PhD Position — Memory-Centric NPU Architectures and Emerging Memory Technologies for Edge AI
NXP SemiconductorsJob Title
PhD Position — Memory-Centric NPU Architectures and Emerging Memory Technologies for Edge AI
Role Summary
PhD research position based in Hamburg focused on memory-centric NPU subsystem architectures and integration of emerging embedded memory technologies for edge and embedded Generative AI. The work combines computer architecture, semiconductor memory systems, hardware/software co-design, and performance/power/area (PPA) evaluation.
You will conduct architectural modeling, simulation, and design-space exploration to improve performance, energy efficiency, memory utilization, and scalability of future NPU-based edge processors, and collaborate with internal experts in digital IP, memory systems, and ML.
Experience Level
Mid-level — PhD research candidate. The role expects candidates who have completed a Master's degree; no explicit years-of-experience requirement stated.
Responsibilities
The role is research-focused with development of models, tools, and evaluations to inform future NPU and memory subsystem designs.
- Investigate memory-centric NPU subsystem architectures to improve performance, scalability, and energy efficiency.
- Evaluate and model emerging embedded memory technologies (e.g., eDRAM, GCRAM) for AI accelerator impact on performance, power, area, reliability, and scalability.
- Develop hardware/software co-optimization techniques for efficient execution of AI workloads on NPUs.
- Create architecture exploration frameworks and simulation/modeling tools for design-space exploration and PPA trade-off analysis.
- Evaluate real-world AI workloads including CNNs, Transformers, LLMs, VLMs, and multimodal systems.
- Publish research results in conferences and journals and collaborate with cross-functional experts.
Requirements
Must-have skills and competencies for successful research execution.
- Strong background in one or more: computer architecture, digital design, embedded systems, semiconductor memory systems, AI accelerators, or hardware/software co-design.
- Proficiency in Python and C/C++.
- Knowledge of computer architecture simulation, performance modeling, or hardware design methodologies.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; very good written and spoken English.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with AI accelerator and NPU architecture.
- RTL development (Verilog/SystemVerilog/VHDL) and FPGA prototyping.
- Familiarity with computer architecture simulators and memory hierarchy optimization.
- Experience with eDRAM, GCRAM, MRAM, ReRAM, or CXL-based memory systems.
Education Requirements
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Microelectronics, Embedded Systems, or a closely related technical field (required / expected background for a PhD candidate). No explicit alternative "or equivalent" language provided in the posting.
About the Company
Company: NXP Semiconductors
Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands
NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.
