Physical Design Researcher

As DTCO Researcher, you will work on the cutting edge of advanced CMOS technologies and you will contribute towards their evaluation and benchmarking, optimizing design and block level aspects to fully utilize future technologies.

What you will do

You evaluate through physical design experiments the impact of various technology options (device, standard cell architecture, back-end of line, etc.) on the power, performance, and area of different SoCs (or submodules thereof). Throughout the physical design experiments, you analyze the impact of said technology options to circuit-level aspects of the designs (e.g., critical paths, clock trees, power grids, etc.). You contribute to the development of automated flows with which the physical design experiments are conducted. You go beyond the current capabilities of the tools and work together with EDA partners to get tools ready for the future nodes, e.g., to enable novel power grid solutions, or 3D stacked designs etc.  Furthermore, you interact with universities on development of new micro-architecture concepts that leverage novel technology capabilities. As the focus is on new technology nodes, generating or configuring relevant aspects of the PDK is also part of the job.  

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at our imec office in Cambridge, UK or at our headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. We can sponsor visas for relocation to Belgium and UK. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• You have a PhD in Electronics Electrical engineering, or relevant field, or a master with at least 3 years relevant industrial experience in physical design
• You have a solid understanding of all key building blocks of digital design and SoC architecture (from devices to logic gates, and to computer architecture)
• You are detail-oriented but are also comfortable in critical thinking and taking decisions to navigate the changing R&D demands
• You are a capable coder that utilizes the power of versioning and documentation
• Experience with synthesis and physical design tool flows (Cadence Genus/Innovus, or Synopsys Fusion/DC/ICC) is a must
• You care deeply about customer satisfaction and quality of the delivered results
• You are a strong team player and a good communicator. Sharing the progress of tasks, seeking feedback from your colleagues, and acting as a soundboard, is important to you.