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

Role details

What to Expect

Consider before submitting an application:

This position is expected to start around January 2027 and continue through the entire Spring term (ending approximately May 2027 or later, if available). We ask for a minimum of 12 weeks, full-time (40 hours/week) and on-site, for most internships. Our internship program is for students who are actively enrolled in an academic program. Recent graduates seeking employment after graduation and not returning to school should apply for full-time positions, not internships.

International Students: If your work authorization is through CPT, please consult your school on your ability to work 40 hours per week before applying. You must be able to work 40 hours per week on-site. Many students will be limited to part-time during the academic year.

Internship Program at Tesla

The 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.

What You'll Do

• Assist in developing and qualifying plasma etch processes for critical layers: gate, spacer, contact, and metal interconnect
• Assist in developing atomic layer etch processes for steps requiring angstrom-level profile and selectivity control
• Understand etch profiles, CD control, uniformity, and selectivity using a first-principles, physics-based approach to plasma chemistry and etch mechanism
• Assist in qualifying etch tools from installation through production readiness, including chamber seasoning, plasma characterization, and process window qualification
• Understand processes from a first-principles and physics-based approach
• Assist in root cause analysis, establish inline metrology, SPC control strategies, and drive systematic yield improvement
• Assist in new next-generation plasma etch chemistry and process development

What You'll Bring

• Currently pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or related field
• Interest in hands-on dry etch process engineering in a semiconductor fab
• Interest in learning etch tool qualification, plasma etch process development
• Experience with etch metrology tools, defect inspection, and etch profile characterization
• Strong Design of Experiments skills and statistical analysis capability
• Ability to work closely and proactively across lithography, etch, thin films, integration, and equipment engineering teams

Benefits

As a full-time Tesla Intern, you will be eligible for:

• Medical plans > plan options with $0 payroll deduction
• Family-building, fertility, adoption and surrogacy benefits
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plans. Both have an option with a $0 payroll contribution
• Company Paid (Health Savings Account) HSA Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible Medical Plan with HSA
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k), Employee Stock Purchase Plans, and other financial benefits
• Company Paid Basic Life, AD&D, and short-term disability insurance (90 day waiting period)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time (Flex time for salary positions), and Paid Holidays
• Back-up childcare and parenting support resources
• Voluntary benefits to include: critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident insurance, theft & legal services, and pet insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Employee discounts and perks program

Tesla is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Tesla is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.