Subject Matter Expert - Cleanliness (m/f/d) for the semiconductor industry

About the role

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. We are establishing a dedicated Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Cleanliness within R&D to ensure that cleanliness requirements are defined, designed for, and verified at component and system levels. In this role, you will work closely with the experts responsible for the operational side of cleanliness, who focus on Cleanliness & Contamination Control and ensure that the specifications defined during development are not only met but also consistently maintained throughout serial production. A key benefit of this new role is the ability to drive foundational cleanliness research and benchmarking and to support multiple development projects with cross‑cutting expertise. This includes activities such as evaluating advanced materials and coatings, identifying low‑outgassing or low‑particle‑generating materials, and validating new surface treatments that enhance cleanability. Your work will generate insights, standards, and best practices that benefit every current and future product platform. As the SME for Cleanliness, you will define cleanliness specifications, guide design choices, assess manufacturability and cleaning compatibility, and develop verification methodologies to confirm clean-state compliance.

Responsibilities

• Foundational Cleanliness Research & Benchmarking
• Identify and validate materials, coatings, and surface structuring techniques that improve part cleanability, reduce outgassing, or minimize particle generation.
• Perform lab testing, comparative studies, and structured evaluations to build a knowledge base of superior cleanliness solutions for future product designs.
• Translate research into R&D standards, design rules, and qualification criteria.
• Design for Cleanliness Leadership
• Define cleanliness requirements for components, assemblies, and system-level modules (e.g., particle limits, residual gas limits, surface cleanliness grades).
• Establish design guidelines that ensure parts are inherently cleanable and maintainable throughout the lifecycle.
• Geometry & Accessibility Requirements
• Advice on dimensions, radii, line-of-sight constraints, surface finishes, and accessibility considerations that affect cleanability.
• Review designs for risk of particle traps, outgassing sources, contamination accumulation, or cleaning limitations.
• Material & Manufacturing Expertise
• Specify suitable materials and manufacturing processes based on cleanability and resistance to cleaning agents, bakeout cycles, plasma treatments, and other decontamination methods.
• Support operational functions in assessing suppliers and part designs for compliance with cleanliness-relevant constraints by defining requirements and providing troubleshooting assistance.
• Verification of Cleanliness
• Support the definition and establishment of methods to verify that cleanliness specifications are met, including analytical, measurement, or inspection methods.
• Support creation of test procedures for clean-state verification during NPI and engineering builds.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Act as the R&D counterpart to Cleanliness & Contamination Control in Operations, ensuring seamless continuity between design requirements and operational implementation.
• Work closely with product designers, process engineers, quality engineers, and suppliers to ensure cleanliness risks are identified and mitigated early.
• Knowledge & Process Development
• Build and maintain R&D standards, documentation, and best practices for Design for Cleanliness.
• Capture lessons learned, known failure mechanisms, contamination risks, and material compatibility issues.
• Required Qualifications & Experience
• Education
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Che

Benefits

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