Andrey Knyazik
Campbell
Summary
PhD level hands-on Systems Engineer with 10+ years of hands-on experience designing, building, and optimizing high-power RF/MW and optical systems. Proven record of delivering complex, first-of-their-kind hardware from first principles through production deployment. Combines deep domain expertise in RF engineering, plasma physics, and photonics with broad experience spanning R&D, operations, sales, and technical program management. Recognized for driving cross-functional collaboration, resolving high-value problems, and translating complex engineering concepts into actionable business outcomes.
Overview
18
18
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Technology Program Manager
Applied Materials, Inc.
09.2024 - Current
- Developed RF technology scorecards to guide next-gen product strategy and obsolescence planning.
- Led supplier technical audits assessing design capabilities, quality, and scalability for future programs.
- Drove cross-functional alignment between suppliers, contract manufacturers, engineers, program managers to improve communication, modularity, and cost efficiency in RF systems.
RF Engineer IV
Applied Materials, Inc.
10.2020 - 09.2024
- Led multi-disciplinary RF projects integrating mechanical, software, and electrical systems; mentored junior engineers.
- Defined and validated specifications for RF generators, matches, and MW power amplifiers across vendor ecosystems. Validation included automating tests of vendor demo equipment such as dummy load testing, chamber manual plasma strike test, and chamber recipe testing.
- Developed automated impedance-mapping tools in Python for matchbox calibration, including hysteresis and heating to improve accuracy and repeatability.
- Designed, built, tested, and optimized RF filters intended to separate RF (13.56 and 60 MHz) from either HVDC (for e-chuck/TC) or AC lines (for heaters).
- Collaborated with process engineers to improve deposition uniformity, strike time, and yield on PECVD and PEALD chambers by varying RF parameters such as RF power, Auto Frequency tuning, capacitor presets, and automatching trajectory; as well as plasma parameters such as gas composition and pressure.
- Conducted FMEA on newly introduced and legacy systems; identified and mitigated failure modes in RF generators, Matches, Cables and MW amplifiers.
- Micro-Arcing characterization: utilized oscilloscope with dual directional coupler (DDC) as well as DC bias pick off to guide process on operating conditions that avoid micro-arcing.
- Computed and measured transport of solid S-coax to characterize ohmic heating of CCP electrode.
- Constructed a setup for Voltage Waveform Tailoring to induce DC self-bias to improve IEDF for high aspect ratio plasma etching.
Hardware Development Engineer III
Varian Medical Systems
02.2020 - 09.2020
- Enhanced lifecycle monitoring of ScandiNova Solid State Klystron Modulator (SSKM).
- Refined servo mechanisms that in-situ correct radiation dose. Schemes of dose manipulation included pulse dropping, pulse width modulation, and PFN voltage modulation.
- Drove root-cause analysis for long-term operational failures in cross-functional NPI teams.
- Streamlined hardware specifications and manuals to improve maintainability and production consistency.
Senior Test Development Engineer
Infinera Corporation
10.2017 - 02.2020
- Developed/sustained installation, documentation and support of the Functional and Environmental testing of Infinera's next generation electrical/optical modules/systems.
- Developed test plan/specifications and automated manufacturing test infrastructure using VB.NET.
- Performed installation and verification of a complete test system at a contract manufacturer’s site in Thailand that mimicked ESS/FVT line card test system I developed in Sunnyvale.
- Facilitated in production transfer from Berlin and Hungary to Thailand. Responsible for test systems operation of filter, and line amplifier cards.
- Performed statistical analysis of product test parameters to identify and eliminate production yield detractors.
- Partnered with cross functional NPI team to define and implement detailed testability requirements.
Senior Sales Application Engineer
Ondax, Inc.
03.2017 - 09.2017
- Delivered customer-focused technical evaluations of Volume Holographic Gratings and wavelength stabilized laser products for RMAs and internal R&D.
- Won new opportunities by promoting new technical concepts, applications and products.
- Wrote and maintained application notes and manuals for laser products.
Technical Sales Engineer
Newport Corporation
01.2014 - 03.2017
- Chief advisor for nationwide motion control inquiries.
- Evaluated customer needs in the areas of motion control, vibration control, optics and photonics. Quantified technical requirements and generated strategies to enhance application performance.
- Provided troubleshooting support and identified solutions for motion and photonics concerns based on previous research experience, product expertise and calculations. When necessary, reproduced customer setup and devised a rubric to resolve or circumvent problems.
- Collaborated with regional sales managers to formulate a sales strategy according to customer technical demands, the competitive landscape, budgetary and timeline restrictions.
Graduate Student Researcher
University of California, Los Angeles
09.2007 - 11.2013
- Experimentally demonstrated ability to create orbital angular momentum (OAM) light using HGHMG scheme at the Particle Beam Physics Laboratory under the guidance of James Rosenzweig.
- Co-developed the High Gain High Mode Generation (HGHMG) theory of FEL interaction.
- Designed, built and calibrated a tunable Halbach helical undulator used for a Free Electron Laser (FEL). Design was used for two subsequent Ph.D. projects.
- Pioneered experimental generation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) light via HGHMG scheme at SLAC. Results were published in Nature Physics and other peer-reviewed journals.
- Managed and mentored a team of seven colleagues. Provided workload distribution, guidance of tool design and repair and aid in experimental set up.
- Wrote LabVIEW code to control components including dipoles, quadrupoles and modulators.
Education
Ph.D. - Physics
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA11.2013
B.S. - Physics
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA05.2005
Skills
- RF Generators
- Matching Networks
- MW PAs
- RF Filters
- PECVD
- ALD
- ICP
- OSAs
- Wavemeters
- Fabry-Perot analyzers
- Mode measurement tools
- VNAs
- Oscilloscopes
- Spectrum analyzers
- LabVIEW automation
- C
- C#
- Python
- VBNET
- MATLAB
- Mathematica
- LTSpice
- Plasma and RF simulations
- Statistical data analysis
- Test automation
- AutoCAD
- Solid Works
- NX
Technical Skills
RF Generators, Matching Networks, MW PAs, RF Filters, PECVD, ALD, ICP, OSAs, wavemeters, Fabry-Perot analyzers, mode measurement tools, VNAs, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers, LabVIEW automation, C++, C#, Python, VB.NET, MATLAB, Mathematica, LTSpice, Plasma and RF simulations, statistical data analysis, test automation, AutoCAD, Solid Works, NX
Publications
- Coherent optical vortices from relativistic electron beams, E. Hemsing, A. Knyazik, et al., Nature Physics, 9, 549–553, 2013
- Experimental observation of helical microbunching of a relativistic electron beam, E. Hemsing, A. Knyazik, et al., Applied Physics Letters, 100, 091110, 2012
- The Orbital Angular Momentum light generated via FEL at NLCTA, A. Knyazik et al., Proceedings of 2011 PAC, THP164
- Demonstration of inverse free-electron laser seeding in a sub-80 K, short period cryogenic undulator, F. O’Shea, A. Knyazik et al., Journal of Physics B, 47, 23
- Electron Beam Diagnostics using Coherent Cherenkov Radiation in Aerogel, R. Tikhoplav, A. Knyazik, et al., AIP Conference Proceedings, 1086, 610-615, 2009
- Status of Coherent Cherenkov Wakefield Experiment at UCLA, A.M. Cook, A. Knyazik, et al., AIP Conference Proceedings, 1086, 616-621, 2009
- Fresnel Diffraction for CTR Microbunching, R. Tikhoplav, A. Knyazik, et al., AIP Conference Proceedings, 1086, 628-630, 2009
Personal Information
Citizenship: U.S. Citizen
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
swipe to browse
Work Preference
Work Type
Full TimeLocation Preference
HybridImportant To Me
Career advancementCompany CultureLanguages
English
Native or Bilingual
Russian
Native or Bilingual
French
Limited Working
Timeline
Senior Technology Program Manager
Applied Materials, Inc.
09.2024 - Current
RF Engineer IV
Applied Materials, Inc.
10.2020 - 09.2024
Hardware Development Engineer III
Varian Medical Systems
02.2020 - 09.2020
Senior Test Development Engineer
Infinera Corporation
10.2017 - 02.2020
Senior Sales Application Engineer
Ondax, Inc.
03.2017 - 09.2017
Technical Sales Engineer
Newport Corporation
01.2014 - 03.2017
Graduate Student Researcher
University of California, Los Angeles
09.2007 - 11.2013
B.S. - Physics
University of California, Santa Cruz
Ph.D. - Physics
University of California, Los Angeles