Materials Scientist – ALD Coating Technology

Applied Materials; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 124,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Bonus participation

Stock award program

Job summary

Applied Materials in Santa Clara, CA is seeking a Process Engineer to design and optimize manufacturing processes for display and semiconductor technologies. The ideal candidate has over 5 years of experience in ALD coatings, with responsibilities including data analysis, process engineering, and troubleshooting engineering issues.

This role offers a full-time position with potential relocation and travel opportunities. Join a high-performing team dedicated to innovation and cutting-edge technology!

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience or equivalent in ALD coatings and related hardware development.
• Drive innovative materials and methods and apply them to hardware advances.
• Define and validate material measurement/analytical techniques.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize manufacturing processes for semiconductor technologies.
• Collect and analyze data, perform hardware characterization.
• Collaborate with vendors and suppliers on new technologies.

Skills

ALD coatings

Material properties knowledge

Problem solving

Data analysis

Education

BS in Engineering

Masters or Ph.D. preferred

Job description

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting‑edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips – the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world – like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next‑generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

• Salary: $124,000.00 - $171,000.00
• Location: Santa Clara, CA

You’ll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

Role Overview

As a Process Engineer, you'll play a crucial role in designing and optimizing manufacturing processes for display and semiconductor manufacturing technologies. You will collect and analyze data, perform hardware characterization, and troubleshoot engineering issues. You'll also measure film properties, generate technical documentation, and engage with customers to resolve concerns. Process Engineers collaborate with vendors and suppliers, and become familiar with implementing new technologies and products. You will experiment, learn, and collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the semiconductor and display industries, partnering with our globally recognized R&D teams on state‑of‑the‑art research and development projects.

Our Team

The Materials Center of Excellence (MCOE) team is responsible for developing and productizing chamber materials and critical components to enable Applied Material Customers to modify materials at atomic levels on the industrial scale with world‑class productivity and yield. To achieve this, we employ some of the best, brightest, and most talented people in the world who work together as part of a winning team delivering results.

The Opportunity

Seeking passionate ALD subject matter experts to join our high performing and growing ALD Coating Technology team within the MCOE organization. Partnering with business units, this highly visible role is recognized as an ALD coating subject matter expert within the company with an emphasis on productization and execution from ideation/development to commercialization with end‑to‑end responsibility for successful ramp at our customers.

You will interface with senior leadership in engineering, productivity, supply chain, and operations to drive innovative ALD component coating solutions that bring value to our customers in device performance, yield, and cost of ownership.

What You’ll Do

You will be central in strategic decision making responsible for the development of ALD coatings in both hardware and process in the Materials Center of Excellence. The team has a record of commercializing innovative ALD films and solving highly complex engineering issues for a range of products to address our customers High Value Problems (HVPs).

You will be a key contributor for new chamber architecture product development and components in our next generation products that will be used in manufacturing cutting‑edge devices that are and will change the world.

Key Qualifications

• This position requires 5+ years or experience or equivalent in ALD coatings and related hardware development, a BS degree in Engineering (Masters or Ph.D. preferred)
• Drive innovative materials and methods and apply them to hardware advances and/or perform hardware characterization on significantly complex systems for a range of programs, within safety guidelines.
• Develop, plan and execute material engineering projects for a range of products
• Design, collect data, analyze and compile reports on significantly complex materials engineering experiments for a range of products
• Assess the technical trade‑offs compared to cost trade‑offs for material solutions
• Define and validate material measurement/analytical techniques. Train engineers on the techniques and guide them in the interpretation of the data
• Define and implement new methodologies, define and apply new technologies, and/or troubleshoot and resolve significantly complex materials engineering issues/problems for a range of products
• Interact with key customers to resolve significantly complex engineering issues for a range of products to address our customers High Value Problems (HVPs)
• Generate internal and external documentation for products, presentations, technical reports for integrated products and generate engineering specifications for integrated products

Functional Knowledge

• Materials (fundamental knowledge of material properties and manufacturing methods)
• ALD coatings (metals/oxide/fluoride), ideally in the context for use in semiconductor equipment component coatings
• Regarded as the technical expert in their particular field
• Demonstrates in‑depth and/or breadth of expertise in own discipline and broad knowledge of other disciplines within the function
• Demonstrates Surface Chemistry/Interactions of metal/oxide/fluoride materials in chemical and plasma environments relevant to semiconductor processes including inorganic chemistry
• Experience of evolution of surface chemistry and measurements (in‑situ and ex‑situ)
• Corrosion/Erosion
• Material Characterization Methods
• Significant experience required
• Failure Analysis of Materials
• Strongly preferred

Leadership

• Fast learner, owns outcomes, and leads by example
• Leads projects with notable risk and complexity; develops the strategy for project execution

Problem Solving

• Strong problem solving skills; determined to root cause isolation; systematic systems thinker; hands‑on
• Solves unique and complex problems with broad impact on the business; requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions

Impact

• Impacts the direction and resource allocation for program, project or services; works within general functional policies and industry guidelines

Interpersonal Skills

• Communicates complex ideas, anticipates potential objections and persuades others, often at senior levels, to adopt a different point of view

Additional Information

• Time Type: Full time
• Employee Type: Assignee / Regular
• Travel: Yes, 25% of the Time
• Relocation Eligible: Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e‑mail at [e-mail], or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.