Intern, Thermal Modeling & Simulation Engineer (AI Memory / HBM)

Samsung Semiconductor; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 94,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation Support

Housing Stipend

Charitable giving match

Emotional wellness resources

Onsite café and gym facilities

Flexible environment

Job summary

Samsung Semiconductor’s Thermal Modeling & Simulation Lab in San Jose invites an Intern to develop and calibrate CFD models for AI memory stacks, focusing on HBM thermal behavior. You will own segments end‑to‑end, from physics and CFD reference to validated fast models used by architecture, power, and package teams.

As part of a small, fast‑moving team, you’ll gain mentorship, work on real projects with tangible results, and contribute to future HBM products using collaboration across hardware,

Qualifications

• Pursuing a PhD or MS in a relevant field with remaining academic term.
• Strong foundation in transient heat transfer in multi‑layer solids.
• Hands-on numerical methods and scientific programming in Python and/or MATLAB.

Responsibilities

• Build and calibrate CFD models (Simcenter Flotherm) of HBM stacks and packages under realistic cooling.
• Extend compact thermal model to new stack heights and configurations; compare to CFD.
• Develop homogenization methods to replace fine features with effective properties.
• Speed up solvers via model-order reduction, sparse linear algebra, or GPU acceleration.
• Run transient simulations using real AI workload traces; identify hotspots and thermal policies.
• Evaluate cooling options and translate into boundary conditions for HBM designs.
• Couple thermal model with power simulation engine for time-evolving maps.
• Document methods and present results to engineers and leadership.
• Complete other responsibilities as assigned.

Skills

Heat transfer

Python

MATLAB

CFD modeling

GPU acceleration

Scientific computing

Data analysis

Collaboration

Critical thinking

Adaptive learning

Education

PhD preferred

Master's degree in Mechanical/Materials/Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics

Tools

Simcenter Flotherm

Ansys Icepak/Fluent

COMSOL

Job description

Intern, Thermal Modeling & Simulation Engineer (AI Memory / HBM)

San Jose, California, United States

Please Note:

To provide the best candidate experience amidst our high application volumes, each candidate is limited to 10 applications across all open jobs within a 6-month period.

Advancing the World’s Technology Together

Our technology solutions power the tools you use every day--including smartphones, electric vehicles, hyperscale data centers, IoT devices, and so much more. Here, you’ll have an opportunity to be part of a global leader whose innovative designs are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and powering the future.

We believe innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We’re dedicated to empowering people to be their true selves. Together, we’re building a better tomorrow for our employees, customers, partners, and communities.

What You’ll Learn

• Project Overview: Every new generation of AI accelerator pushes more power through stacked memory, and temperature is now one of the limits on how fast and how dense HBM can be. Our lab builds compact thermal models that turn workload-driven power maps of a 3D-stacked HBM into transient temperature maps in minutes rather than the hours a full CFD run takes, while staying close to CFD accuracy. As an intern you will own one piece of this platform end to end: from the physics and the CFD reference to a validated model that architecture, power, and package teams use to make design decisions.
• Skills You’ll Learn:
  • Heat conduction in 3D-stacked die: TSV arrays, micro-bumps, underfill, and anisotropic effective properties
  • Compact and reduced-order thermal modeling
  • CFD modeling and validation with Simcenter Flotherm
  • Scientific computing at scale: sparse solvers, preconditioning, and fast Python/MATLAB code
  • Power-thermal co-simulation and thermal-aware design of AI memory systems

What You’ll Do

Samsung’s Power & Thermal Lab is seeking a thermal engineering intern to help build and calibrate models of HBM stacks and package.

We are a small, fast‑moving team where direct ownership and minimal busywork empower every member to tackle the same real‑world problems. Working with authentic data, real partners, and production‑grade results, our contributions flow straight into platforms used across the company.

As an intern, the models you build feed design discussions for future HBM products. You will work on real projects with tangible results, receive mentorship, and help shape the scope of work in a collaborative environment where hardware, software, and thermal experts work side‑by‑side on next‑generation AI memory technologies.

Location: Daily onsite presence at our San Jose headquartersin alignment with our Flexible Work policy

Reports to: SVP, R&D (Power & Thermal Lab)

• Build and calibrate CFD models (Simcenter Flotherm) of HBM stacks and packages under realistic cooling conditions, and use them as the reference for fast models.
• Extend our compact thermal model to new stack heights, die configurations, and base-die power, and quantify its accuracy against CFD in both steady state and transient.
• Develop homogenization methods that replace fine features (TSV arrays, micro-bump layers, underfill) with effective properties, and establish where they hold and where they break.
• Speed up thermal solvers by orders of magnitude through model-order reduction, sparse linear algebra and preconditioning, GPU acceleration, or machine-learning surrogates.
• Run transient simulations driven by real AI workload traces, locate spatiotemporal hotspots, and explore thermal-aware policies such as throttling, refresh control, and power-map scheduling.
• Evaluate advanced cooling and thermal-interface options (cold plates, two-phase cooling, TIMs, backside cooling) and translate them into boundary conditions and design guidance for HBM.
• Couple the thermal model with the lab's trace-driven power simulation engine so that power maps and temperature maps evolve together in time.
• Document methods and results clearly and present them to engineers and lab leadership.
• Complete other responsibilities as assigned.

What You Bring

• Pursuing a PhD (preferred) or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a related field.
• Must have at least 1 academic quarter/semester remaining
• Strong foundation in heat transfer, especially transient conduction in multi-layer solids and thermal contact resistance.
• Hands‑on experience with numerical methods (finite-volume, finite-element, or finite-difference) and scientific programming in Python and/or MATLAB.
• Ability to judge simulation results critically (mesh convergence, boundary conditions, energy balance) and to explain discrepancies between models.
• Experience with Simcenter Flotherm, Ansys Icepak/Fluent, or COMSOL, preferred
• Experience with compact or reduced‑order thermal models, model‑order reduction, or ML surrogates for physical simulation, preferred
• Background in electronics packaging, 3D-IC / chiplet thermal management, or advanced cooling, preferred
• Familiarity with HPC, sparse linear solvers, or GPU programming, preferred
• You’re inclusive, adapting your style to the situation and diverse global norms of our people.
• An avid learner, you approach challenges with curiosity and resilience, seeking data to help build understanding.
• You’re collaborative, building relationships, humbly offering support and openly welcoming approaches.
• Innovative and creative, you proactively explore new ideas and adapt quickly to change.

What We Offer

The pay range below is for all roles at this level across all US locations and functions. Pay within this range varies by work location and may also depend on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
This is in addition to our diverse package of benefits centered around the wellbeing of our employees and their loved ones. In addition to the usual Medical/Dental/Vision, our inclusive rewards plan empowers our people to care for their whole selves. An investment in your future is an investment in ours.

• Relocation Support: Live 50+ miles away from your new office? No worries! We'll provide a stipend to help support your move.
• Housing Stipend: Signing a lease on a new place for your summer internship? We'll help you pay your way with a monthly stipend.
• Give Back: With a charitable giving match and frequent opportunities to get involved, we take an active role in supporting the community.
• Prioritize Emotional Wellness: With on‑demand apps and paid therapy sessions, you’ll have support no matter where you are.
• Stay Fit: Eating well and being active are important parts of a healthy life. Our onsite Café and gym, plus virtual classes, make it easier.
• Embrace Flexibility: Benefits are best when you have the space to use them. That’s why we facilitate a flexible environment so you can find the right balance for you.

Hourly Base Pay Rate

$28 - $68 USD

Equal Opportunity Employment Policy

Samsung Semiconductor takes pride in being an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to fostering an environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered to excel, regardless of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, or veteran status.

When selecting team members, we prioritize talent and qualities such as humility, kindness, and dedication. We extend comprehensive accommodations throughout our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long‑term conditions, neurodivergent individuals, or those requiring pregnancy‑related support. All candidates scheduled for an interview will receive guidance on requesting accommodations.

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https://semiconductor.samsung.com/about-us/careers/us/privacy/

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As set forth in Samsung Semiconductor’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

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The application deadline for this role is January 26, 2027