About Atomic Semi

Atomic Semi is building a small, fast semiconductor fab.

It’s already possible to build this with today’s technology and a few simplifications. We’ll build the tools ourselves so we can quickly iterate and improve.

We’re building a small team of exceptional, hands-on engineers to make this happen. Mechanical, electrical, hardware, computer, and process. We’ll own the stack from atoms to architecture. Our team is optimistic about the future and we want to continue pushing the limits of technology.

Smaller is better. Faster is better. Building it ourselves is better.

We believe our team and lab can build anything. We’ve set up 3D printers, a wide array of microscopes, e-beam writers, general fabrication equipment - and whatever is missing, we’ll just invent along the way.

Atomic was founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. Sam is best known for making chips in his garage, and Jim has been a leader in the semiconductor industry for the past 40 years.

About the role

We’re hiring mechanical engineering interns for the fall term. You’ll be working on an integrated engineering team building semiconductor fabrication equipment, so you’ll be exposed to some very interesting engineering problems. Our size allows interns to take on a ton of ownership and mission-critical work.

Our intern projects are highly interdisciplinary and span domains such as structures, optics, liquids, heat transfer, physics, and chemistry. The ideal candidate has hands-on experience working in at least one of these areas and strong mechanical and electrical fundamentals.

At Atomic Semi, our philosophy is to get things built and tested in days or weeks, not months. Because of this, a portfolio is required to apply: show us the things you’ve actually built! For us, a good portfolio includes evidence of good mechanical engineering fundamentals and/or some system integration experience (e.g. designing and building a medium-complexity mechanical system.)

Responsibilities

• Designing, prototyping, and building semiconductor fabrication equipment

  • System design (analysis, simulation, validating your through lit review and test fixtures)

  • Mechanical design (CAD, FEA, etc.)

• Working with other engineering teams to determine requirements. Your equipment is used in-house for chip fabrication, which means feedback loops are tight!

• Manufacturing and building your designs (sourcing parts, fabrication, producing drawings, etc.)

• Characterization of your system to close the loop (designing test setups for your designs and collecting data.)

Required Experience

• Pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree or higher in engineering

• Ability to learn quickly and troubleshoot technical problems

• Hands-on prototyping experience and the ability to move through design cycles quickly

• Hands-on experience with mechanical assembly design and analysis from coursework, internships, or personal projects

• Strong foundation in mechanical engineering (Solidworks/Onshape, simulation, materials selection, etc.)

Nice-to-have

• Familiarity with semiconductor processing— thin film deposition & etching, photolithography, etc.

• Experience with Python scripting and data visualization

Working at Atomic Semi

We’re an early-stage hardware startup with solid funding, world-class advisors, and a lab/office in San Francisco, CA.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.

Export Control Analysis: This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.