Silicon Photonics Component Design Engineer

Intel; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Intel Foundry's Silicon Photonics Process Development and Manufacturing (SPDM) team drives process innovation for optical interconnects and data center solutions. You will design, simulate, and optimize photonic components, collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, and contribute to PIC design and advanced photonic devices.

Ideal candidates have a PhD in a related field with 2+ years of silicon photonic experience or a master's with 4+ years, and strong skills in device modeling, data

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or related field with 2+ years in silicon photonic device design, simulation, or research.
• Master's with 4+ years of related experience also acceptable.
• Experience with high-speed photonic devices and photonic layout/design tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, simulate, and support development of photonic components (lasers, modulators, photodetectors, waveguides).
• Perform simulations, tolerance studies, and design evaluations to improve performance and manufacturability.
• Support test chip execution, layout coordination, tape-out prep, and silicon validation.
• Analyze characterization data to identify trends and drive design improvements.

Skills

Silicon photonics

Photonic device design

Data analysis

Cross-functional teamwork

Python/MATLAB

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Sentaurus

Silvaco

Lumerical

HFSS

ADS

RSoft

Cadence

KLayout

Job description

Job Details:

Job Description:As a Silicon Photonics (SiPho) Component Design Engineer, you will join Intel Foundry's Silicon Photonics Process Development and Manufacturing (SPDM) team, which is driving process innovation and enabling the next generation of optical interconnect technologies. Since pioneering the world's first heterogeneous silicon laser nearly a decade ago, Intel has continued to lead the industry through advanced technology development and scalable high-volume manufacturing.Our team is committed to expanding Intel Foundry's Silicon Photonics platform to support customer solutions across data center communications, co-packaged optics, and next-generation optical networking technologies ranging from 400G to 3.2T+ and beyond.In this role, you will contribute to the development and optimization of silicon photonic components that power cutting-edge optical communication systems. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to design, characterize, and improve photonic devices while advancing Intel Foundry's silicon photonics technology roadmap.

Key Responsibilities

Photonic Component Design and Development

• Design, simulate, and support the development of photonic components, including lasers, modulators, high-speed photodetectors, passive devices, and waveguide structures.
• Contribute to photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design and architecture evaluations.

Device Optimization and Analysis

• Perform simulations, tolerance studies, and design evaluations to improve device performance, manufacturability, and reliability.
• Apply established modeling methodologies and design best practices to optimize photonic components.

Test Chip Development and Validation

• Support test chip execution activities, including design implementation, layout coordination, tape-out preparation, and silicon validation.
• Collaborate with fabrication and test teams to ensure successful design realization.

Characterization and Data Analysis

• Analyze characterization and test data to identify performance trends, root causes, and opportunities for design enhancement.
• Support the implementation of design improvements based on experimental results.

Modeling and Methodology Development

• Contribute to photonic device models, simulation workflows, and automation tools.
• Drive improvements in test methodologies and engineering processes to increase development efficiency.

Research and Technology Innovation

• Evaluate emerging photonic technologies and support proof-of-concept demonstrations.
• Contribute to intellectual property development through patents, technical publications, and innovation activities.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, or a related technical discipline with 2+ years of experience in silicon photonic device design, simulation, characterization, or related research environments;
• or Master's degree in a related field with 4+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas: High-speed photonic devices, including optical modulators and photodetectors; Photonic design and simulation using tools such as Sentaurus, Silvaco, Lumerical, HFSS, ADS, RSoft, or equivalent; Photonic device testing and characterization; data analysis using MATLAB, Python, JMP, or similar tools; Photonic layout design using Cadence, KLayout, or comparable design environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work effectively in a collaborative, cross-functional engineering environment.
• Experience with silicon photonic modulator or detector design.
• Familiarity with micro-ring modulators or advanced photonic materials such as BTO, TFLN, or III-V integration.
• Basic understanding of high-speed electronic ICs including TIAs, drivers, equalization techniques, and DSP concepts.
• Experience with optical link modeling and system-level performance analysis.
• Experience with photonic devices operating at 100G+ data rates.
• Familiarity with semiconductor foundry development processes.
• Publications, conference presentations, or patent contributions in photonics or related fields.
• Experience working on customer-facing, product development, or cross-functional engineering projects.
• Experience with active and passive silicon photonic devices including heaters, carrier injection devices, and passive waveguide structures.

Job Type: Experienced Hire

Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)

Primary Location: US, New Mexico, Albuquerque

Additional Locations:

Posting Statement: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.

Position of Trust