Job Opportunities in VLSI

When we talk about VLSI, we refer to the processes involved in integrated circuit design. Are you looking for an opportunity in the semiconductor industry? Then it is important to understand the job and the opportunities in VLSI industry. This includes growth opportunities in the industry.

What is exceptional about VLSI?

The field of VLSI is definitely a highly technical field. This field completely focuses on integrating million of transistors into a smaller package. The knowledge of VLSI is utilized by almost all sectors of the economy today. VLSI companies manufacture chips in large quantities for use by electronic devices. These VSLI chips are found virtually in every device today. Whether it’s inside your television or your mobile phone, chips are found everywhere. Whatever electronic device you own has at least a chip inside. They have become part of our everyday life. VLSI designs include amplifiers, filters, sensors, data converters, phase-locked loops, processors and power management devices etc.

How can you apply VLSI knowledge?

The knowledge of VLSI can be applied to the following different fields:

• Digital design: can aid in the creation of faster and powerful circuits in smaller devices.
• ASICs: These ICs are designed for special purposes – they are designed to perform specific tasks. For example, image compression, signal filter, etc.
• SoCs: These are very high complex mixed-signal circuits. SoCs has both the analog and digital signals on one chip. Example of SoCs includes network processor chips and wireless radio chips all fall under SoCs.
• Reconfigurable computing: These are specially fabricated devices called FPGAs. These devices are programmed to act like normal electronics circuits. They do not require microcontrollers. They are designed to run with EEPROM inside. 

Kinds of work you may encounter in the VLSI industry

Are you passionate as an electronics engineer? There are chances you will very high and enjoy fast growth in the industry. Making a mark for yourself won’t be very difficult.

Some of the works you can do in the industry include:

• Layout engineer: working as a layout engineer, you will be given responsibility of: Designing the layout of digital and analog circuits of a chip. E.g., the design of oscillators, references, ADCs, DACs, PLLs, power management modules.

• Physical design engineer: as a physical design engineer, you are responsible for physical design of complex digital circuits such as ASICs and SoCs or sub-blocks. 

• ASIC verification engineer: as a ASIC verification engineer, your responsibility to validate IPs and sub blocks of RTL code used in designing ASIC or SoC. 

• Test engineer: You will be working on designs to test for noise, speed, and general performance. Your duty is to ensure that every design meets the required specification and standard. 

• RF engineer: as a RF engineer you will be doing task of designing wireless modules, RF amplifiers, and antennas.
• Embedded System Software Training:Embedded System Software schooling path especially centered on giving theory cum hands-on realistic schooling in C Language, Data structures, Linux programming, Micro Controllers, Embedded Systems, Network Protocols, Kernel Basics and Device Drivers.

Career opportunities in the VLSI industry

Below is a list of career opportunities in the VLSI industry:

• AMS (Analog Mixed Signal) designer
• AMS verification engineer
• Layout design engineer
• ASIC front-end designer
• ASIC verification engineer
• Physical design engineer
• DFT engineer
• Application engineer technical support
• Board validation engineer
• Corporate Application Engineer (CAE)
• EDA/CAD engineer
• EDA tool validation engineer
• Fab/Foundry Engineer
• Field Application Engineer (FAE)
• FPGA Back-end verification engineer
• Front-end verification engineer
• IP design engineer Verification Engineers
• IP verification engineer
• Library developer
• The physical design verification engineer
• Product Application Engineer (PAE)
• Reliability Engineer

Who are the most suitable people for a VLSI career?

There are skills you need to develop if you will be working in the VLSI industry. A VLSI engineer is expected to understand the following:

• Physics of semiconductor devices.
• Probability
• Linear systems and random variables
• Circuit analysis
• Engineering mathematics (Laplace, Z transforms and Fourier)
• Engineering Electromagnetics.

Electronics engineers who are well experienced and exposed can also make good VLSI candidates. The more experienced they are in design and mathematics the better their chances. It is also very important they develop some analytical aptitude and strong interest design and verification.