Product Development Engineering Intern

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 Film and Scatterometry Technology (FaST) division delivers industry-leading metrology solutions essential to advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Its portfolio includes systems for measuring film thickness, critical dimensions, composition, and resistivity—key to developing and scaling next-gen IC processes. FaST partners closely with customers from early R&D through high-volume production, ensuring performance and process alignment.

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.

Position Overview

The Product Development Engineering Intern will work with a multidisciplinary engineering team developing and supporting next-generation Critical Dimension (CD) metrology systems used in the semiconductor industry. This internship provides an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in advanced instrumentation, product development, and system characterization.

The intern will support engineers in activities related to technology evaluation, prototype testing, system performance analysis, and product validation. The role offers exposure to a broad range of engineering disciplines including X-ray technology, optics, electronics, mechanics, software, and data analysis.

The ideal candidate is curious, analytical, enjoys solving technical problems, and is eager to learn in a collaborative engineering environment.

Responsibilities

During the internship, the student may:

• Assist engineers with prototype and beta system testing activities, including system health checks, calibration, troubleshooting, and data collection.
• Support analysis of measurement performance and help identify trends through data analysis and visualization.
• Participate in system characterization and validation activities to verify performance against engineering requirements.
• Contribute to hardware or software development projects under the guidance of senior engineers.
• Assist in designing and executing experiments, documenting results, and presenting findings to the engineering team.
• Support root cause investigations of technical issues and help evaluate potential solutions.
• Collaborate with engineers across multiple disciplines, including systems, mechanical, electrical, software, and algorithm development teams.
• Develop scripts or tools to automate data analysis, testing, or engineering workflows.
• Create technical documentation, reports, and presentations summarizing project outcomes.
• Participate in engineering reviews, team meetings, and technical discussions.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a Master's or PhD degree in: Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Optical Engineering, Materials Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related STEM discipline
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Basic programming experience in Python, MATLAB, C++, or a similar language.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with data analysis and visualization.
• Exposure to optics, imaging systems, X-ray technology, instrumentation, or semiconductor manufacturing.
• Hands-on laboratory, research, or project experience involving hardware, electronics, or experimental systems.
• Familiarity with statistical analysis, modeling, or measurement systems.
• Experience using engineering tools such as Python, MATLAB, Git, or LabVIEW.

What You'll Gain

• Hands-on experience working on advanced semiconductor metrology systems.
• Exposure to product development from concept through system validation.
• Mentorship from experienced engineers across multiple technical disciplines.
• Opportunities to contribute to meaningful engineering projects and present results to technical leadership.
• Experience working in a collaborative, fast-paced engineering environment.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires less than 1 year of related experience

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.

Total Rewards

Base Pay Range: $47.00 - $56.00 per hour based on pursuit of a Masters and Ph.D.
Primary Location: USA-CA-Milpitas-KLA

KLA’s total rewards package for employees may also include participation in performance incentive programs and eligibility for additional benefits including but not limited to: medical, dental, vision, life, and other voluntary benefits, 401(K) including company matching, employee stock purchase program (ESPP), student debt assistance, tuition reimbursement program, development and career growth opportunities and programs, financial planning benefits, wellness benefits including an employee assistance program (EAP), paid time off and paid company holidays, and family care and bonding leave.

Interns are eligible for some of the benefits listed. Our pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed reflects the pay for this position in the primary location identified in this posting. Actual pay depends on several factors, including state minimum pay wage rates, location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education level or training. We are committed to complying with all applicable federal and state minimum wage requirements where applicable. If applicable, your recruiter can share more about the specific pay range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

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.

Equal Opportunity Statement

KLA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We will ensure that qualified individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us at talent.acquisition@kla.com or at +1-408-352-2808 to request accommodation.

For additional information, view the US Know Your Rights poster on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website.