Staff Material Scientist

KLA is a global leader in diversified electronics for the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem. Virtually every electronic device in the world is produced using our technologies. No laptop, smartphone, wearable device, voice-controlled gadget, flexible screen, VR device or smart car would have made it into your hands without us. KLA invents systems and solutions for the manufacturing of wafers and reticles, integrated circuits, packaging, printed circuit boards and flat panel displays. The innovative ideas and devices that are advancing humanity all begin with inspiration, research and development. KLA focuses more than average on innovation and we invest 15% of sales back into R&D. Our expert teams of physicists, engineers, data scientists and problem-solvers work together with the world’s leading technology providers to accelerate the delivery of tomorrow’s electronic devices. Life here is exciting and our teams thrive on tackling really hard problems. There is never a dull moment with us.

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) plays a critical role in developing advanced long-range technology in collaboration with product divisions and strategic marketing, working on future technology like light sources, lasers, and sensors. We are engaged in the research and development process, and once the technology is mature, we partner with product engineering groups who then build products based on the technology we’ve developed. The Office of the CTO also provides technical input into KLA’s strategic planning process, program reviews and Product Life Cycle (PLC) phases. We provide our broad technology expertise and cross-division experience to ensure we leverage the collective knowledge within our company.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist to join our team focused on developing advanced inorganic materials for cutting-edge applications. The successful candidate will work on designing, synthesizing, and characterizing complex inorganic compounds. The candidate must excel in hands-on experiments and data analysis, demonstrating the ability to derive clear results from complex data sets. The candidate will work closely with other scientists and engineers, so strong collaboration and communication skills are essential for success in this role.

Key responsibilities:

• Design and synthesize inorganic compounds and solid-state materials.

• Optimize reaction conditions to achieve high-purity and well-defined material structures.

• Perform material characterization using techniques such as TGA, XRD, SEM and XPS.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, including optics engineers, opto-mechanical engineers and laser scientists, to perform failure analysis and ensure the feasibility of new materials/processes for KLA products.

Requirements:

• Strong expertise in inorganic compound synthesis, sintering, material science, surface science, phase transfer science and solid-state chemistry (familiarity with optics materials such as non-linear optics is a plus).

• Strong practical skills in experimental synthesis.

• Proficiency in structural characterization tools such as TGA, XRD, SEM and XPS.

• Strong team player with a positive and proactive attitude.

• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience of 3 years; Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 6 years; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 8 years

We offer a competitive, family friendly total rewards package. We design our programs to reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment, while ensuring we provide benefits that meet the diverse needs of our employees.

KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer

Be aware of potentially fraudulent job postings or suspicious recruiting activity by persons that are currently posing as KLA employees.  KLA never asks for any financial compensation to be considered for an interview, to become an employee, or for equipment. Further, KLA does not work with any recruiters or third parties who charge such fees either directly or on behalf of KLA. Please ensure that you have searched KLA’s Careers website for legitimate job postings.  KLA follows a recruiting process that involves multiple interviews in person or on video conferencing with our hiring managers.  If you are concerned that a communication, an interview, an offer of employment, or that an employee is not legitimate, please send an email to [email protected] to confirm the person you are communicating with is an employee. We take your privacy very seriously and confidentially handle your information.