Internship, Process Engineer, Mask, Terafab (Winter/Spring 2027)

Consider before submitting an application:

This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 or later, if available). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.

International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.

Internship Program at Tesla

The Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We provide an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team’s success.

We are building Terafab, a vertically integrated semiconductor factory at an unprecedented scale. The facility houses logic, memory, packaging, test, and lithography mask production under one roof, optimized for rapid iteration and maximum compute density per square foot.

Terafab technology gets built, atom by atom, and mask engineering defines the foundation of every pattern we print. You will benefit from photomask experience: write, etch, inspect, repair, metrology, and pellicle. You also need enough fluency in optical proximity correction, inverse lithography, source-mask optimization, mask process correction, and mask rule checks to co-specify processes that computational lithography can actually use, including curvilinear patterns and full-chip ILT - and that we can inspect, repair, and match to the scanner. This is a hands-on process role while the mask shop is being stood up.

- Assist in developing and qualifying mask writing processes (e-beam and laser), including dose optimization, pattern fidelity, and critical dimension control for EUV and optical reticles

- Support mask inspection, defect disposition, and repair strategies using die-to-die, die-to-database, and actinic inspection methodologies

- Assist registration and CD uniformity control to meet tightening lithography error budgets

- Analyze processes from a first-principles, physics-based approach to understand and manipulate mechanisms, not just recipes

- Participate in root cause analysis, establish inline metrology and SPC control strategies, and drive systematic improvement in mask production

- Currently pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or equivalent experience

- Interest in mask writing, etch, inspection, repair, and process of record (POR) establishment for advanced node reticles

- Strong Design of Experiments skills and statistical analysis capability

- Ability to work closely and proactively across mask, lithography, etch, thin films, integration, and equipment engineering teams

Benefits

As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:

- Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
- Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
- Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
- Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
- Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
- 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
- Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
- Employee Assistance Program
- Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
- Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
- Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
- Commuter benefits
- Employee discounts and perks program