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Assistant Microfabrication Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Periodic Labs

Nanofabrication Intern

Menlo Park, CA · On-site

$19.75 - $25.75/hr

... based microfabrication or nanofabrication. This person should have practical exposure to ... Run or assist with etch processes such as wet etching, plasma etching, RIE, ICP-RIE, or other dry ...

nLIGHT

Product Systems Engineer

Camas, WA

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... assist in the defense of our nation's armed forces. The preferred candidate will be highly ...

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Government

Camas, WA · On-site

$158K - $215K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Government

Camas, WA · On-site

$153K - $208K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Commercial

Camas, WA

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Commercial

Camas, WA

$170K - $200K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Commercial

Camas, WA

$170K - $200K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Product Systems Engineer

Camas, WA · On-site

$90K - $115K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... assist in the defense of our nation's armed forces. The preferred candidate will be highly ...

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Government

Camas, WA

$153K - $208K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

nLIGHT

Senior Counsel, Commercial

Camas, WA · On-site

$170K - $200K/yr

... microfabrication, and aerospace & defense applications, to name a few. Our lasers are changing not ... impact the company. * Assist and/or provide legal advice in any and all areas as assigned.

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Assistant Microfabrication information

What are some typical challenges faced by Assistant Microfabrication professionals during the fabrication process?

Assistant Microfabrication professionals often encounter challenges such as maintaining cleanroom protocols to prevent contamination, troubleshooting equipment malfunctions, and ensuring precise adherence to fabrication specifications. The role requires attention to detail when handling delicate materials and operating specialized machinery. Collaborating closely with engineers and senior technicians is common, especially when addressing unexpected process variations or optimizing workflow for high-yield production.

What are Assistant Microfabrication roles?

Assistant Microfabrication professionals support the fabrication and processing of micro-scale devices, often in cleanroom environments. Their tasks may include preparing materials, operating specialized equipment like photolithography and etching tools, and assisting engineers or scientists with experiments and quality control. They play a crucial role in research and manufacturing settings, ensuring the precision and cleanliness required for microfabrication. Typically, this position requires attention to detail, technical skills, and adherence to safety protocols.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Assistant Microfabrication Technician, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Assistant Microfabrication Technician, you need a solid background in materials science, chemistry, or engineering, often supported by a relevant associate’s or bachelor’s degree. Familiarity with cleanroom protocols, photolithography equipment, and software for process control is typically required. Attention to detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and teamwork are vital soft skills for this position. These competencies ensure high-quality fabrication of micro-devices, adherence to safety standards, and efficient collaboration in research or production environments.

What is the difference between Assistant Microfabrication vs Microfabrication Technician?

AspectAssistant MicrofabricationMicrofabrication Technician
CredentialsAssociate degree or technical certificationAssociate degree or technical certification
Work EnvironmentCleanrooms, laboratories, research facilitiesCleanrooms, laboratories, production floors
Employer & IndustryResearch institutions, semiconductor companiesSemiconductor manufacturing, microelectronics firms
Job FocusSupporting fabrication processes, assisting senior staffOperating equipment, maintaining fabrication processes

Assistant Microfabrication roles typically involve supporting microfabrication processes under supervision, focusing on assisting with equipment and procedures. Microfabrication Technicians often operate and maintain fabrication equipment independently. Both roles require similar credentials and work in cleanroom environments within the semiconductor industry, but their responsibilities differ in scope and independence.

More about Assistant Microfabrication jobs
What cities are hiring for Assistant Microfabrication jobs? Cities with the most Assistant Microfabrication job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Microfabrication jobs? The most popular types of Microfabrication jobs are:
What states have the most Assistant Microfabrication jobs? States with the most job openings for Assistant Microfabrication jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Assistant Microfabrication jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Assistant Microfabrication jobs are:
Assistant Microfabrication jobs near you
Infographic showing various Assistant Microfabrication job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 76% Full Time, 20% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution.

Nanofabrication Intern

Periodic Labs

Menlo Park, CA • On-site

$19.75 - $25.75/hr

Internship

Posted 12 days ago

Job description

About Periodic Labs
The most important scientific discoveries of our time won't happen in a traditional lab. 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
Periodic Labs is developing AI that can both simulate science and verify its predictions to train on the full scientific method. A central challenge in that mission is connecting materials discovery with real, scalable device-relevant form factors. Materials our AI predicts and our lab synthesizes must ultimately be validated through thin films, patterned structures, and device-relevant process flows for applications across semiconductors, memory, photonics, and advanced materials.
We are looking for a hands-on Nanofabrication Intern with experience in cleanroom-based microfabrication or nanofabrication. This person should have practical exposure to lithography, deposition, and etch processes for silicon-based microelectronic, photonic, MEMS, or optical devices.
In this role, you will support process development and experimental execution while contributing to the buildout of Periodic's internal thin-film and nanofabrication capabilities. Your work will help generate high-quality experimental data that feeds directly into our AI training pipeline.
What You'll Do
  • Execute hands-on nanofabrication processes for silicon-based microelectronic, photonic, MEMS, or optical devices, including lithography, thin-film deposition, etch, substrate preparation, and related cleanroom workflows.
  • Support lithography processes such as spin coating, baking, mask alignment, exposure, development, lift-off, and optical inspection.
  • Operate or support thin-film deposition processes such as sputtering, evaporation, PVD, PLD, ALD, PECVD, or related techniques.
  • Run or assist with etch processes such as wet etching, plasma etching, RIE, ICP-RIE, or other dry etch workflows.
  • Prepare substrates, manage process flows, track samples, and maintain detailed experimental records that meet the metadata and data quality standards required for AI training.
  • Perform basic structural, optical, electrical, or morphological characterization, potentially including profilometry, ellipsometry, SEM, optical microscopy, XRD/XRR, 4-point probe, or related metrology.
  • Work with senior scientists and engineers to troubleshoot process issues, identify failure modes, and iterate on recipes or workflows.
  • Collaborate with materials science, AI, and automation teams to connect fabrication results with model predictions and experimental planning.
  • Follow rigorous laboratory safety and facility protocols, including those required by external shared cleanroom facilities.
You Will Thrive in This Role If You Have
  • Currently pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in electrical engineering, materials science, applied physics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, or a related field.
  • Hands-on experience in a university cleanroom, nanofabrication facility, semiconductor lab, photonics lab, MEMS lab, or related research environment.
  • Practical exposure to lithography, deposition, and etch processes. You do not need to be equally deep in every module, but you should understand how these steps connect in a device fabrication flow.
  • Experience working with silicon-based microelectronic, photonic, MEMS, optical, or semiconductor devices.
  • Comfort spending real time at tools, following cleanroom protocols, logging process details, and learning new equipment quickly.
  • Strong documentation habits and attention to detail. You record what actually happened in the experiment, not just what was intended.
  • Ability to work independently in shared research facilities while escalating issues appropriately and learning from senior team members.
Especially Strong Candidates May Also Have
  • Experience with full or partial device fabrication flows involving lithography, deposition, etch, and characterization.
  • Hands-on experience with specific tools or techniques such as mask aligners, spin coaters, sputtering, evaporation, ALD, PECVD, RIE, ICP-RIE, profilometry, ellipsometry, SEM, or 4-point probe.
  • Experience fabricating silicon photonics, MEMS, optoelectronic devices, sensors, thin-film devices, or other micro/nanoscale structures.
  • Experience working in shared cleanroom environments, including completing facility-specific safety training, navigating tool reservation systems, and operating within shared-use norms.
  • Exposure to functional materials in thin-film or device form, including oxides, nitrides, metals, semiconductors, superconductors, magnetics, ferroelectrics, or multilayer stacks.
  • Interest in working at the intersection of experimental science, nanofabrication, and AI-driven discovery.
Mechanics
Location: Menlo Park, CA. This role is expected to be on-site, with work taking place at Periodic's lab and external cleanroom facilities in the Bay Area.
Term: Internship / fixed-term position.
Compensation: Competitive and based on experience.
Visa sponsorship: We sponsor visas and will do everything we can to assist in this process with our legal support.

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