Internship, Process Engineer, Dry Etch, Terafab (Winter/Spring 2027)

Internship Program at TeslaThe Internship Recruiting Team is driven by the passion to recognize and develop emerging talent. Our year-round program places the best students in positions where they will grow technically, professionally, and personally through their experience working closely with their Manager, Mentor, and team. We provide an experience that allows the intern to experience life at Tesla by including them in projects that are critical to their team's success.We are building Terafab, a vertically integrated semiconductor factory at an unprecedented scale. The facility houses logic, memory, packaging, test, and lithography mask production under one roof, optimized for rapid iteration and maximum compute density per square foot.Process engineering is where Terafab technology gets built, atom by atom, and dry etch is where plasma meets precision. You will develop and own etch processes across three distinct chip families: edge-inference processors, space-hardened chips for orbital satellites, and high-bandwidth memory. You'll optimize selectivity, profile control, and critical dimension uniformity across complex material stacks; from high-k dielectrics to metal gates to through-silicon vias.ResponsibilitiesAssist in developing and qualifying plasma etch processes for critical layers: gate, spacer, contact, and metal interconnectAssist in developing atomic layer etch processes for steps requiring angstrom-level profile and selectivity controlUnderstand etch profiles, CD control, uniformity, and selectivity using a first-principles, physics-based approach to plasma chemistry and etch mechanismAssist in qualifying etch tools from installation through production readiness, including chamber seasoning, plasma characterization, and process window qualificationUnderstand processes from a first-principles and physics-based approachAssist in root cause analysis, establish inline metrology, SPC control strategies, and drive systematic yield improvementAssist in new next-generation plasma etch chemistry and process developmentRequirementsCurrently pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or related fieldInterest in hands-on dry etch process engineering in a semiconductor fabInterest in learning etch tool qualification, plasma etch process developmentExperience with etch metrology tools, defect inspection, and etch profile characterizationStrong Design of Experiments skills and statistical analysis capabilityAbility to work closely and proactively across lithography, etch, thin films, integration, and equipment engineering teamsCompensation & BenefitsBenefitsAs a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deductionFamily-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefitsDental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contributionCompany Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSAHealthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefitsCompany Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)Employee Assistance ProgramSick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid HolidaysBack-up childcare and parenting support resourcesVoluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insuranceCommuter benefitsEmployee discounts and perks program