. This would require the candidate to:

· Achieve functional understanding of the system and all sub-system level interactions to perform root cause analysis.

· Lead the development and release of new options, features or cost reduction improvements that provide more value to our customers (external or internal). Integral to this role is an understanding of the customer use-cases and successfully working in conjunction with other groups to define the requirements. Must have the ability to follow through and release / support these product enhancements effectively.

· Maintains and coordinates daily schedules, prioritizes system usage, and supports all functions of the tool which include weekly health checks, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair, system calibrations, SW/HW upgrades, revision control, testing, debugging and data analysis of measurement performance.

· Must have the knowledge and experience to effectively work with experts in eBeam optics, laser, stage, loader, image computer, and algorithms to actively assist in resolving the issues.

· Is expected to be a key contributor in design reviews and during the engineering / alpha builds and test phases of programs, which includes testing against design tolerances and marketing specifications of a product release. Prepare first draft of system alignment, calibration and troubleshooting diagnostics. Train service and manufacturing employees.

· Will be required to travel to customer sites to efficiently and effectively resolve technical issues. Required to stay at customer sites for extended periods of time.

Preferred Qualifications

· Physics background to understand the complex system and resolve issues that arise from any of the subsystems.

· Knowledge in machine vision systems or optical/electro-optical systems such as electron microscopes is preferred.

· Knowledge of python scripting for data collection and advanced analysis and visualization.

· Good technical problem-solving ability through Design of Experiments.

· Team player with excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 5 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 12 years

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

Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees.  KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA's Careers website for legitimate job postings.  KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers.  If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.

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