Job Description

Introduction
ARM offers processors and physical IP which are used in many successful products that impact people’s lives every day.  The combination of ARM’s wide range of processor cores, our portfolio of standard cell, memory, and I/O products, and our early engagement with processor architects, EDA software providers and semiconductor manufactures gives ARM a unique ability to demonstrate the best implementations of new processors in the latest process technologies.  ARM’s POP products deliver this cutting edge technology to our partners and help them efficiently create competitive processor designs.  ARM’s circuit group comprises some of the industry’s leading experts in deep sub-micron circuit design and design for manufacturing (DFM) techniques. This position is a very rare opportunity for a professional layout designer in our Advanced Products Division with the world’s most successful circuit and layout team, the newest process technologies, and the designers of the latest ARM processor cores to pioneer the implementation of power efficient products for the future.

Job Purpose
The designer will work on innovative standard cell and memory layout in the most advanced process technologies.  Understanding hierarchical layout, DRC, LVS and other physical and electrical design rules is essential.  The ability to read and understand complex design rules and visualize how those impact the choice of the best layout strategies is required.  Experience using layout editors to create layout efficiently and to quickly understand and correct DRC and LVS violations is necessary.  A working knowledge of design-for-manufacturing optimizations is needed.  An understanding of how layout scripting and memory compilers work would be helpful.  The ability to clearly communicate and collaborate with engineers from different disciplines around the world is needed.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

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  • Implementation of quality full-custom layout of high performance standard cells, bitcell arrays and memory blocks from supplied schematics from planning stages through final layout verification and review, in accordance with strict guidelines for performance and manufacturability
  • Produce memory instances based upon full custom memory cells using the ARM tiling engine
  • Produce standard cell designs based on strict guidelines to conform to quality and automation requirements
  • Supervision, mentoring and training of more junior and contract layout designers
  • Resource for interpretation and implementation of all physical design rules in the most advanced manufacturing processes used by ARM
  • Full custom layout and verification of complex standard cells and memory cells
  • Expert physical design verification (DRC/LVS/DFM) resource for all types of circuit and test layouts using Calibre and Hercules verification tools
  
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Job Requirements

Education & Qualifications
• Associates Degree in CAD, engineering discipline, or IC design certification; or equivalent experience. 5 years previous experience preferred

Essential Skills & Experience

• Specifically, candidates should have:
  •The ideal candidate is expected to have 5+ years pertinent layout design experience
  •Ability to understand, plan and organize work using complex schematics of hierarchically structured circuits
  •Understanding of layout techniques for optimization of power, speed and area for standard cells, datapath and bitcell arrays, word line drivers, control blocks, and other complex memory circuits
  •Understanding of layout techniques for design-for-manufacture in advanced processes
  •Ability to quickly interpret and repair complicated LVS and DRC problems using state of the art verification software (Calibre preferred)
  •Design experience with state of the art commercial software for place and route design
  •Experience with state of the art commercial software for custom layout (Virtuoso preferred)
  •Ability to accurately plan and schedule responsibilities
  •Demonstrable scripting/automation capabilities to improve productivity
  
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