Doctoral Researcher in Digital Integrated Circuits

Emerging Scholars Council; Minnesota; On-site; USD 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Aalto University in Espoo, Finland, invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher in the Tiny Systems and Circuits group to develop energy‑efficient digital ICs from RTL to tape‑out within the HolistIC project.

The role combines research, hands‑on design in a lab, and teaching duties, with a fixed‑term 4‑year contract and a starting salary of about 3100 €/month. Applicants should hold a Master’s degree and have strong digital hardware and Python skills.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Microelectronics, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field.
• Solid background in digital hardware design: Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL, logic synthesis, and place‑and‑route.
• Proficiency in Python programming.
• Working proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Design energy‑efficient digital in‑memory computing circuits for on‑chip AI inference, spanning both full‑custom design and RTL‑based flows through synthesis and place‑and‑route to tape‑out
• Verify and characterise your designs, from simulation and FPGA to measurement of the fabricated chips in our laboratory
• Publish and present your results at leading international venues, and complete your doctoral thesis in the Aalto Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering
• Contribute to teaching duties as part of your doctoral studies

Skills

Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL

Logic synthesis

Python programming

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field

Tools

FPGA prototyping

Cadence

Synopsys

Job description

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 16 000 students and 5 200 employees, including 446 professors. Our campus is in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community's diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.

The Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering conducts research and arranges related courses in the fields of electromagnetics, micro and nanotechnology, radio engineering, and space technology. The department research groups have active national and international collaboration with several institutes and companies. Research groups are working with world‑class research facilities and instruments; the largest clean rooms in the Nordic countries are located in the Micro- and nanotechnology centre Micronova.

We are now looking for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD student) to join the Tiny Systems and Circuits (TSirc) group at Aalto University's Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering. In this position you will design the next generation of energy‑efficient digital integrated circuits, taking them from RTL to a fabricated chip and PCB that you measure in our own labs. The position is part of the HolistIC project, which develops ultra‑low‑power system‑on‑chip designs for next‑generation intelligent audio IoT sensors.

Your Role and Goals

As a Doctoral Researcher, You Will

• Design energy‑efficient digital in‑memory computing circuits for on-chip AI inference, spanning both full‑custom design and RTL‑based flows through synthesis and place‑and‑route to tape‑out
• Verify and characterise your designs, from simulation and FPGA to measurement of the fabricated chips in our laboratory
• Publish and present your results at leading international venues, and complete your doctoral thesis in the Aalto Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering
• Contribute to teaching duties as part of your doctoral studies

Your Network and Team

Currently, our research group consists of 1 professor, 3 PhD students, and several MSc or BSc research collaborators. The group is led by Professor Kwantae Kim.

Your Experience And Ambitions

We are looking for a thorough and motivated colleague who is expected to:

• Hold a Master’s degree and excellent study records in Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Microelectronics, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field, completed by the start of the position
• Have a solid background in digital hardware design: Verilog/SystemVerilog RTL, logic synthesis, and place‑and‑route
• Be familiar with Python programming
• Have a working proficiency in English. (Finnish language is not required.)

The following are considered an advantage

• Experience with FPGA prototyping
• Experience with the PyTorch framework
• Experience with analog or full‑custom layout
• Prior tape‑out experience in any technology

What We Offer

• We support a wide range of chip design tools required for tape‑out (Cadence, Synopsys, etc.), and FPGA/PCB design.
• We have dedicated technical staff who manage PDK NDAs and maintain the computing cluster for circuit simulation and PDK installation.
• We provide chip measurement infrastructure covering DC to THz bandwidth at the School of Electrical Engineering.
• We collaborate with academic partners in Europe and Asia, including research visits abroad.

The contract is fixed-term and follows Aalto's standard 2+2 model. It will be made initially for two (2) years, with a six (6) month probationary period, and extended by two (2) further years after a successful mid‑term review, giving a total duration of four (4) years. The starting salary for doctoral researcher is approximately 3100€/Month.

Our primary workplace is located at the Otaniemi Campus in Espoo, Finland.

Join Us!

For more information regarding the open position, please contact professor Kwantae Kim, [e-mail]. In any question regarding the recruitment process, please contact HR Advisor, [e-mail].

Learn more about the TSirc research group: https://kwantaekim.github.io

Want to know more about us and your future colleagues? You can watch these videos:

This is Aalto University!

Aalto University – Towards a better world

and Shaping a Sustainable Future.

Read more about working at Aalto: https://www.aalto.fi/en/careers-at-aalto and check out our new virtual campus experience: https://virtualtour.aalto.fi

About Finland

Finland is a great place for living with or without family - it is a safe, politically stable and well‑organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was listed again as the happiest country in the world: World Happiness Report 2025.

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