Summer 2026 Intern

Description:

The intern will work with the tribological component testing team supporting Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording (HAMR) technology. The project focuses on understanding and improving head-disk interface components operating under extreme conditions in HAMR. The intern will design and perform experiments to characterize tribological behavior of lubricants, overcoats and other materials relevant to HAMR head-disk interfaces and contribute to the development of next-generation storage technologies.

Qualifications

Required:

• Currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Tribology, Physics, or a related fields
• Strong background in tribology, contact mechanics, surface science, or thin film materials
• Ability to work hands-on with precision mechanical testing systems
• Experience with experimental methods and data analysis
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or similar

Preferred:

• Experience with surface characterization techniques, such as optical microscopy, SEM, AFM, surface profilometry
• Knowledge of lubrication, DLC coatings, or surface engineering
• Experience with thermal or thermo-mechanical effects in sliding interfaces
• Background in statistical analysis or design of experiments (DOE)
• Strong experimental problem-solving ability
• Document results and present findings to the research and engineering teams
• Contribute to development of improved test methodologies or reliability models