Design Engineer

Analog / Mixed-Signal Design Engineer
Device & Variability Characterization
Team: Crypto / Security IP Reports to: PUF Architect
Level: Junior (03 years post-degree, or strong new-grad with relevant internship/research experience)
About the Role
We are developing critical transistor characteristic dependant circuits for our crypto subsystem, currently being ported from GF 22FDX to TSMC 12FFC. This requires SPICE-level work to validate that the digital architecture's entropy and reliability assumptions actually hold on real silicon.
You'll work directly with the PUF designer, translating architectural requirements into concrete circuit-level simulation, and feeding real numbers back into the architecture (frequency estimates, counter sizing, error budgets, weak-bit thresholds).
What You'll Do

• Set up and run Monte Carlo mismatch simulations (Synopsys HSPICE / PrimeSim) on circuit structures, separating local (mismatch) from global (process corner) variation sources.
• Build and maintain SPICE testbenches for standard-cell-based circuits at the transistor level, matching RTL/gate-level structures exactly.
• Characterize device- and cell-level variability (RDF, LER, work-function variation) on TSMC 12FFC and translate results into entropy, uniqueness, and bit-error-rate estimates the digital architecture depends on.
• Support layout-level matching strategy (common-centroid, interdigitation, dummy device placement) for circuits where mismatch is the intended signal.
• Bring up and validate PDK statistical/MC model decks with the foundry confirm global/local variation separation is modeled correctly before results are trusted downstream.
• Help design and execute silicon characterization/validation plans (PVT sweeps, corner analysis) once test chips are available.
• Document simulation methodology and results clearly enough that a primarily-digital architect can act on them without needing to be an analog expert themselves.

Required Qualifications

• BE in ECE, or ME/MS in Microelectronics (MS a plus, not required).
• Working knowledge of SPICE-level circuit simulation (HSPICE, PrimeSim, Spectre, or similar) lab/internship experience is sufficient; this does not need to be professional experience.
• Solid grounding in CMOS device physics and understanding of device mismatch/process variation as a concept (why two "identical" transistors aren't identical).
• Comfortable reading and modifying SPICE netlists and interpreting PDK documentation.
• Basic scripting ability (Python preferred) for simulation automation and post-processing.
• Clear written communication this role sits at the interface between analog circuit work and a digital architecture team, and the ability to explain results plainly matters as much as the simulation work itself.

Preferred (Not Required)

• Exposure to FinFET-specific device behavior (vs. planar/FD-SOI
• Familiarity with statistical/Monte Carlo methods, including at least conceptual awareness of rare-event/high-sigma techniques (e.g., importance sampling) beyond brute-force MC.
• Any exposure to PUF, TRNG, or other variation-exploiting security IP genuinely rare to find in a junior candidate, a strong plus if present but not expected.
• Analog/mixed-signal layout experience, especially matching techniques for differential structures.
• Experience with Synopsys Custom Design Platform (PrimeWave, Custom Compiler) specifically.