As a Nanofabrication Engineer, you will advance the next generation of processing and packaging efforts for frontier AI compute systems. Working alongside leading AI scientists, you will develop and optimize advanced photonic and hardware systems from first principles. This is a rare opportunity to shape the hardware infrastructure powering the future of AI.
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Nanofabrication Engineer at Piris Labs
Join a high-velocity YC W26 hardware startup in San Francisco building the next generation of compute infrastructure for AI inference. As a Nanofabrication Engineer, you will leverage elite facilities—including 120 kV E-beam lithography and advanced photonic tools—to develop the hardware powering frontier AI models. Whether you are a junior or senior engineer, this is a unique chance to work alongside world-class scientists and shape the future of hardware from first principles in a fast-moving, high-impact environment. If you have deep cleanroom experience and a passion for photonic systems, we want to hear from you.
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Location
San Francisco, United States
Compensation
Not Disclosed
Company
Piris Labs
Role overview
Piris Labs offers a full-stack inference service that eliminates the AI data movement bottleneck by pairing proprietary photonic hardware with vertically optimized solutions for ultra-fast, low-latency AI inference powered by proprietary interconnect technology. The company focuses on building unified infrastructure for AI, including breakthrough direct conversion of electricity to light for unprecedented optical efficiency, making AI unit economics scalable.[1][2][3][4][6]
What you will do
- Develop and optimize complex nanofabrication processes for advanced photonic systems using tools like MLA150 Heidelberg and 100–120 kV E-beam lithography.
- Execute process integration for advanced packaging and device fabrication, including thick metal deposition, lift-off, and PECVD workflows.
- Conduct high-precision film and surface characterization using specialized tools such as Ellipsometry, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and SEM.
Who this is a fit for
- Possesses deep hands-on cleanroom fabrication experience, ideally with specific exposure to UC Berkeley or Stanford University nanofabrication facilities.
- Holds a PhD (or an MS/BS with significant industry experience) and a strong technical grasp of nanofabrication chemistry and process interactions.
- Demonstrates a practical, detail-oriented approach to building hardware, with prior experience in fiber optics or photonics being a significant advantage.
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Why this role is remarkable
- Join a high-velocity YC W26 startup at the ground floor, working directly on the hardware infrastructure that will define the AI inference era.
- Gain hands-on exposure to a world-class tech stack including 120 kV E-beam lithography, DUV, and advanced photonic integration tools.
- Work in an environment that blends first-principles research with rapid hardware iteration alongside elite AI scientists and hardware experts.
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What happens next?
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If your profile’s a match and Piris Labs wants to meet, Jill will make the intro. In the meantime, Jack will send you excellent alternatives.