SerDes Circuit Design Engineer

Apple • Waltham, MA

1d

About The Position

Join Apple’s high-speed SerDes team to develop next-generation, high-performance wireline transceivers and intellectual property for Apple systems-on-chip. The role focuses on designing high-performance, high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuits for SerDes PHYs, evaluating circuit topologies against product requirements, and optimizing power, performance, and area.

You will collaborate with cross-functional analog and mixed-signal, architecture, SIPI, packaging, board design, DFT, ESD, and SoC teams. Work includes defining block-level specifications, implementing circuits at transistor level, creating behavioral models, driving mask design and layout implementation, and delivering quality IP views. You will also communicate progress and discuss ideas with peers and management.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree at minimum.
• Deep understanding of analog mixed-signal design and experience with high-speed serial links.
• Understanding and experience designing analog mixed-signal circuit blocks, including bandgaps, biasing circuits, LDO regulators, amplifiers, comparators, switched-capacitor circuits, ADCs, DACs, oscillators, and filters.
• Understanding of mismatch mitigation, linearity, stability, low-power, and low-noise techniques.
• Understanding of digitally assisted analog design concepts, such as background calibration and LMS-based adaptive loops.
• Experience with high-speed digital circuits, such as serializers, deserializers, counters, and dividers, and solid understanding of digital design concepts.
• Knowledge of transmitter and receiver equalization techniques and circuits, including CTLE, DFE, and de-emphasis, for 64+ Gbps NRZ and PAM applications.
• Knowledge of CDR architectures and implementations.
• Knowledge of lab equipment and testing.
• Experience in analog mixed-signal circuit modeling and performance evaluation using tools such as SystemVerilog, Matlab, Python, or VerilogAMS.
• Hands-on experience with advanced CMOS technologies and FinFET design.
• Hands-on experience with AMS IC development from definition through high-volume production, including layout supervision, bench evaluation, correlation, and characterization.
• Understanding of timing closure concepts and related industry tools, such as Nanotime and Primetime.
• Experience with lab testing of high-speed serial I/O, debugging, and data analysis techniques.
• Knowledge of common high-speed SerDes protocols, such as PCIe, USB, DP, and M-PHY.

Nice To Haves

• Skills in scripting and automation to enhance efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Develop high-performance, high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuits for SerDes PHYs.
• Evaluate circuit topologies for product requirements, including receiver, CDR, transmitter, bias generator, high-speed clock generation and distribution, analog signal chain, and mixed-signal calibration and algorithms.
• Optimize designs for power, performance, and area.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to create block-level specifications.
• Execute transistor-level circuit implementation and behavioral modeling.
• Drive mask design to implement design layout views.
• Work with SoC teams to deliver IP views that meet quality standards.
• Perform lab testing, debugging, data analysis, bench evaluation, correlation, and characterization of high-speed serial I/O and AMS designs.
• Communicate progress and discuss ideas with peers and management.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time