Regional Development Applications Engineer

Kla; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive total rewards

Family-friendly environment

Job summary

KLA is seeking a Research Scientist for its Surfscan group to develop and validate metrology/inspection solutions for wafer, IC and substrate manufacturing. You will collaborate with engineers, apps teams and product marketing to advance tool performance and customer applications, with travel requirements exceeding half of the year.

The position emphasizes data analysis, algorithm characterization and hands-on product testing, supporting customers from prototype through field deployment.

Qualifications

• Master’s Level Degree with 0 years related work experience or Bachelor’s Level Degree with 2 years related work experience in Engineering, Physics, Materials Science, or related fields.
• Strong technical skills with excellent written/oral communication, organization, analytical, and interpersonal abilities.
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python scripting is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide applications development support to PWG and Wafersight products following standard procedures.
• Develop test cases and characterize new products or features.
• Demonstrate metrology relevance to customer yield issues and provide technical support for PWG products and features.
• Travel >50% for customer visits and on-site support; collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions.

Skills

MATLAB

Python

Analytical thinking

Data analysis

Communication

Independent worker

Education

Master’s Degree in Engineering/Physics/Materials Science

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering/Physics/Materials Science

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Company Overview

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.

Group/Division Overview

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 toward 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 Surfscan group includes a team of engineers, technology development, apps engineers and product marketing focused on technology that enables wafer, IC and equipment manufacturers to develop, qualify and monitor their process tools. Defects and process non‑uniformities detected on Surfscan equipment allow for early identification of yield excursions. The flagship Surfscan products include the SPx platforms for wafer surface quality and wafer defect inspection tools and systems for inspection of polished wafers, epi wafers and engineered substrates during the wafer fabrication process.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Following standard procedures, provide applications development support to PWG and Wafersight products.
• Develop test cases.
• Characterize new products and/or features.
• Demonstrate metrology relevance to customer yield issues.
• Provide technical support in the development and implementation of customer applications dealing with PWG products and features.
• Provide specific product demonstrations on all aspects of highly complex products to customers and assess potential applications to meet customer needs; prepare detailed product specifications.
• Work towards characterization of the tool/algorithm performance and provide clear feedback to the Engineering teams for product improvement, especially during Alpha/Beta tests.
• Apply root cause analysis and propose potential solutions for customers.
• Utilize data analysis/processing and statistical analysis skills to quickly understand customer requirements and processes.
• Provide feedback and coaching to tool/algorithm improvements.
• Assist with testing and validation of new features.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to deliver high‑quality solutions.
• Travel >50% of the time as required for customer visits and on‑site support.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Level Degree and 0 years related work experience; Bachelor’s Level Degree and 2 years related work experience in Engineering, Physics, Material Science, or related fields.
• Strong technical skills in the customer use case domain with excellent oral and written communication, organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python programming and scripting is a plus.
• Self‑driven yet strong team player with ability to work independently.
• Working knowledge of semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Benefits

We offer a competitive, family‑friendly total rewards package. Our programs reflect our commitment to an inclusive environment while ensuring benefits that meet diverse needs.

EEO Statement

KLA is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.