Silicon Characterization Engineer

Project

Work done for a product or program.

• Design and execute characterisation plans across PVT corners using corner-lot silicon, split lots and thermal forcing.
• Generate shmoo plots and schmoo-based margin maps for frequency, voltage, timing and functional operating windows.
• Characterise analog and mixed-signal blocks for accuracy, offset, gain error, noise, PSRR and linearity against datasheet targets.
• Measure power consumption across modes — active, idle, retention, deep sleep — and correlate against power model predictions.
• Characterise on-chip monitors such as ring oscillators, thermal diodes, process monitors and voltage droop detectors.
• Validate datasheet parameters and provide the data package that marketing and applications engineering publish to customers.
• Determine guardbands between characterisation-measured capability and production test limits with statistical justification.
• Correlate silicon measurements with SPICE, STA and power simulation models and feed back model calibration data to design and foundry.
• Characterise VMIN distributions for memories and logic to support voltage-adaptive and DVFS operation.
• Automate characterisation data collection and reporting so that each new silicon revision is characterised in days, not weeks.

Function

Work that keeps the discipline running: methods, tools, suppliers and people.

• Maintain test standards, test hardware and program libraries.General
• Work with equipment and probe card suppliers on capacity and capability.General
• Improve test methods and data tools for future products.General

Project

1. Produce and hand over the role's key deliverables
   • Characterization plan and PVT corner test matrix
   • Shmoo and margin plot library across corners
   • Datasheet parameter validation data package
   • Guardband justification memo for production test limits
   • Silicon-versus-model correlation report
   • Characterization automation scripts and data repository
2. Develop the test solutionGeneral
   • Define the test plan and coverage targets
   • Write and debug the test program
   • Design or specify the test hardware
3. Release to productionGeneral
   • Correlate results across testers and sites
   • Optimise test time
   • Release the program under change control

Function

1. Maintain test infrastructureGeneral
   • Keep program libraries and standards current
   • Plan tester and hardware capacity
2. Improve methodsGeneral
   • Review escapes and adjust coverage
   • Develop data analysis tools