Mechanical/Opto-Mechanical Engineer - System Efficiency & Resource Optimization

KLA•Ann Arbor, MI

1d•Onsite

About The Position

KLA is seeking a highly motivated Mechanical / Opto-Mechanical Engineer to lead initiatives focused on energy reduction and purge gas optimization across advanced semiconductor equipment platforms. This role will combine physics-based modeling, optical/mechanical system design, and experimental validation to reduce energy consumption and minimize use of high-cost and high-impact purge gases (e.g., N₂, CDA, specialty gases). The ideal candidate will bridge optical systems, fluid dynamics, thermal management, and mechanical design to develop innovative solutions that improve tool efficiency while maintaining or enhancing performance, reliability, and contamination control.

Requirements

Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Physics or related field.
5+ years of experience in Mechanical or Opto-mechanical system design.
Strong experience with CFD and thermal modeling tools (e.g., ANSYS Fluent, COMSOL).
Strong experience with Mechanical design (CAD) and tolerance analysis.
Understanding of gas flow dynamics and contamination control.
Understanding of optical system sensitivity to environment (temperature, vibration, contamination).
Doctorate (Academic) Degree and 0 years related work experience; OR Master's Level Degree and related work experience of 3 years; OR Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience of 5 years.

Nice To Haves

Experience with purge gas systems in semiconductor tools.
Knowledge of cleanroom and vacuum environments.
Familiarity with sustainability and energy efficiency metrics.
Experience integrating modeling with experimental validation.
Background in thermal management of precision optical systems.

Responsibilities

Develop multi-physics models (CFD, thermal, optical path interactions) to analyze gas flow behavior and purge efficiency, heat transfer and thermal stability, and optical contamination and environmental sensitivity.
Simulate purge gas distribution and consumption to identify reduction opportunities.
Perform trade-off analyses between purge reduction, optical performance, and system reliability.
Design and optimize opto-mechanical assemblies with reduced reliance on purge gases.
Improve sealing strategies, enclosure designs, and flow paths to minimize gas usage.
Collaborate with optics, systems, and process engineers to ensure performance integrity.
Implement energy-efficient architectures (reduced heat loads, optimized airflow, passive solutions).
Develop and execute test plans to validate modeling predictions.
Instrument systems to measure gas flow rates and distribution, temperature gradients, and optical performance under reduced purge conditions.
Correlate experimental data with simulation models and refine designs accordingly.
Drive initiatives to reduce purge gas consumption (N₂, CDA, specialty gases) and overall tool energy usage.
Quantify cost savings and environmental impact reductions.
Support compliance with internal sustainability goals and external regulations.
Partner with optical engineering, mechanical design, process engineering, and product safety & environmental compliance teams.
Contribute to system-level architecture decisions for next-generation tools.