Physical Design Intern

Job Title

Physical Design Intern

Role Summary

Join the SoC physical design team to support block-level implementation and tape-out of ultra low-power chips. The role provides hands-on experience with physical implementation tools and workflows, and collaboration with RTL, verification, and other engineering teams to deliver PPA-driven designs.

Experience Level

Entry-level (Internship). Intended for current undergraduate or master’s students; no prior full-time industry experience required.

Responsibilities

Work under mentor guidance to implement and verify physical design blocks and support tape-out activities.

• Support block-level physical implementation for SoC designs (floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing).
• Assist with timing closure activities and run static timing analysis (STA); debug setup/hold violations.
• Perform power, signal integrity, and IR drop analysis under guidance.
• Contribute to DRC and LVS closure and layout verification tasks.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts (Tcl, Python, Shell) for recurring tasks.
• Document results and present progress to mentor and team; collaborate across RTL, verification, and physical design groups.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and attributes for success in this internship.

• Familiarity with Verilog or VHDL and basic digital design concepts (timing, pipelining, clocking).
• Basic understanding of physical design concepts: placement, routing, timing closure, clock trees, and power grid planning.
• Comfortable working in a Linux/UNIX environment.
• Ability to write simple automation scripts (Tcl, Python, Shell).
• Analytical problem-solving, attention to detail, and willingness to learn industry tools and flows.
• Nice-to-have: prior exposure to STA tools and debugging timing violations.

Education Requirements

Currently pursuing a B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. Relevant coursework typically includes digital logic design, VLSI/physical/ASIC design, CMOS circuits, and computer architecture.

About the Company

Company: Ambiq

Headquarters: Austin, TX, United States

Semiconductor company developing ultra-low-power microcontroller units (MCUs) and system-on-chip (SoC) platforms for battery-powered and edge devices, focusing on low-power IP, RTL, and production silicon solutions.