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xLight Inc. · 16 hours ago

Mechanical Engineer - Optomechanical

Palo Alto, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Mid, Senior Level

3+ years exp

xLight Inc. is on a mission to build the next-generation light source for semiconductor manufacturing. As a Mechanical Engineer, you will specialize in designing and developing the mechanical infrastructure for EUV beams, focusing on precision alignment and robust manufacturability.

ElectronicsLaserManufacturing

Hiring Manager

Andrew Burrill

Responsibilities

Mechanical design of EUV beamline segments, drift sections, and interfaces from accelerator vault to subfab, including vacuum chambers, beam tubes, gate valves, bellows, supports, and alignment infrastructure

Develop end‑to‑end designs: concepting, CAD models in NX, detailed drawings with GD&T, tolerance stacks, error budgets, design reviews, prototyping, and release to manufacturing via Teamcenter

Engineer precision alignment strategies (survey monuments, kinematic mounts, flexures, fiducials, etc.) with practical installation/commissioning procedures

Design UHV components and systems, both static and moving

Perform structural/thermal/vibration analyses in Ansys to ensure structural integrity and thermal stability under operating loads

Plan installation from accelerator vault to fab: rigging, alignment sequence, survey, commissioning checklists, and root‑cause troubleshooting

Coordinate and collaborate with controls, vacuum, and optics personnel for interface control, requirements, and integration

Author test procedures and acceptance criteria for designed systems, perform tests, and analyze test data to verify performance

Perform FMECA (Failure Modes, Effects, and Criticality Analysis) on mechanical systems to identify potential failure modes, assess impact on alignment/stability, and vacuum integrity, and propose design mitigations to reduce risk

Qualification

CAD modeling (NX/SolidWorks)UHV design fundamentalsFEA analysis (Ansys)Designing in-vacuum systemsManufacturing techniques & materialsTechnical problem solvingEffective communication

Required

BS/MS degree in Mechanical Engineering with 5+/3+ years of experience with complex, multidisciplinary systems such as accelerators, photon beamlines, or semiconductor capital equipment

Strong background in system integration and technical problem solving

CAD modeling (NX/SolidWorks) and drawing standards (ASME Y14.5 GD&T) with PLM integration (Teamcenter)

UHV design fundamentals (materials, surface prep, cleanliness, etc.) and familiarity with UHV components, hardware, and motion systems

Designing in-vacuum laser or electron beam transport systems

Mounting, aligning, adjusting, and constraining systems or components in 6DOF

FEA analysis (structural, vibration, thermal) in Ansys

Knowledge of various manufacturing techniques & materials (CNC machining, welding/brazing, EDM, sheet metal)

Develop test procedures and acceptance criteria, perform such tests, and analyze performance data to verify performance

Effective communication with different teams and external vendors

Preferred

Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Physics or Engineering

Hands-on experience with FEL or large-scale accelerator projects (LCLS-II, XFEL, FLASH, etc.)

Ability to act as a technical lead for design challenges that require cross-functional collaboration between different stakeholder groups (mechanical, optics, electrical, systems, physics, etc.)

Ability to help develop and implement in-house engineering procedures and best practices to ensure quality, efficiency, and consistency across all mechanical systems