Principal Applications Engineer - Physical Vapor Deposition

To make electronics, you need chips, wafers, transistors, reticles, and... To make these, you must see, test and manufacture them at scale—faster and better than ever before. That's where KLA comes in. Whether you're early in your career or an experienced professional, you'll solve complex challenges, work alongside brilliant minds and help shape the future of technology.

Group/Division

The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics. The SPTS division provides advanced wafer processing solutions—including etch, deposition and vapor-based technologies—designed for R&D through high-volume production. With a global presence and strong customer support network, SPTS helps manufacturers across industries improve performance, yield and cost-efficiency. It also offers comprehensive service and spare parts through a worldwide network of service centers and qualified local agents.

What You'll Do

In this role, you will play a key part in advancing business priorities by delivering high-impact work across your area of expertise.

Primary Purpose of Role

Working as part of the PVD Applications team the primary responsibility of this role will be the development of advanced deposition technology. This will involve working on a wide range of materials and applications and developing new hardware and processes to meet market requirements.

Additional responsibilities will include overseeing and supervision of junior engineers, writing technical reports for both internal and external use, reviews of technical literature, generating IP submissions and collaborating with other business units as required.  There may also be some requirement to write and review process specifications. This role will also involve advising both KLA field teams and other members of the Newport team on application development and process tuning.

There will be opportunity to take on Project Management tasks, coordinating with other teams.

This position will involve some international travel. Occasional shift working may be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Development of PVD processes to meet technology roadmap targets and/or customer requirements
• Design of experiments and the assessment of results using analytical equipment and appropriate software packages
• Undertake problem solving and trouble-shooting
• Provide regular updates to management on progress of development work
• Summarise results in a written report or presentation
• Plan work and execute plans in a safe and timely manner
• Contribute constructively to the work of project teams for new products and processes
• Research into published work relevant to KLA's process development
• Write invention disclosures/patent applications
• Write technical papers for publication at conferences, seminars etc
• Communicate results and ideas to management & co-workers

Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Knowledge and/or experience of thin film deposition techniques, plasma systems & high vacuum technology
• Preferably some experience or knowledge of computer simulation methods
• An ability to design experiments and analyse data to rapidly identify solutions to complex problems
• Good analytical skills including the ability to carry out metrology such as SEM
• Good oral and written communication skills
• The ability to work both autonomously and as part of a team

Qualifications

Physics, Chemistry or Material Science Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience

What we will offer you?

KLA’s benefits package includes: Annual leave starting at 25 days (plus bank holidays), contributory pension scheme, cash health plan, cycle to work scheme, global bonus plan, share scheme, rewards scheme, life assurance.

Minimum Qualifications

Doctorate (Academic) Degree and related work experience; Master's Level Degree and related work experience; Bachelor's Level Degree and related work experience

About KLA

We provide advanced inspection tools, metrology systems, process solutions, and computational analytics that make electronics possible, tackling complex challenges. From electron and photon optics to machine learning and data analytics, we seek perfection at the most fundamental level of matter in the universe. If you want to make electronics that push industries forward and make the world a better place, join us.

Use of AI Statement 

At KLA, our interviews seek to understand your individual skills, problem-solving approach and authentic thinking. To ensure a fair and consistent evaluation, the use of AI, recording tools or other technologies to generate, suggest or provide responses during interviews—whether virtual or in person—is not permitted unless explicitly approved in advance as part of a reasonable accommodation or invited by the interviewer. Use of these tools may interfere with our ability to evaluate your individual qualifications and affect your candidacy. KLA is committed to advancing innovation through responsible AI, and we value candidates who share this mindset.

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.