Principal Research Scientist

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
The Semiconductor Products and Customers (Semi PC) business unit designs, builds and sells KLA’s product portfolio to help chip manufacturers meet high-quality standards for technologies like AI, data centers, automotive and electronic devices. Our inspection, metrology, and analytics systems detect and monitor defects across logic and memory chips, specialty semiconductors, wafers, reticles, advanced packaging, process equipment and materials. We also develop technologies for specialty processes, IC substrates, and PCB manufacturing, including etch and deposition, component inspection, and imaging and analytics. The SPTS division provides advanced wafer processing solutions—including etch, deposition and vapor-based technologies—designed for R&D through high-volume production. With a global presence and strong customer support network, SPTS helps manufacturers across industries improve performance, yield and cost-efficiency. It also offers comprehensive service and spare parts through a worldwide network of service centers and qualified local agents.

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 the Advanced Development team, you will play a leading role in the conception, and hands-on development of next-generation plasma process technologies that address both current and future semiconductor manufacturing challenges.

You will be expected to proactively define innovative hardware and process solutions, and lead complex development activities spanning plasma etch, deposition, and advanced process integration. The role requires a deep understanding of plasma-surface interactions, hardware-process interactions, and semiconductor device requirements to create differentiated technology solutions for future KLA products.

Key Responsibilities

Technology Development & Innovation

- Lead the development of breakthrough plasma etch and deposition technologies for Advanced Packaging, Photonics, Compound Semiconductor, Quantum, MEMS, and Specialty Semiconductor applications.
- Solve challenging process and hardware problems where solutions are not immediately apparent, applying a combination of first-principles understanding, simulation, experimental design, and data-driven analysis
- Drive invention activities and contribute to patent generation and intellectual property strategy.

Hardware & Process Leadership

- Lead investigation and resolution of complex process integration, plasma physics, equipment, and hardware performance challenges.
- Guide junior engineers and scientists, sharing technical expertise and best practices.
- Lead technical reviews and influence development priorities across the wider organization
- Work closely with engineering teams to influence chamber design, RF systems, gas delivery, thermal management, endpoint control, and process diagnostics.

Simulation & Modelling

- Interpret modelling tools such as COMSOL or equivalent simulation packages to predict plasma behaviour, materials interactions, process performance, and hardware design impacts.
- Develop physical models and mechanistic understanding to guide future technology directions.

Customer and Partner Engagement

- Collaborate with customers, research institutes, universities, and strategic development partners to understand future technology requirements.
- Act as a technical representative for KLA in customer reviews, consortium activities, technical conferences, and collaborative research programmes.
- Present complex technical findings to internal leadership and external stakeholders.

Data Analysis & Reporting

- Generate clear technical reports, publications, invention disclosures, and executive-level summaries.
- Communicate complex technical concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.

This position will involve international travel to meet with customers, attend conferences/collaborative work and occasional shift work is expected.

Occasional domestic and international travel, including to the United States, may be required as part of this role

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, life assurance, generous shift allowance and overtime premiums.

Minimum Qualifications

- PhD in Physics, Plasma Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Semiconductor Technology, Electronic Engineering, or a related discipline.
- Significant industrial or research experience in plasma processing, semiconductor equipment development, or advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
- Strong understanding of plasma etch and/or deposition technologies.
- Knowledge of RF power delivery systems, plasma sources, thermal management, vacuum systems, endpoint detection, and semiconductor equipment architecture

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.