Senior Precision Stage Architect V - (E5)

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

Salary: $163,000.00 - $224,000.00
Location: Santa Clara, CA

Role: Senior Precision Stage Architect V - (E5)

Location: Santa, Clara (Onsite)

Role Summary

Owns the end-to-end architecture of high-precision motion stages and their mechatronic subsystems, spanning mechanical structure, actuation, sensing, metrology, and motion control. Sets the technical direction for stage performance — translating positioning, dynamic, and throughput requirements into a coherent mechanical/control co-design — and serves as the senior technical authority guiding the multidisciplinary team that executes it.

Key Responsibilities

• Completes definition and design of complex precision-stage mechanical components, modules, and mechatronic sub-systems, treating mechanics and controls as a co-designed system rather than separate disciplines.
• Defines the control system architecture for precision stages — servo loop topology, loop partitioning, feedforward strategy, sensor/actuator selection, and the mechanical/control trade-offs that govern positioning accuracy, repeatability, and settling time.
• Sets and drives the technical direction for stage controls: establishes the controls roadmap, error budgets, and quantitative performance targets (nanometer-class positioning, dynamic following error, settling time, throughput), and directs the engineers working against them.
• Anticipates business and regulatory issues; recommends product, process, or service improvements.
• Solves unique and complex problems with broad impact on the business; requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions across the mechanical–control boundary.
• Impacts the direction and resource allocation for program, project, or services; works within general functional policies and industry guidelines.
• Contributes to the system engineering specification both within precision stage/control expertise and broadening into other disciplines.
• Develops dynamic models of stage mechanics (structural dynamics, resonances, mass/stiffness budgets) and integrates them with control design, including active vibration isolation, disturbance rejection, and damping strategies.
• Specifies and integrates position feedback and metrology (laser interferometers, encoders, capacitive/optical sensors) together with real-time control hardware (motion controllers, FPGA/DSP, drives, amplifiers) and the full sensor-to-actuator signal chain.
• Defines, tunes, and validates multi-axis servo loops, feedforward, and trajectory/motion profiles to meet positioning and dynamic performance under production conditions.
• Ensures designs meet Market Requirement Specifications (MRS). Coordinates with project marketing and management to understand subsystem requirements.
• Chairs architecture brainstorming meetings and drives the systems process to down-select to a final stage architecture, including the control system architecture and the mechanical/control partition.
• Conducts detailed engineering analysis of subsystems — control-loop stability and bandwidth analysis, error budgeting, modal/structural dynamics, thermal and dynamic error sources — using deep design knowledge in field of expertise and broadening into other disciplines.
• Assists in creating concepts for architectural design approaches. Evaluates competing architectures (mechanical and control) to recommend the best overall system solution.
• Builds and qualifies prototypes of new stage designs, or procures entire subsystems from outsourced suppliers and tests for compliance with detailed specifications, including control performance qualification.
• Identifies and troubleshoots difficult engineering problems — including servo instability, control-loop tuning, vibration, and dynamic error sources — as well as serviceability and manufacturability.
• Partners with electrical, firmware, and software teams on real-time control implementation, sampling/latency budgets, and controller-to-drive integration.
• Supports system integration during assembly and final test of new product designs.
• Performs and coordinates tests per internal and industry-accepted reliability specifications; makes suitable design or operational changes as required.
• Supports system engineering projects with a substantial mix of electrical, mechanical, physics, controls, algorithms, and software design, and understands the underlying system implications.
• Provides remote and onsite support to field support personnel as required.
• Techically leads and/or executes engineering projects, including development of key suppliers.
• Drives successful completion of tool safety standards (SEMI S2/S8/S14, NFPA 79, F47, CE, EMI/EMC) working with 3rd-party evaluators.
• Prepares summary reports for internal and external audiences; presents findings, data, and conclusions to technical experts.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or Controls with 10–15+ years of experience. MS preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of system engineering, control theory, servo/feedback control design, and multi-axis motion control, applied to high-precision motion stages and stage subsystems (chuck, substrate/wafer handling, interferometry, metrology, etc.).
• Hands-on experience with mechatronic co-design — system identification, dynamic modeling, control-loop tuning, feedforward design, and active vibration isolation/damping for nanometer-class positioning.
• Familiarity with motion control hardware and real-time control implementation: motion controllers, FPGA/DSP-based real-time systems, drives, amplifiers, and position feedback/metrology sensors (interferometers, encoders, capacitive sensors).
• Mechanical engineering experience in component selection, building, testing, troubleshooting, and releasing semiconductor or other similar-scale capital equipment.
• Knowledge of SEMI S2/S8/S14, NFPA 79, F47, CE, and EMI/EMC safety standards.
• In-depth knowledge of 3D CAD design tools (e.g., Inventor) and 2D CAD drawing tools, including but not limited to Siemens NX Unigraphics, Inventor, AutoCAD, etc.
• Working knowledge of materials and components used in semiconductor wafer manufacturing equipment, materials characterization methods, and failure analysis of materials/systems.
• Experience supporting manufacturing and service organizations through training, documentation (procedures, OMS, BKMs, etc.), and troubleshooting.
• Proficiency in modeling, simulation, and data analysis tools such as MATLAB/Simulink, Python, Excel, or equivalent.
• Strong time management skills with an emphasis on managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong communication and organizational skills and a sense of collaboration.
• Energy and desire to thrive in a start-up-like environment.
• Managerial experience a plus, opportunity for future growth.