RF & Plasma Technologist

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

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.

Working as part of our Advanced Development group, this role is designed for an experienced technical expert who wants to remain hands-on while developing leadership capability.

The RF & Plasma Technologist will design and develop RF sub-assemblies and plasma hardware for advanced semiconductor etch and deposition systems. The successful candidate will work closely with process, electrical, mechanical, software and manufacturing teams to create robust subsystem solutions that deliver world-class plasma performance.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Plasma-hardware development

• Develop hardware associated with Etch & Deposition sources, electrodes, electrostatic chucks, gas distribution and chamber internals.
• Work with process engineers to relate hardware changes to plasma uniformity, ion energy, etch rate, selectivity and process repeatability.
• Apply vacuum, thermal, materials and contamination-control principles to subsystem design.

RF sub-assembly development

• Design, model, build and test RF matching networks, RF feed structures, transmission systems and grounding assemblies at proto-type level
• Investigate impedance matching, power-coupling efficiency, losses, harmonics and parasitic current paths.
• Characterise performance using network analysers, RF voltage-current probes, oscilloscopes and other RF diagnostic tools.
• Generate specifications, drawings, test methods and development reports.

Experimental development and collaboration

• Plan and conduct laboratory experiments, analyse data and document conclusions.
• Support troubleshooting, failure analysis and structured root-cause investigations.
• Support prototype build, system integration, qualification and release into product development.
• Coordinate design reviews, risk reduction and structured root-cause investigations for projects in Advanced Development

Stakeholder engagement and innovation

• Support strategic customer engagements and communicate technical findings to internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to platform and subsystem technology roadmaps.
• Identify invention opportunities and support intellectual-property development.

Technical leadership

• Work closely with electromagnetic, circuit and plasma modelling teams using tools such as COMSOL Multiphysics, Ansys HFSS and HPEM.
• Define design-verification plans and interpret RF, plasma and process diagnostic data
• Lead /present at technical reviews, mentor engineers and support invention disclosure and patent generation
• Interface with customers, suppliers, universities and research institutions

Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in Physics, Plasma Science, Electrical Engineering, Electronics or a related discipline.
• Extensive industrial experience, with deep expertise in plasma processing, RF engineering, vacuum systems and semiconductor equipment.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex technology from concept and modelling through prototype validation and product release.
• Strong communication skills and the credibility to act as a cross-functional technical authority.

Desirable Experience

• Formal or informal team-lead responsibility.
• Semiconductor equipment development and Stage-Gate product development processes.
• EMC, electrical safety and RF compliance knowledge

This position will involve international travel to meet with suppliers/collaborative work and occasional shift work is expected.

KLA, is proud to be an inclusive and diverse employer.

What we will offer you?

Our 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 and life assurance

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD or MSc in Physics, Plasma Science, Electrical Engineering, Electronics or a related discipline.
• Extensive industrial experience, with deep expertise in plasma processing, RF engineering, vacuum systems and semiconductor equipment.

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.