Process Engineer V

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting‑edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT.

If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next‑generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

Salary: $ - $

Location:

Santa Clara, CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company.

We are seeking a highly motivated Process Engineer (E5) to join the Front End Products (FEP) Applications team. This role focuses on applications development, process optimization, and customer‑enabling solutions across advanced semiconductor process technologies. The candidate will work at the intersection of process, hardware, and device integration, contributing to development and deployment of differentiated application capabilities.

• Develop, optimize, and qualify process solutions for targeted applications.
• Drive end‑to‑end process development from concept through lab validation and customer engagement.
• Translate device‑level requirements into actionable process strategies.
• Define and maintain robust process windows aligned with performance and manufacturability.
• Design and execute DOE‑based experiments to evaluate process sensitivities and interactions.
• Perform statistical data analysis and extract key insights to drive decisions.
• Establish correlations between process parameters and device metrics.
• Generate clear technical reports and communicate findings to stakeholders.
• Partner with hardware engineering to translate process requirements into hardware specifications.
• Evaluate tool capabilities and support system characterization.
• Drive co‑optimization of hardware and process to meet application targets.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and customer teams to define application requirements.
• Support technology benchmarking and differentiation.
• Enable successful adoption of process solutions.
• Work across process, hardware, product engineering, and field/customer teams.
• Collaborate with other business units and centers of excellence to identify new applications and co‑develop differentiated solutions.
• Contribute to application roadmaps and strategic direction for FEP.
• Document learnings and best practices.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to capability building within the applications group.

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related field.
• 5–10+ years of experience in semiconductor process development and/or semiconductor process integration.
• Strong expertise in DOE and statistical analysis.
• Strong experience with thin film, epitaxial, plasma, or thermal processes.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills.

• Experience in applications or integration‑focused roles.
• Familiarity with HW–process interaction.
• Strong communication skills.

• Systems‑level mindset (process + hardware + device).
• Data‑driven and hypothesis‑oriented approach.
• Strong ownership and accountability.
• Ability to translate technical insights into practical application solutions.

Time Type:
Full time
Employee Type:
Assignee / Regular
Travel:
Yes, 10% of the Time
Relocation Eligible:
Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users.