Daniel Zou

Chief Optical Engineer @ KLA

About

I was responsible for designing and leading the development of deep ultraviolet optical inspection systems, driving semiconductor manufacturing towards 5-nanometer and sub-nanometer precision. My focus was on improving the accuracy, stability, and scalability of wafer defect detection, from optical architecture to system integration and production readiness. I worked closely with the mechanical, software, and signal teams to ensure the entire instrument functioned reliably as a whole, significantly improving yield.

Country

United States

City

Milpitas

Industry

Computer Software

Skill

Global Supplier and University Partnership Coordination, Product Lifecycle Management in Photonics, AI-Assisted Optical Design & Testing, Cross-functional R&D Collaboration, Semiconductor Inspection Equipment Architecture, Optical Tolerancing & Thermal Compensation, Photonic Integration and Freeform Optics, DUV & EUV Optical Engineering, Interferometric & Sub-Wavelength Metrology, Optical System Design (Zemax, Code V, LightTools), Public Relations, Team Building, Budgets, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, PowerPoint, Team Leadership, Corporate Events, Social Networking, Unreal Engine

Experience

Chief Optical Engineer

KLA

2024-5 - Present · 2 yrs 5 mos

Milpitas, CA

Lead system architecture and design of next-gen deep-UV interferometric inspection platforms targeting sub-5nm semiconductor nodes Manage international R&D teams and coordinate multi-domain integration across optics, mechanics, software, and signal processing Initiate strategic partnerships with universities and suppliers for freeform optics and nonlinear material innovation Developed novel trade-off models improving optical power-resolution balance, increasing system precision by 25%

Senior Optical System Architect

KLA

2019-7 - 2024-4 · 4 yrs 10 mos

Milpitas, California, United States

Optimized optical pathways and standardized modules for high-speed wafer inspection platforms Designed and fine-tuned multi-channel interferometric systems for sub-wavelength defect detection Supported concurrent development of four commercial subsystems across multiple programs Trained new hires in advanced optical design tools including Zemax and LightTools

Senior Optical Design Engineer

KLA

2016-6 - 2019-6 · 3 yrs 1 mo

Milpitas, California, United States

Led selection and custom design of aspheric optics, improving system alignment efficiency by 30% Conducted thermal stability modeling and compensation design for DLP imaging and UV sources Introduced AI-assisted tolerance analysis and automated alignment algorithms, cutting development cycle by 25%

Optoelectronic Systems Engineer

Ericsson

2012-4 - 2016-5 · 4 yrs 2 mos

Seattle, Washington, United States

Developed high-speed transmitter/receiver optical channels for 5G fronthaul modules Improved fiber coupling efficiency and optimized laser stability under real-world operating conditions Authored validation test plans and conducted pre-production module qualification

Optical Communication Design Engineer

Ericsson

2009-1 - 2012-3 · 3 yrs 3 mos

Seattle, Washington, United States

Designed VCSEL-based short-reach interconnects for data center and telecom applications Led feasibility studies and verification of photonic integration solutions in global R&D programs Enhanced product batch consistency and upgraded automated optical test workflows

Hardware Engineer

Ericsson

2006-7 - 2008-12 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Seattle, Washington, United States

Assisted with RF and optical module system integration testing Maintained lab setups and calibration protocols for optical test benches

Hardware Engineer

Coherent Corp.

2001 - 2006 · 5 yrs

Laser and optical module testing and alignment Fiber-coupling optimization and reliability validation Built optical test setups and improved yield/efficiency