Research Scientist: Flow-Thermal & Plasma modeling

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.

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.

KLA's Central Engineering organization is made up of nine Centers of Excellence (CoEs) spanning disciplines like automation, motion control, sensors, platform design, and packaging. Each CoE contributes not only technical deliverables but also deep expertise, best practices, and advanced tools that elevate both what we build—and how we build it.

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise. KLA physics modeling group at Ann-Arbor, Michigan, is looking for talented research scientists and engineers to join the plasma and gas‑thermal modeling team. The ideal candidate has a strong computational physics background involving electromagnetics and/or plasma physics. Relevant experience should include experience in some of these areas and a good intuition about the physical processes being modeled.

Especially important is the ability to work with the other R&D and engineering teams to define modeling plans that explore the potential design space for implementation in future.

Responsibilities in this role include:

• Lead development, validation and verification of new algorithms and modeling approaches for next-gen laser sustained plasma sources
• Work in a group environment to define and own modeling strategies and lead development
• Prepare detailed modeling plans, schedules and summary reports and present findings to internal customers and key stakeholders

Qualifications:

• Degree in applied physics/Engineering
• Hands‑on experience designing, developing, modifying and diagnosing complex algorithms for plasma physics applications
• Responsible working attitude and should be a team player
• Previous experience with instruments for semiconductor industry is desired
• Ability to clearly connect with cross functional internal teams, both oral and written, division management, as well as external customers
• Must be able to travel for training and to support development teams in different locations
• 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

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.

Base Pay Range: $ - $ Annually. Primary

Location:

USA-MI-Ann Arbor-KLA. KLA’s total rewards…