Physical Design Researcher

As a Physical Design 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 analyse 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 its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

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 or Electrical Engineering, or relevant field, or a M.Sc. with at least 3 years of relevant industrial experience in physical design. 
• You have an excellent understanding of digital physical implementation and advanced CMOS technologies. 
• You are a proficient user of EDA tools (Cadence and/or Synopsys). 
• You understand advanced semiconductor fabrication processes and devices. 
• You are detail-oriented but are also comfortable in critical thinking and making decisions to navigate the changing R&D demands. 
• You are a capable coder that utilizes the power of versioning and documentation. 
• You care deeply about customer satisfaction and the quality of 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. 

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.