Optical Development Engineer

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 LS-SWIFT division delivers high-throughput patterned wafer inspection systems that support advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Its mission is to provide industry-leading defect detection with optimal cost of ownership across a wide range of applications. LS systems enable precise, cost-effective inspection for cutting-edge process nodes, while SWIFT systems offer comprehensive macro inspection of all wafer surfaces—capabilities that are especially critical for advanced packaging, as well as logic, memory, and automotive applications.

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.

Job Description/ Responsibilities

 

KLA is looking for an optical engineer based in Milpitas to be part of the INSIGHT engineering development team.  The engineering team’s responsibility is to develop and maintain testing facilities in support of the ongoing INSIGHT product development roadmap.

 

Duties include:

 

• Building and aligning lasers and test equipment (working in a clean room environment),
• Participating in creating alignment and assembly procedures,
• Testing (collecting data) and creating results presentations,
• Managing vendors (acquiring all hardware needed for testing),
• Traveling to vendor sites to repair/ trouble shoot KLA test fixtures and occasionally traveling to the KLA Singapore manufacturing sites

 

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have optical training or equivalent work experience in the optical field and is required at a bare minimum to have at least some optical alignment and testing laboratory work.  A Bachelors or Masters degree in a technical field with 3 year experience, or a masters degree in optics and 2 years work experience with optical hardware projects is required.

 

Preferred Experience

Prior experience handing high quality optics

Prior experience with laser systems alignment

Start to finish data collection thru analysis with electronic devices (i.e., camera images, computer captured electronic data such as a power meter)

Experience processing and presenting data and conclusions

Past experience with KLA inspection tools integration

 

 

Skills: Must Have

Basic optical understanding

Mechanical integration experience

Ability and desire to work as part of a team

Ability to work in a clean room

Ability to clearly communicate in English

Experience in creating assembly and alignment procedures

Ability to travel to vendor sites around the world and visit the Singapore manufacturing location (estimate 5% international travel)

Minimum Qualifications

PhD and 0 years of experience, MS and 3 years of experience and BS and 5 years experience.

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 - $172,800.00 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.