Research Engineer
US$220,000 – US$300,000 / yr base salary
Posted 8 Aug 2026
Advertised as “Research Engineer, Semiconductor”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Employment
- On-Site
- Contract
- Full-time
- Visa sponsorship
- Offered
| Base salary | US$220,000 – US$300,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyElectrical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics (or related)
Study levelMaster's or higher
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
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Design, fabricate, and characterize short-loop device test vehicles that demonstrate material and device performance against clear electrical targets.
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Build patterned devices end-to-end using photolithography, direct-write laser lithography, or e-beam lithography, integrated with deposition, etch, and metrology.
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Deposit thin-film stacks with engineered, complex interfaces using PVD, PLD, MBE, and ALD/CVD techniques.
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Perform electrical characterization on probe stations, and design and build custom measurement test benches where commercial tools fall short.
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Connect materials and interface properties to device outcomes, feeding insights back into film-stack and process development.
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Contribute technical expertise to customer-facing engagements, translating customer needs into experimental plans and results.
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Document experimental methodology, results, and learnings to feed both internal knowledge and AI training infrastructure.
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
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MS or PhD in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field, plus relevant industry experience.
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Semiconductor industry experience in device development or process integration, background at an IDM, foundry, or memory manufacturer strongly preferred.
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Strong command of device physics and integration flows, with a track record of demonstrating device performance in short-loop test vehicles.