2026 Summer Internship Photonics Test Engineer PhD (Santa Clara, CA)

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

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Youll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn develop and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possiblewhile learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

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As an optoelectronics testing engineer youll be responsible for characterizing and testing our next generation photonics interconnect devices such as interposer waveguide FAU CPO transceivers and various optoelectronic subsystems. You will conduct verification and characterization of various active and passive optical and photonic components including but not limited to modulators photodetectors passive waveguides and couplers multiplexers and de-multiplexers and fiber-to-chip coupling. You will define test plan and develop test setup and procedures for optical device and modules.

Responsibilities

• Bring-up and characterization of high-speed optical components including waveguide coupler modulators and photodetectors ensuring they meet performance expectations.
• Design implement and maintain optical and electrical test setups
• Design and implement test procedures for silicon photonics chips and SIP based optical subsystems
• Design and execute validation and debug plans aligned with product specs including link-level electro-optic testing using industry-standard equipment like BERTs DCAs VNAs and AWGs.
• Design and debug test methods and fixtures to characterize optical alignment systems
• Establish and manage test data collection archiving analysis and presentation
• Maintain test equipment and instrument calibration identify and purchase test parts and write equipment preventive maintenance (PM) procedures
  
  

Qualification

• Ph.D. or working towards Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering Optics and Optical Engineering Applied Physics or related field
• Hands on experience with optical chip component and system-level prototyping and testing for Telecommunications or Data Center Interconnect (DCI) product development.

• Working knowledge and experience with manufacturing support such as optical component testing and performance evaluation.
• Fluent in programming skills in a PC/Windows environment using C Python LabView to enable test scripting and automation
• Data collection analysis and reporting data analysis software such as JMP Matlab and MS Office.
• Desirable experience with CAD/modeling/simulation software such as PADs Solidworks and Zemax
• Self-motivated creative teamwork oriented

Additional Information

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Relocation Eligible:

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location hire grade job-related knowledge skills experience and with consideration of internal equity of our current team addition to a comprehensive benefits package candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program as applicable.

For all sales roles the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color national origin citizenship ancestry religion creed sex sexual orientation gender identity age disability veteran or military status or any other basis prohibited by law.

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