Optical System Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 31, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 23, 2026. Applied Materials scores A on the Alion truth index.
Who We Are
Applied Materials is the global leader in materials science and engineering solutions that are at the foundation of virtually every new semiconductor chip and advanced display in the world. The equipment that we create and service is essential to advancing AI and accelerating the commercialization of next-generation semiconductor chips. Join us and push the boundaries of materials science and engineering in a company at the foundation of the electronics industry. The work we do together advances the world’s technology.
What We Offer
Salary:
$124,000.00 - $171,000.00Location:
Santa Clara,CAYou’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.
Applied Materials CoE Team is looking for a Engineer to support the development of a new family of semiconductor process tool sensors at Applied Materials. Main activities include sensor transducer design and test, analogue and digital circuits design & test, firmware development or validation, prototype sensor bring-up and de-bugging, and management of PCB suppliers.
You will be working along-side other engineers on exciting new sensor developments that will significantly impact semiconductor industry and will provide solid personal career growth opportunities.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform engineering design, test, and analysis of sensors with limited supervision
- Work closely with sensor architects, physicists, and system SW / HW engineers to deliver a complete sensor system
- Design, build, and validate optical bench and characterize laser, amplifiers, detectors over wavelength range from UV to MWIR
- Chamber integration, verification and troubleshooting of system HW and SW
- Integrate PCBs, embedded firmware to support various sensors development.
- Participate in schematic/layout/BOM review for new electrical design and continuous improvement designs
- Create and implement system requirement and test procedure for the sensor or sensing system
- Provide timely status updates and proactively communications on issues to the stakeholders.
Qualifications
The candidate selected for this position will possess and demonstrate the following skills, education and experience, as detailed below:
- MS or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or related fields
- Experience in testing and debugging of optical systems/optoelectronic assemblies and photo detectors and sources such as PDs, IR, LEDs is a big plus.
- Must have 4+ years of experience with optical or THz/GHz sensor development.
- Strong knowledge in semiconductor processes, associated physics, and vacuum process tools.
- Fundamental training in laser, optics and EM wave devices and physics.
- In-depth experience of optical design tools such as LightTools, Zemax.
- Knowledge and experience of embedded firmware development a big plus.
- Previous experience with FPGA’s is a plus, but not required.
- Knowledge of Industrial communication standards like ECAT or DNet a plus, but not required.
- Flexible, motivated, self-driven, with the ability to work with remote teams.
- Excellent analytical skills, methodical problem-solving skills and logical reporting.
- Ability to meet objectives, goals and deadlines with minimal supervision.
Additional Information
Time Type:
Full timeEmployee Type:
Assignee / RegularTravel:
Yes, 10% of the TimeRelocation Eligible:
YesThe 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.
For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.
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 [email protected],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.