IC Design Engineer / Researcher, Integrated Circuits

Job Description

Job Title: IC Design Engineer / Researcher, Integrated Circuits (Deep Submicron CMOS)

Introduction

Join IBM Research, where we take profound responsibility for technology and its vital role in society. As part of our world-renowned team, you will be at the forefront of inventing what’s next in computing, consistently tackling big, urgent, and mind-bending challenges that create lasting impact across generations. Our culture is built on a passion for discovery, an unwavering excitement for defining the future of technology, and a commitment to solving complex problems for clients, delivering real-world impact that truly matters.

Positioned within IBM’s expansive product and technology landscape encompassing Research, Software, and Infrastructure, this role places you directly at the heart of IBM’s innovation engine, offering unparalleled opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As an IC Design Engineer / Researcher, you will become an integral member of a world-class team of engineers and researchers. Your primary contribution will be to the cutting-edge development of innovative integrated circuits (ICs), meticulously implemented using advanced deep submicron CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) technologies. Our focus areas are at the vanguard of technological advancement, including:

• AI Acceleration: Designing circuits that power the next generation of artificial intelligence.
• High-Speed Communications: Developing solutions for ultra-fast data transfer.
• Chiplet-Based Integration Approaches: Pioneering modular, scalable system designs.

Specific responsibilities will include:

• Collaborate on Architecture/System-Level Development: Engage deeply in defining system architectures, meticulously analyzing design trade-offs through comprehensive system simulations and/or software modeling. This also involves critical analysis of measured data from existing or prior IC implementations to inform future designs.
• Perform Design and/or Synthesis of Circuit Building Blocks: Undertake the detailed design and/or synthesis of both digital and/or mixed-signal circuit building blocks, ensuring they precisely meet a rigorous set of performance, power, and area specifications.
• Perform Co-simulation and Verification: Rigorously execute co-simulation and thorough verification of designed circuits and sub-systems to ensure functional correctness and performance integrity.
• Support Physical Design/Synthesis and Post-Layout Verification: Actively support the physical design, synthesis, and crucial post-layout verification stages to ensure successful silicon implementation.
• Document Design Concepts, Simulations, and Verification Results: Maintain meticulous documentation of design concepts, simulation methodologies, and verification results, ensuring clarity, reproducibility, and knowledge sharing.

Preferred Education

• Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Demonstrated hands-on experience with relevant industry-standard IC-development tools, specifically including platforms such as Cadence.
• Proven expertise in IC design using advanced deep sub-micron CMOS technologies.
• A strong track record of success in the completion of complex mixed-signal and/or digital IC designs.
• Ability to successfully create and articulate technical ideas, concepts, and results clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Applied knowledge of AI-accelerator architectures and their implications for circuit design.
• Understanding of chiplet-based system implementation approaches and their associated high-speed communication interfaces.
• Practical experience and knowledge in standard-cell digital design, custom digital design, and/or mixed-signal design, particularly for high-speed communication applications.
• Familiarity with common programming languages such as Python for scripting, automation, and data analysis.
• Experience with hardware-software co-design methodologies, understanding the interplay between hardware and software components in complex systems.