So, Here we are. Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI is a broad spectrum of technologies and there are several sub-categories of jobs for which company hire. Some categories are:
- Front-Design Engineers
- Verification Engineers
- Physical Designers (Back End)
- DFT Engineers
- FPGA Designers etc.
There are plenty of VLSI companies in India where you can get a job according to your skills. Most of the companies offer internship and on the basis of your performance it can convert into full time offers. There are many ways through which you can enter in semiconductor industry. Some of the popular ways are:
- On Campus Placement: This is the easiest way through which a fresher can enter in VLSI industry. Many big VLSI companies like Qualcomm, Intel, NXP visit every year looking for suitable candidates in some top colleges. If you are a B.Tech or M.Tech student of IITs/Top NITs/IIITs and maintain a good CGPA then after some efforts you can crack their interviews and get a placement offer.
- Off Campus Placement: Here you will have to make some serious efforts. Companies often post job vacancies on their official sites. You will have to regular check their websites. You can also get informations through some job searching sites like indeed, naukri.com etc. But there is a tough competition here. If you have a referral then it might work for you.
- Linkedin Profile: Linkedin can be a great source for searching and getting jobs. Make a good Linkedin profile where you mention your education, projects, skills and build a good network. Here you can directly connect to the employees of your favorite companies and ask them about the latest vacancies and referrals.
Now there are some skills and knowledge you must have to get a job in VLSI domain. I will explain them one by one.
- Thorough understanding of digital design concepts : It is very important to have a strong fundamentals in digital electronics and digital system design.
- Sound knowledge of CMOS and analog circuits. It is important for backend design. You can read good books for understanding of CMOS and can read different articles on internet. You can also get some good contents here.
- Knowledge of verilog/VHDL is must for joining VLSI industry. System verilog will be a plus point.
- Timing concepts of Flip Flop and sequential circuits.
- A good knowledge of C programing language.
- A sound knowledge of Pearl/Python or any other scripting language will be a plus point for you.