Research Engineer, Semiconductor
Join Periodic Labs as a Research Engineer to validate semiconductor materials and drive device performance in a fast-paced environment.
Posted by employer 1 month ago
First seen on Joblaze 1 week ago
Last verified on the company career page 1 day ago
Skills & Technologies
Requirements
- Experience
- 3+ years
- Education
- Master's degree
- Visa
- Sponsorship available
Not disclosed in this posting: work arrangement.
Benefits
Joblaze summary
In the role of Research Engineer, Semiconductor at Periodic Labs, the individual will focus on validating novel thin-film materials through hands-on device testing and experimentation. Key skills include expertise in semiconductor device physics, fabrication techniques like photolithography, and electrical characterization methods. This position is ideal for candidates with a master's or PhD in a relevant field and experience in the semiconductor industry, particularly in device development or process integration. Periodic Labs operates in a dynamic environment, emphasizing innovation and collaboration across teams.
Joblaze insights
- Listed 9 days ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from Periodic Labs's career page.
- Periodic Labs has 29 other open roles including Don't See Your Role? Apply Here!, Computational Scientist, Differentiable Physics, Environmental Health and Safety.
- 31 active Semiconductor roles on Joblaze right now.
- 6 active photolithography roles on Joblaze right now.
- 6 active PVD roles on Joblaze right now.
- Salary band is above the typical range for comparable tech roles (median ~$126,887).
Quick facts
- What's the salary range?
- Periodic Labs lists $220,000–$300,000 for this role.
- How much experience is required?
- At least 3 years of relevant experience for this Research Engineer, Semiconductor role.
- What's the tech stack?
- Joblaze extracted these technologies from the posting: ALD, CVD, Device physics, E-beam lithography, Laser direct-write lithography, MBE.
- Does Periodic Labs sponsor work visas for this role?
- Yes — the posting indicates visa sponsorship is available for the right candidate.
- What seniority level is this role?
- Periodic Labs targets mid-level candidates for this position.
- Is this full-time or contract?
- Full-time for this Research Engineer, Semiconductor role at Periodic Labs.
From the original posting
About Periodic Labs
We’re an AI and physical sciences company building state-of-the-art models to accelerate breakthroughs across materials, energy, and beyond. Backed by world-class investors and growing rapidly, we operate at the pace the frontier requires. Our team brings deep expertise, genuine ownership, and an insatiable drive to push the boundaries of what’s scientifically possible.
About the Role
As a Research Engineer, Semiconductor, you’ll own device-level validation of our materials work, taking novel thin-film stacks from deposition through patterned test vehicles to measure electrical performance. You’ll design and run short-loop experiments that demonstrate how materials and interfaces translate into device behavior, leveraging both internal and external lab resources. You’ll also contribute technical expertise to customer-facing engagements, and this role blends deep hands-on capability with the flexibility to work across teams and partners to solve hard materials problems.
What You’ll Do
Design, fabricate, and characterize short-loop device test vehicles that demonstrate material and device performance against clear electrical targets.
Build patterned devices end-to-end using photolithography, direct-write laser lithography, or e-beam lithography, integrated with deposition, etch, and metrology.
Deposit thin-film stacks with engineered, complex interfaces using PVD, PLD, MBE, and ALD/CVD techniques.
Perform electrical characterization on probe stations, and design and build custom measurement test benches where commercial tools fall short.
Connect materials and interface properties to device outcomes, feeding insights back into film-stack and process development.
Contribute technical expertise to customer-facing engagements, translating customer needs into experimental plans and results.
Document experimental methodology, results, and learnings to feed both internal knowledge and AI training infrastructure.
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
MS or PhD in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, plus relevant industry experience.
Semiconductor industry experience in device development or process integration, background at an IDM, foundry, or memory manufacturer strongly preferred.
Strong command of device physics and integration flows, with a track record of demonstrating device performance in short-loop test vehicles.
Hands-on fabrication experience spanning lithography (photo, laser direct-write, or e-beam), thin-film deposition, etch, and metrology.
A deep understanding of how materials selection and interface quality drive device performance.
Proficiency in probe-station device measurement, plus the ability to architect and assemble custom electrical test setups.
A strong condensed matter physics foundation, spintronics, magnetic materials, or quantum phenomena, is a plus.
Working knowledge of emerging memory and logic device architectures is a plus.
Startup-ready mindset: able to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment while implementing industry-standard best practices.
Mechanics
Minimum education: Master’s degree with relevant experience
Location: Menlo Park, CA
Compensation: $220k - $300k + equity
Visa sponsorship: Yes, we sponsor visas and will do everything we can to assist in this process with our legal support.