Principal Engineer – Oxide Semiconductor Materials

Job description

This Principal Engineer position in Western Digital Research, a world-class research laboratory in San Jose, California with ~80 employees. Research activities in the lab focus on information storage, sensors, spintronics, superconducting devices, and AI memory/compute architectures. The materials team engages in experimental and computational research activity with the mission to develop novel materials for emerging technologies. The team is well-equipped with thin film deposition tools, related characterization methods and support staff, located in a fully functional cleanroom with the capability to fabricate a wide array of nanoscale devices using novel materials. Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Conduct hands-on, experimental research of thin film materials for emerging technologies. Thin film growth by physical vapor deposition using ultra-high vacuum film deposition tools. Characterization of structural, electronic, chemical, and magnetic film properties. Design of materials for integration into nanoscale devices. Collect, analyze, present and report film and device characterization data, results and conclusions. Work closely and collaborate within a team of engineers and support staff. Qualifications Ph.D. in materials science and engineering, physics, electrical engineering, or closely related field. Expertise with materials and devices in applications related to oxide semiconductors, non-volatile memory, spintronics, superconductors, or alternative computing. Strong hands-on experience with UHV film deposition equipment. Strong hands-on experience with film characterization instrumentation and techniques such as XRD, XPS, XRF, Raman spectroscopy, magnetometry and AFM. Strong knowledge of nanofabrication and general device design and operation. Demonstrated ability to self-direct a research project. Strong written and oral communication skills, and the ability to work both independently and in a team environment.