Senior IC Layout Designer
Full-time/Direct-hire Benefits
Location: near Minneapolis, Minnesota or remote
US Citizen or US Permanent Resident only
Job Description:
As Layout Design Engineer, you’ll play a crucial role in translating circuit designs into physical layouts. You’ll work closely with analog and mixed-signal design teams, ensuring that our custom-designed chips meet performance, power, and area targets. Additional duties include the evaluation of customer requirements, estimating effort/expenses for projects, development of test/characterization plans and datasheets, participation in debug and root cause analysis efforts, and engaging with the quality team to improve design processes/methodologies.
Essential Duties & Qualifications:
• Layout Development:
- Create and optimize physical layouts for analog and mixed-signal blocks using FinFET technology.
- Collaborate with circuit designers to understand design requirements and constraints.
- Implement layout floorplans, place, and route components, and perform layout verification.
• Analog and Mixed-Signal Expertise:
- Design custom layouts for analog building blocks such as LNAs, mixers, amplifiers, VCOs, and PLLs.
- Optimize layouts for performance, noise, and parasitics.
- Ensure compliance with design rules and DRC/LVS checks.
• FinFET Technology:
- Work with advanced process nodes (e.g., 16nm, 7nm, or below) using FinFET transistors.
- Understand FinFET-specific layout considerations (e.g., fin pitch, gate pitch, and contact/via rules).
• Layout Verification:
- Perform layout extraction, parasitic extraction, and post-layout simulations.
- Collaborate with verification engineers to ensure layout correctness and functionality.
• Physical Verification and Closure:
- Run DRC (Design Rule Check) and LVS (Layout vs. Schematic) checks.
- Address any violations and achieve layout closure.
Requirements:
• BSEE or equivalent
• 5 years of direct industry experience with analog and mixed signal layout
• Strong design experience using Cadence PDKs
• Proficiency in layout tools (e.g. Cadence Virtuoso, Synopsys IC Compiler)
• Knowledge of OS Linux, scripting languages – e.g., Python, Shell, TCL
• A self-starter with the ability to assume leadership roles
• Ability to work well in a diverse team environment
• Experience with industry standard development tools and methodologies