Senior Design & Physical Implementation Engineer

TOKYO ELECTRON AMERICA; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

TOKYO ELECTRON AMERICA seeks a Senior Design & Physical Implementation Engineer to develop process monitors and silicon characterization circuits. You will bridge circuit design and physical implementation, focusing on layout-dependent effects and device behavior through the full development cycle.

You will perform transistor-level simulations, Monte Carlo analyses, and post-layout verification while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Strong background in analog or mixed-signal IC design.
• Understanding CMOS device operation and layout-dependent effects.
• Experience with transistor-level simulation and analog verification.
• Familiarity with digital and mixed-signal integration.

Responsibilities

• Design process monitors and characterization circuits for devices and layout effects.
• Develop analog and characterization blocks for sensing and silicon characterization.
• Own physical design and implementation of monitors and structures.
• Perform SPICE-based simulations and verification with corner analysis and Monte Carlo.
• Develop analog verification methodologies and post-layout verification.
• Design supporting digital control and data collection circuitry.
• Create custom layouts and optimize floorplans, placement, routing.
• Develop EDA automation and scripting tools.
• Analyze simulation and silicon data with Python and related tools.
• Correlate silicon results to simulations and identify improvements.
• Support silicon bring-up, debugging, and root-cause investigations.
• Collaborate with design, CAD, test, and product teams.

Skills

Analog IC design

Mixed-signal design

Transistor-level simulation

Python for data analysis

Digital circuits understanding

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Education

BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

SPICE-based design flows

EDA scripting

Python scripting

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Design & Physical Implementation Engineer to develop process monitors and silicon characterization circuits used to evaluate device behavior, process variation, layout-dependent effects, and technology performance. This role combines circuit design, physical implementation, custom layout, verification, automation, and silicon characterization.

The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of CMOS device behavior and physical design methodologies and enjoys working close to the silicon. This position spans the full development cycle, from circuit architecture and SPICE simulation through physical implementation, custom layout, silicon validation, and data analysis. Successful candidates will be equally comfortable designing circuits and implementing them physically, with a strong appreciation for how layout, placement, routing, extraction, and process variation impact circuit behavior and silicon results.

You will work with a cross-functional team to create circuits that generate meaningful silicon insights and enable data-driven engineering decisions. The role requires strong technical execution, sound engineering judgment, and the ability to bridge device-level understanding with physical implementation and silicon measurement.

What You Will Do

• Design process monitors and characterization circuits used to evaluate device behavior, process variation, reliability, and layout-dependent effects.
• Develop analog and characterization circuit blocks for sensing, measurement, and silicon characterization applications.
• Own the physical design and implementation of process monitors and characterization structures.
• Perform transistor-level simulation and verification using SPICE-based design flows.
• Develop and execute analog verification methodologies, including corner analysis, Monte Carlo simulation, and post-layout verification.
• Design and integrate supporting digital control and interface circuitry required for monitor operation and data collection.
• Develop custom layouts for analog and characterization circuit blocks.
• Optimize floorplans, placement, routing, and physical implementation strategies to improve monitor accuracy, repeatability, and silicon correlation.
• Develop and maintain EDA automation, scripting, and design productivity tools.
• Analyze simulation and silicon characterization data using Python and related data analysis tools.
• Correlate measured silicon results to simulation and identify opportunities for design, model, or methodology improvement.
• Support silicon bring-up, debug, validation, and root-cause investigations.
• Collaborate with design, CAD, test, and product engineering teams throughout the development cycle.

Required Qualifications

Circuit Design

• Strong background in analog or mixed-signal IC design.
• Strong understanding of CMOS device operation, process variation, mismatch, parasitics, and layout-dependent effects.
• Experience with transistor-level simulation and analog verification methodologies.
• Familiarity with digital circuits and mixed-signal integration.

Physical Design & Implementation

• Experience with physical design and implementation.
• Experience with custom layout.
• Experience with post-layout verification methodologies.
• Experience evaluating the impact of physical implementation on circuit performance and silicon behavior.

Additional Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• B.S. with 8+ years or M.S. with 5+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Experience with EDA scripting, automation, or workflow development.
• Proficiency with Python for engineering analysis and data processing.
• Strong debugging, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with process monitors, silicon characterization structures, or technology development test vehicles.
• Experience evaluating device, circuit, or standard-cell behavior across process, voltage, temperature, and layout conditions.
• Experience correlating silicon measurements to simulation results and device models.
• Experience developing engineering automation, dashboards, or data-analysis workflows.
• Experience with advanced process technologies and variability characterization.

Why Join Us

This is a hands-on engineering role with broad technical scope and direct impact on silicon development. You will own both the design and physical implementation of circuits that provide critical insight into device behavior, process capability, and technology performance while contributing across the entire development cycle from concept through silicon validation.

The position offers the opportunity to combine circuit design, physical implementation, custom layout, automation, and silicon analysis in a technically challenging environment focused