PDTE Digital Characterization Engineer, Senior

Job Title

PDTE Digital Characterization Engineer, Senior

Role Summary

Join the Post Silicon Engineering (BDC) team to perform bench characterization and validation of DDR/High-Speed IO subsystems and related analog/digital circuitry on leading-edge silicon. The role focuses on parametric evaluation, failure analysis, and collaborating with IC design, system engineering, and applications teams to resolve time-critical hardware issues.

Primary scope includes DRAM, DRAM controller and PHY, high-speed IO interfaces (PCIe, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, MIPI, UFS), clocking/delay circuits, and power distribution network components.

Experience Level

Senior. Experience guidance from the posting: typically Bachelor's +2 years, Master's +1 year, or PhD (experience expectations vary by degree).

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include hands-on characterization, analysis, and cross-team collaboration to deliver validated silicon.

• Plan and execute bench characterization of DDR and high-speed IO IPs (PHY, controller, IOs) and related subsystem components.
• Evaluate parametric performance against specifications (timing, signal integrity, jitter, eye diagrams, differential signaling).
• Perform failure analysis and root-cause debugging of silicon, board-level, and PHY issues.
• Develop and run test cases, capture data, and analyze results to drive design fixes.
• Collaborate with IC design, system engineering, hardware applications, and global teams in time-sensitive scenarios.
• Document findings and communicate results to engineering stakeholders.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools, and professional capabilities for the role.

• Familiarity with test and characterization of DDR and high-speed IO interfaces.
• Strong understanding of mobile & PC DDR protocols (DDR2/3/4), timing diagrams, and PHY-level HSIO concepts.
• Knowledge of electrical parametric compliance: eye diagrams, differential signaling, jitter analysis, receiver jitter tolerance, signal integrity, transmission line effects, and de-embedding.
• Solid grasp of VLSI concepts, analog/digital IC behavior, and semiconductor device fundamentals.
• Programming or automation skills (Python, C, C#, LabVIEW, or equivalent) for test development and data analysis.
• Strong problem-solving, debugging, interpersonal, and written/verbal communication skills; able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Nice-to-have

• Hands-on experience with bench instruments: oscilloscopes, J-BERT, network/spectrum analyzers, signal generators, logic analyzers.
• Experience with high-speed interface compliance testing and validation tools.

Education Requirements

Degree requirements listed in the posting: Bachelor's in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field (typically with 2+ years of hardware engineering experience); OR Master's in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field (typically with 1+ year of hardware engineering experience); OR PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field. The posting also references M.Tech / B.Tech or equivalent in Electronics or Electrical Engineering. Equivalent practical experience related to the role may be considered.