Profession integrated circuit design engineer

Integrated circuit design engineers design the layout for integrated circuits according to electronics engineering principles. They use software to create design schematics and diagrams.

Personality Type

• Investigative / Realistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Electronic components

  Devices and components that can be found in electronic systems. These devices can range from simple components such as amplifiers and oscillators, to more complex integrated packages, such as integrated circuits and printed circuit boards.

• Electricity

  Understand the principles of electricity and electrical power circuits, as well as the associated risks.

• Integrated circuit types

  Types of integrated circuits (IC), such as analog integrated circuits, digital integrated circuits, and mixed-signal integrated circuits.

• Mathematics

  Mathematics is the study of topics such as quantity, structure, space, and change. It involves the identification of patterns and formulating new conjectures based on them. Mathematicians strive to prove the truth or falsity of these conjectures. There are many fields of mathematics, some of which are widely used for practical applications.

• Integrated circuits

  Electronic components, made up from a set of electronic circuits which are placed on semiconductor material, such as silicon. Integrated circuits (IC) can hold billions of electronic components on a microscale and are one of basic components of electronic devices.

• Electronics

  The functioning of electronic circuit boards, processors, chips, and computer hardware and software, including programming and applications. Apply this knowledge to ensure electronic equipment runs smoothly.

• Design drawings

  Understand design drawings detailing the design of products, tools, and engineering systems.

• Electronic equipment standards

  The national and international quality and safety standards and regulations with regards to the use and manufacture of electronic equipment and its components, such as semiconductors and printed circuit boards.

• CAD software

  The computer-aided design (CAD) software for creating, modifying, analysing or optimising a design.

• Semiconductors

  Semiconductors are essential components of electronic circuits and contain properties of both insulators, such as glass, and conductors, such as copper. Most semiconductors are crystals made of silicon or germanium. By introducing other elements in the crystal through doping, the crystals turn into semiconductors. Depending on the amount of electrons created by the doping process, the crystals turn into N-type semiconductors, or P-type semiconductors.

Skills

• Create technical plans

  Create detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.

• Design electronic systems

  Draft sketches and design electronic systems, products, and components using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software and equipment. Make a simulation so that an assessment can be made of the viability of the product and so the physical parameters can be examined before the actual building of the product.

• Use technical drawing software

  Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.

• Design integrated circuits

  Design and draft integrated circuits (IC) or semiconductors, such as microchips, used in electronic products. Integrate all necessary components, such as diodes, transistors, and resistors. Pay attention to the design of input signals, output signals, and power availability.

• Use CAD software

  Use computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.

• Liaise with engineers

  Collaborate with engineers to ensure common understanding and discuss product design, development and improvement.

• Customise drafts

  Edit drawings, schematic diagrams, and drafts according to specifications.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB