Silicon Photonic IC (PIC) Design Engineer
Job Description
About the Role
We are seeking a highly skilled Silicon Photonic IC Design Engineer to play a key role in the design and physical layout of advanced Silicon Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) that interface directly with custom ASICs built on leading-edge semiconductor process nodes. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of photonics, analog, and digital design — helping to define and deliver next-generation optical and electronic systems.
Key Responsibilities
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Contribute to the design and physical layout of complex Silicon Photonic ICs (PICs) that connect directly with advanced ASICs.
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Participate in all stages of PIC delivery — from floor planning and block placement to micro-architecture, optical/electrical routing, and back-end verification (DRC/LVS).
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Collaborate with analog, digital, and packaging teams to ensure optimal design outcomes that meet requirements for opto-electronic performance, signal integrity (SI), and power integrity (PI).
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Work closely with other photonics engineers to refine layout methodologies, improve design automation, and enhance existing software-based verification and layout flows.
Qualifications
Specialized Skills
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Strong understanding of photonics fundamentals and core engineering design principles.
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Hands-on experience with Silicon Photonics Process Design Kits (PDKs) and best practices for designing and laying out photonic components, subsystems, and complete PICs.
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Proficiency with physical design tools such as Cadence, Siemens Mentor, or Klayout, including scripting and automation using SKILL or Python.
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Familiarity with layout verification tools (e.g., Calibre, Pegasus) for DRC, ERC, and LVS checks.
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Experience with SI and PI-aware electrical routing for mixed-signal and digital designs is a strong advantage.
Education
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Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related field with a focus on integrated photonics or optical device design.
Preferred Attributes
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Highly self-motivated with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
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Creative thinker with strong attention to detail.
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Thrives in a collaborative and fast-paced environment.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills.