Principal Physical Design Engineer
Description
Invent the future with us.
Recognized by Fast Company’s 2023 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators List, Ampere is a semiconductor design company for a new era, leading the future of computing with an innovative approach to CPU design focused on high-performance, energy efficient, sustainable cloud computing.
By providing a new level of predictable performance, efficiency, and sustainability Ampere is working with leading cloud suppliers and a growing partner ecosystem to deliver cloud instances, servers and embedded/edge products that can handle the compute demands of today and tomorrow.
Join us at Ampere and work alongside a passionate and growing team — we’d love to have you apply. Come invent the future with us.
About the role:
Ampere is seeking a highly skilled and experienced candidate with proven expertise in PHY hardening, particularly in DDR and SerDes, with a focus on digital implementation and convergence.
We are looking for a self-motivated individual with a proven track record in hardening state-of-the-art PHYs and contributing to the development of cutting-edge expertise.
What you’ll achieve:
As a PHY Hardening Engineer, you will collaborate with architects, RTL designers, packaging and PCB design teams, and post-silicon validation groups. This is an exceptional opportunity to showcase your engineering skills in a dynamic, fast-paced environment that fosters innovation and operates at the forefront of technology.
High-Speed Digital Design
- Develop high-speed digital layouts, including DDR and other high-speed interfaces.
- Expertise in floor planning, bump planning, routing, power grid design, clock design/distribution, and optimization for high-speed digital circuits.
- Optimize layouts to minimize signal integrity issues, reduce power consumption, and meet timing, power, and manufacturability requirements.
- Coordinate with PHY vendors for hardening activities and deliverables.
- Estimate effort and timelines for PHY hardening tasks and provide feedback on timing/PDV.
Chip-Level Physical Design
- Perform chip-level tasks such as floor planning, partitioning, and power/clock distribution.
- Handle chip assembly and ensure seamless integration of multiple IP blocks into the top-level design.
- Proficiency in using EDA tools for chip-level physical verification (DRC, LVS, ERC).
- Collaborate with the packaging team to refine bump placement and package routing considerations.
Signal and Power Integrity
- Familiarity with signal and power integrity concepts in high-performance memory systems.
- Expertise in managing high-speed signals to mitigate issues like crosstalk, reflection, and signal degradation.
- Perform thermal and power integrity analysis to ensure reliable designs.
- Knowledge of advanced packaging techniques and considerations, an added plus
Design-for-Test (DFT)
- Basic understanding of DFT structures, including scan chains, MBIST, and loopback mechanisms.
- Contribute to DFT-based timing closure activities.
About you:
- Expertise in floor planning, bump planning, routing, power grid design, clock design/distribution, and optimization for high-speed digital circuits
- Experience developing high-speed digital layouts, including DDR and other high-speed interfaces
- Handling chip assembly and ensure seamless integration of multiple IP blocks into the top-level design
- Proficiency in using EDA tools for chip-level physical verification (DRC, LVS, ERC)
- Worked with architects and RTL teams to develop physical constraints and optimize their design
- Integrate PHYs, controllers, and memory stacks into the top-level design
- Expertise in managing high-speed signals to mitigate issues like crosstalk, reflection, and signal degradation
- Experience with advanced packaging technologies, such as 2.5D/3D integration, TSV, and interposer-based designs
- Handle micro-bump design to ensure proper alignment and minimize resistance
- Understand the SIPI impacts of bump placement
- Basic understanding of DFT structures, including scan chains, MBIST, and loopback mechanisms
- Strong communication and articulation skills are required to excel in this role
- Electrical or Computer Engineering - Bachelor's degree & 8 years of related experience; or Master's degree & 6 years; or PhD & 3 years
What we’ll offer:
At Ampere we believe in taking care of our employees and providing a competitive total rewards package that includes base pay, bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits. We offer an annual bonus program tied to internal company goals and annual meritocratic equity awards that enable our employees to participate in the success of the company.
At Ampere we believe in taking care of our employees and providing a competitive total rewards package that includes base pay, bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits. We offer an annual bonus program tied to internal company goals and annual meritocratic equity awards that enable our employees to participate in the success of the company.
Benefits highlights include:
- Premium medical, dental, vision insurance, parental benefits including creche reimbursement, as well as a retirement plan, so that you can feel secure in your health, financial future and child care during work.
- Generous paid time off policy so that you can embrace a healthy work-life balance
- Fully catered lunch in our office along with a variety of healthy snacks, energizing coffee or tea, and refreshing drinks to keep you fueled and focused throughout the day.
And there is much more than compensation and benefits. At Ampere, we foster an inclusive culture that empowers our employees to do more and grow more. We are passionate about inventing industry leading cloud-native designs that contribute to a more sustainable future. We are excited to share more about our career opportunities with you through the interview process.