System Design 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 RAPID division leads the industry in reticle inspection solutions, helping ensure high lithography yields and cost-effective semiconductor manufacturing. Its systems support both mask shops and fabs by detecting defects early in the process, enabling faster, more reliable production.

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.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the Sensitivity and Throughput Roadmap for both BBP and Rapid Divisions. BBP (Broadband Plasma) Division provides market-leading patterned wafer optical inspection systems for leading-edge IC manufacturing. Rapid Division provides market-leading reticle inspection solutions for the semiconductor industry.

In this role, you will be working with Research Scientists, Optics Engineers and Opto-Mechanical Engineers to develop R&D Inspection Benches to validate new inspection methods that are intended to drive the future of both BBP and Rapid divisions.

These R&D Inspection Benches would be utilized to run actual inspections on customers’ wafers and reticles in order to validate the values of the proposed new inspection methods. The inspection results from these R&D benches will determine the adoption/implementation on the actual systems/products, thus the roadmap.

In this role you will:

• Obtain thorough understanding of the fundamental physics behind the new proposed inspection methods and the underlying problems these new methods are aimed to solve.
• Work together with Optics Engineers and Optomech Engineers to derive Requirements for the Subsystem to be developed for the bench qualification
• Work together with Optics Engineers and Optomech Engineers to develop the layout, followed by design concepts and detailed designs to build these R&D Inspection Benches from scratch.
• Own driving selections of key modules such as light source, optics, sensors/cameras, stages.
• Work together with Optics Engineers and Optomech Engineers to perform assembly, alignment and integration of these benches.
• Perform Subsystems qualification (image quality, data path, vibration, thermal, etc.) on these benches to show it meets requirements as pre-requisite before running actual inspections.
• Running actual inspections on customers’ wafers and reticles on these benches to validate proof of concept of these new inspection methods.
• Communicate results and recommendations to Product teams and Marketing.
• Conduct proper hand-off from proof of concept to the Engineering/Product Development Teams for product implementation.

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

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: $159,500.00 - $233,967.00 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.