Product Development Engineer - FaST

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 Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) division delivers industry-leading metrology solutions essential to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Its portfolio includes systems for measuring film thickness, critical dimensions, composition, and resistivity-key developing and scaling next-gen IC processes. FaST partners closely with customers from early R&D through high-volume production, ensuring performance and process alignment.

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise.

The Product Development Engineer plays a central role throughout the different phases of the product life cycle. This position is part of a team responsible for developing and supporting next generation optical critical dimension metrology systems as well as supporting and improving current systems. The candidate will initially take on responsibility for improvement projects and support of field and manufacturing issues for the current generation product line.

This role will lead to responsibility for next generation product development, from technology evaluation and selection, specifications development, product validation, verification, transfer to manufacturing, and support of customer ramp. The ideal candidate will demonstrate leadership attributes and be able to lead high performing teams to achieve program objectives in a timely manner. The engineer must be able to complete the initial diagnosis of any system issue, uncover root cause and devise or drive a team to define solutions for complex problems.

Must be able to support the detailed analysis and tradeoffs for the various solutions, develop plan of action, and effectively communicate plans to colleagues to execute. Must have the knowledge and experience to effectively work with experts in optics, electronics, mechanics, software, and algorithms as required to resolve issues. Some travel may be required for complex cases that require on-site support.

Additional details regarding responsibilities:
Lead design efforts (or write specifications) for some components of a system, including design reviews, part procurement, test, integrate and write ECO's to release new parts. Contribute to the prototype testing by providing input to the prototype test plan and conducting experiments to verify performance of critical components, subsystems and modules. Provide input to the acceptance criteria for some incoming materials, including outsourced subsystems.

Setup and drive small team efforts that address product-level issues (such as design issues, supplier issues, MFG escalations, or improvement projects). Lead development of performance and troubleshooting diagnostics for existing and new products. Lead product or feature introduction activities including preparation of first draft of test, alignment, calibration, manufacturing, or service manuals. Support training of operations and field personnel. Contribute to research, evaluation, and proposals for new product features in support of customer requirements.

Develop and evaluate concepts and designs for the next generation systems. Drive team to resolve system issues at customer site or in manufacturing. Work with engineers at locations around the globe to solve issues escalated to engineering: establish root cause, develop plan of action (POA), guide local teams in execution of POA, and standardize solutions to improve design and/or procedures.

Will require some travel (< 25%).

PhD in Optics, Physics, Systems Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related technical field. Strong background in engineering or physical sciences with demonstrated analysis and problem solving skills. Hands-on experience constructing and aligning opto-mechanical system is highly…