Research Scientist

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.

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 towards 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 Optical Metrology Division products are used for optical overlay metrology. The portfolio of products includes unique solution packages which are based on hardware and software systems to enhance yield and effectiveness. As a world leader in its field of expertise, the division's products are the most advanced in performance (measurement accuracy of nanometers and below), reliability, ease of use and compatibility with other KLA's products. KLA (Israel) controls over 80% of the world market sales in its field, and its products are used by every major semiconductor manufacturer around the world. KLA Israel is located in the Migdal Haemek Industrial Park.

Job Description/Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for a Research Scientist to join our Advanced Development group.

Responsibilities

• Proposing novel concepts and developing creative solutions to challenging problems in optical metrology
• Designing, building, and running complex optical experiments in the lab to demonstrate proof-of-concept for new ideas
• Bridging theory and experiment: deriving theoretical models, validating them experimentally, and iterating between the two
• Rigorous data collection, analysis, and interpretation
• Formulating conclusions and recommendations to guide next-generation products and roadmap
• Collaborating closely within the team and across functions (algo, system, HW, etc.)

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field - with a strong experimental thesis
• Deep theoretical knowledge in optics and the physics of light-matter interaction
• Proven, hands-on experimental track record - designing and building optical setups from the ground up and running complex experiments is the core of the role
• Demonstrated ability to close the loop between theory and experiment (model → measure → refine)
• 5+ years of research experience in industry or academia (including post-doc); 8+ years - an advantage
• Strong simulation and modeling skills supporting experimental design and analysis
• Proven scientific record of peer-reviewed publications and/or patents
• Excellent scientific communication skills, both written and verbal
• Independent, creative, out-of-the-box thinker with strong scientific rigor
• Team player, comfortable working in a multidisciplinary R&D environment

Advantages

• Background in high-precision optical measurement or related experimental physics domains
• Experience transitioning research concepts from lab demonstration toward product-level maturity

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

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