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PDK Design Automation Engineer

IBM

Software Engineering, Design

Posted on May 1, 2025

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Introduction

IBM Research takes responsibility for technology and its role in society. Working in IBM Research means you'll join a team who invent what's next in computing, always choosing the big, urgent and mind-bending work that endures and shapes generations. Our passion for discovery, and excitement for defining the future of tech, is what builds our strong culture around solving problems for clients and seeing the real world impact that you can make.

IBM's product and technology landscape includes Research, Software, and Infrastructure. Entering this domain positions you at the heart of IBM, where growth and innovation thrive.

Your role and responsibilities

We are seeking a skilled and motivated PDK Automation Engineer to join our technology enablement team. This position plays a critical role in bridging semiconductor process development and physical design enablement by developing and maintaining Process Design Kits (PDKs), automation scripts, and design infrastructure. In this role you will work closely with design, integration, and development engineers to create robust design rule decks, parameterized cells (pcells), and automation flows that support efficient and accurate layout development using industry-standard EDA tools.

You will be responsible for the following:

PDK Development: Develop, maintain, and distribute comprehensive Process Design Kits (PDKs) that accurately represent semiconductor technologies.
Design Rule Implementation: Implement and maintain DRC/LVS rule decks using industry-standard EDA tools such as Cadence Pegasus, Siemens Calibre, or Synopsys ICV.
Pcell Creation: Create, maintain, and support parameterized layout cells (pcells) using Cadence Skill and related scripting languages.
Automation Scripting: Develop automation scripts to streamline layout creation, verification, and design environment setup.
Technology Collaboration: Work closely with technology development teams to translate process parameters into physical design rules and design enablement features.
User Support & Documentation: Provide documentation and support for internal and external users of the PDK and design environment.
Design Compliance: Ensure developed layouts and design kits are compliant with foundry-specified DRC and LVS rules.
Continuous Improvement: Contribute to continuous improvement of the PDK infrastructure and layout automation frameworks.

Required education

Bachelor's Degree

Preferred education

Master's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or related field with experience in VLSI chip development or semiconductor technology.
A minimum of 5+ years of experience in PDK development, semiconductor layout, or design enablement.
Coding proficiency with software or scripting languages (C, C++, Python, Perl, etc) for automation purposes, with 3+ years of experience.
Familiarity with layout verification tools from Cadence Pegasus, Synopsys ICV, or Siemens Calibre, including design rule checking (DRC) with 5+ years of relevant experience.
Proficiency with Cadence Virtuoso Layout tools and Cadence Skill languages.
Basic understanding of semiconductor process technology and layout ground rules.
Strong understanding of Linux environments and shell scripting with a minimum of 2+ years of experience.
Familiarity with physical semiconductor layout and technology ground rules.
Demonstrated communication and collaboration skills to work effectively in cross-functional teams.
Troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities in a collaborative environment.

Preferred technical and professional experience

A minimum of 8+ years of experience in layout automation and design environment development.
Experience with advanced process nodes (10nm or below), including FinFETs and multi-patterning.
Strong knowledge of Front-End, Middle-End, and Back-End-Of-Line (FEOL, MEOL, BEOL) process components and layout practices.
Experience with version control systems such as Git and familiarity with collaborative software development workflows (e.g., GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket).
Experience in documenting and supporting PDK and design environment features for internal and external users.
Background in developing test structures and working with technology development teams.
Proven experience in developing automation solutions to enhance quality and runtime efficiency.
Extensive experience with Cadence Virtuoso layout tools and Cadence Skill language.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Research is the organic growth engine of IBM and an innovation engine for our customers and partners. As part of this mission, IBM Research anticipates and examines 'What's Next in Computing' to ultimately create and integrate the technologies the world relies upon to solve big challenges and unlock new opportunities. We create and pioneer new markets for IBM, our partners and customers as exemplified in our ongoing quest to reach practical and large-scale quantum computing. Across IBM Research, we realize the power and potential to accelerate discovery with our partners and clients by combining the power of high performance computing, AI, and Quantum, all integrated through the hybrid cloud.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you’ll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you’ll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we’re also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 50 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it’s time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

IBM offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program. Eligible employees may have access to:

Healthcare benefits including medical & prescription drug coverage, dental, vision, and mental health & well being
Financial programs such as 401(k), the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan, financial counseling, life insurance, short & long- term disability coverage, and opportunities for performance based salary incentive programs
Generous paid time off including 12 holidays, minimum 56 hours sick time, 120 hours vacation, 12 weeks parental bonding leave in accordance with IBM Policy, and other Paid Care Leave programs. IBM also offers paid family leave benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law
Training and educational resources on our personalized, AI-driven learning platform where IBMers can grow skills and obtain industry-recognized certifications to achieve their career goals
Diverse and inclusive employee resource groups, giving & volunteer opportunities, and discounts on retail products, services & experiences

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 21 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

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