2026 Summer - Plasma Products Modeling Physicist/Scientist Intern - 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

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

You’ll 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 possible—while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more. 

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We’re committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits. 

Applied Materials’ Plasma Product Modeling (PPM) team in the Silicon Product Group is searching for interns to join our team in summer 2026! The PPM team closely works with the engineering groups in our business units to design the next generation plasma processing tools. The summer interns will be involved in projects related to forward-looking research and development, plasma and plasma – surface interaction model development, understanding the atomic-scale physics at surfaces in contact with plasma, and machine learning methods to accelerate plasma product and process design. Potential projects could include:

• Understanding and designing new plasma processing systems
• Use molecular dynamics simulation to understand fundamental processes at surfaces in contact with plasma
• Developing new capabilities in our internal plasma and feature scale models
• Use plasma and surface physics models to understand leading-edge plasma etch and deposition experiments
• Apply in-house plasma models to understand complex plasma behavior
• Explore machine learning methods to accelerate how 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D plasma and feature-scale models are developed and used

Requirements

• Student must be pursuing a M.S. or Ph.D. degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, or a related field
• Student must be in good academic standing at their university, with a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale
• Proficient in some of the following fields: computational physics, plasma physics, molecular dynamics, plasma chemistry, surface physics, density functional theory, reacting flows, fluid dynamics
• Knowledge of machine learning applications will be useful
• Quick learner, high degree of flexibility and problem-solving skills

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Intern / Student

Travel:

Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

Yes

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 members. In 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.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.