"Research Fellow (Radio Frequency Integrated Circuit Design - EIC for Co-Packaged Optics)"

Job Description

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Fellow to join our research team working on RF/analog/mixed-signal integrated circuit design for Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) systems. The role focuses on Electronic-Integrated Circuits (EIC) development for next-generation optical interconnects, including high-speed transmitter/receiver front ends, RF drivers, TIAs, and clocking/equalization circuits supporting advanced modulation formats and high-bandwidth packaging.

The successful candidate will contribute to the design, simulation, tape-out, and measurement of IC prototypes, and collaborate closely with packaging, photonics, and system teams.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop RF/analog/mixed-signal IC blocks for CPO EIC applications, such as:
  • High-speed TX drivers (NRZ / PAM4 capable)
  • Transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs) and RX front-end circuits
  • CTLE / equalizers, limiting amplifiers, and gain stages
  • Clocking circuits (e.g., CDR-related blocks, PLL sub-blocks) where applicable
  • On-chip biasing, references, and monitoring circuits
• Perform full design flow including:
  • Architecture definition, circuit design, and transistor-level simulation
  • PVT/Monte Carlo analysis, EM/PEX extraction, and verification
  • Layout guidance and layout review with layout engineers
• Support IC tape-out activities: DRC/LVS closure, documentation, and design sign-off
• Plan and execute silicon bring-up and measurement:
  • High-speed lab measurements (S-parameters, eye diagram, BER, jitter, etc.)
  • Correlation between silicon measurement and simulation
• Work with multi-disciplinary teams including photonics/optics, packaging, and system teams
• Publish research outcomes in top-tier venues and contribute to project reports
• Mentor junior researchers, interns, and graduate students where needed

We offer opportunity to work on cutting-edge CPO / EIC technology with real tape-out, access to state-of-the-art IC design and measurement infrastructure, strong collaboration with experts in photonics, packaging, and system design.

Qualifications

• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Microelectronics, or related discipline
• Strong background in RFIC / analog / mixed-signal IC design
• Solid understanding of high-speed link fundamentals (bandwidth, jitter, noise, linearity, eye diagram, BER)
• Proficiency in circuit design tools (e.g., Cadence Virtuoso, Spectre/APS)
• Experience with at least one full IC design cycle including tape-out

Skills and Experience Considered an Advantage:

• Prior work on CPO, optical interconnects, or silicon photonics systems
• Experience in advanced SerDes-related analog blocks (TX/RX)
• Familiarity with NRZ and PAM4 transmitter/receiver design trade-offs
• Measurement experience for high-speed ICs (VNA, sampling scope, BERT, jitter analysis)
• Understanding of packaging constraints for CPO (interposer, micro-bumps, bump parasitics)
• Experience with advanced CMOS / SiGe / RF SOI technology nodes
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multiple engineering domains

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus

Organization: College of Design and Engineering

Department: Electrical and Computer Engineering

Employee Referral Eligible: No

Job requisition ID: 31710