Hi all,

I am a hardware design engineer for 3 years and I am really want to improve myself in Analog IC design and want to move to Analog IC designer career. How can it be possible or in other words, is it possible? If yes, could you suggest me a learning path or what can I do for this transition?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, it is possible, but you have to learn the relevant skills. Having been through school, you should know how to study subjects of interest to you. Would a list of selected text books help?

 

Yes, it is possible, but you have to learn the relevant skills. Having been through school, you should know how to study subjects of interest to you. Would a list of selected text books help?

Actually, I'm studying my master about cmos analog digital converter design and I'm studying razavi's book. I was concerned about my age should be overage to change career path.

 

That depends a lot upon where you want to work. Where I live, women over about 30 find it very difficult to find a job, but men are not graded so strictly..

 

I changed my career path a few times, most recently two tears after retiring. A professional service and engineering company.
The very important requirement for a successful career change is to have the needed skills and insights for the new career PRIOR to starting in it. It is simple to go broke heading off in a new direction.
And really, CMOS A/D converters is a quite narrow field with quite a few folks i it already.

 

In this old video Bob Pease interacts with instrumentation engineers about a function generator. Why did they revise the heath with a duty cycle control on top?
Notice how Bob looks for what the application engineers really wants and what gets them excited about the new equipment. Sometimes meeting 6 Mo. before a show.
He knows what his op amps can do but it is that interchange of ideas and feedback that lets him know just what the market wants.
In 2006 they were talking about including a video, the analog lab had a specialist with video and exactly what they were about to release was not made public yet.

 

I changed my career path a few times, most recently two tears after retiring. A professional service and engineering company.
The very important requirement for a successful career change is to have the needed skills and insights for the new career PRIOR to starting in it. It is simple to go broke heading off in a new direction.
And really, CMOS A/D converters is a quite narrow field with quite a few folks i it already.

I’m focusing my master’s studies on this subject, and I’m also building my portfolio by designing simple analog blocks. However, unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to turn these designs into real silicon. So essentially, my designs remain at the schematic, simulation, and layout stages. I’m sure this might be a bit of a disadvantage when applying for jobs — but would it be a direct reason for elimination?

 

I’m focusing my master’s studies on this subject, and I’m also building my portfolio by designing simple analog blocks. However, unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to turn these designs into real silicon. So essentially, my designs remain at the schematic, simulation, and layout stages. I’m sure this might be a bit of a disadvantage when applying for jobs — but would it be a direct reason for elimination?

When I was near the end of my masters degree, I was hired as an IC design engineer by a company even though I had never designed an IC and had gone to a school that had no IC design component in the curriculum. My semiconductor experience was limited to a one week block during summer field session that covered the basics of what an IC is and how they are made. I didn't even add my name to the list of people trying to interview with them because I didn't see the point (and also wondered why they were bothering to interview at that school in the first place). The Placement Center added my name to the list and I figured, what the heck, at least I will get some practical interview experience out of it. But I had very strong fundamental skills and they taught me the rest on the job. A decade later I was their senior engineer. When looking to hire other engineers, we didn't care if they had any IC background (it was certainly a plus if they did). We looked for people that had bothered to actually learn and understand the fundamentals and that could demonstrate good analysis and problem solving skills.

 

When I was near the end of my masters degree, I was hired as an IC design engineer by a company even though I had never designed an IC and had gone to a school that had no IC design component in the curriculum. My semiconductor experience was limited to a one week block during summer field session that covered the basics of what an IC is and how they are made. I didn't even add my name to the list of people trying to interview with them because I didn't see the point (and also wondered why they were bothering to interview at that school in the first place). The Placement Center added my name to the list and I figured, what the heck, at least I will get some practical interview experience out of it. But I had very strong fundamental skills and they taught me the rest on the job. A decade later I was their senior engineer. When looking to hire other engineers, we didn't care if they had any IC background (it was certainly a plus if they did). We looked for people that had bothered to actually learn and understand the fundamentals and that could demonstrate good analysis and problem solving skills.

Aside from learning about MOSFETs in general, which analog design blocks are essential to learn? I want to progress by studying the commonly used, well-established building blocks in analog design. What would you recommend in this regard?

 

Most engineers do not design IC devices, because there are plenty of functions available. Understanding circuits and transistor devices is very useful, as well as being able to see how circuits work.

 

But...if you are interested in designing integrated circuits, do that. As my mother used to say, "Do what you love, the money will follow."

After all whatever job you come into is going to occupy a good part of your life, and it is much better to take a look around the lab and think "And these people are paying me to do this?" (I would do it for free) than to feel tired of having to do such-and-such again just because use need the money.