Job Description

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 submicron circuit design and design for manufacturing (DFM) techniques. This position is a very rare opportunity for a digital circuit professional to work 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 engineer will be responsible for innovating new standard cells and implementation techniques that result in the best power efficiency, highest performance and lowest cost for ARM processor cores.  There will be a tight collaboration between processor core designers, circuit designers, EDA suppliers and semiconductor foundries, so the engineer must be familiar with all aspects of physical design from transistor level through synthesis and timing closure.  An understanding of device physics, including transistor layout, variation and aging is required. As well, experience with synthesis, place and route, and timing and power optimization is necessary.  The ability to clearly communicate and collaborate with engineers from different disciplines around the world is needed.

Job Requirements

Accountabilities / Responsibilities
• Design of standard cell architectures
• Circuit design of standard cells including traditional logic cells as well as advanced logic families and power management strategies
• Verification of functionality, performance, and power of developed circuits
• Generation of all views delivered with our Physical IP product lines  
• Testing of all views by exercising them in several industry standard design flows
• Understanding of layout in order to effectively work with the mask design team
• Understanding of deep submicron device physics in order to account for these non-ideal effects during cell design
• Understanding or an ability to learn a wide variety of industry standard modeling formats including Liberty (CCS, ECSM, and NLM), Verilog, LEF, Milkyway, SPICE, and CDB
• Knowledge of industry standard software for synthesis, place and route, and timing analysis and their associated programming languages
• The ability to analyze and interpret timing and power reports

Essential Skills & Experience
• 6+ years of relevant circuit design experience (for BSEE)
• 4+ years of relevant circuit design experience (for MSEE)
• A solid understanding of MOSFET electrical characteristics
• An understanding of transistor level device physics
• Experience with transistor level design of static circuits including state retaining elements like latches and flops
• An understanding of power, performance, and area tradeoffs
• An understanding of layout at the transistor level
• Experience designing or a solid understanding of standard cell architectures
• Experience with transistor level circuit simulators
• Experience with logic synthesis, place and route, and static timing and power analysis
• Diagnostic skills for tools and resultant reports

Desirable Skills & Experience
• A basic understanding of processor core architectures
• An understanding of extraction methodologies and limitations
• Experience with LEF and Milkyway view formats
Interpersonal Skills It is essential for the successful applicant to:
• Demonstrate curiosity and the desire to innovate new solutions
• Cooperate and communicate well with the library development team
• Be motivated to continuously develop skills and accept a variety of responsibilities as a part of contributing to the design center’s success
• Demonstrate a positive attitude and respect for all members of the team
• Be willing to iteratively improve designs and repeatedly attempt to develop solutions to difficult problems

ARM will offer the following benefits for this position:
• Salary - Commensurate with experience
• Equity
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Contributory 401K
• 4 weeks paid vacation  
• 4 week sabbatical after 4 years

ARM supports diversity in the workplace

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