Research Scientist (Electromagnetism, Optical Imaging)

KLA•Milpitas, CA

20h•Onsite

About The Position

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. With over 40 years of semiconductor process control experience, chipmakers around the globe rely on KLA to ensure that their fabs ramp next-generation devices to volume production quickly and cost-effectively. Enabling the movement towards advanced chip design, KLA's Global Products Group (GPG), which is responsible for creating all of KLA’s metrology and inspection products, is looking for the best and the brightest research scientist, software engineers, application development engineers, and senior product technology process engineers. The RAPID division is the world leading provider of reticle inspection solutions for the semiconductor industry. The company provides inspection solutions to both the mask shops and the semiconductor fabs to ensure that lithography yields are consistently high thus enabling cost-effective manufacturing. We are seeking a self-motivated Research Scientist to join the RAPID Advanced Technology team. In this role, you will be responsible for designing, analyzing, and validating performance of advanced optical inspection platforms. The ideal candidate has deep expertise in optical physics, imaging and electromagnetism, and combines strong analytical skills with hands‑on modeling, simulation, and data analysis experience. You will work closely with technology, engineering and applications teams to investigate new methods to improve optical detection of reticle defects.

Requirements

Strong background in Electrical Engineering, Physics or Optical Imaging
Demonstrated analysis and problem-solving skills
Consistent record to applying fundamental principles of electromagnetism and optics to optical imaging or measurement problems.
Hands‑on experience with electromagnetic and optical image modeling and simulation tools. Or, hands-on experience with computational imaging methods.
Proficiency in image and signal processing and statistics using MATLAB, Python or other relevant software.
Ability to clearly communicate complex technical concepts and trade‑offs to cross‑functional teams.
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multi-functional team environment.
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

Responsibilities

Perform electro-magnetic simulations and data analysis to model and validate system performance
Conduct feasibility investigations of novel algorithm or system concepts to meet inspection challenges
Work closely with engineering teams on prototype design, implementation and tool performance validation
Present the results and findings to the team and management