If you are looking for a challenging and exciting career in the world of technology, then look no further. Skyworks is an innovator of high-performance analog semiconductors whose solutions are powering the wireless networking revolution. Through our broad technology expertise and one of the most extensive product portfolios in the industry, we are Connecting Everyone and Everything, All the Time.
At Skyworks, you will find a fast-paced environment with a strong focus on global collaboration, minimal layers of management, and the freedom to make meaningful contributions in a setting that encourages creative thinking. We are excited about the opportunity to work with you and glad you want to be part of a team of talented individuals who together are changing the way the world communicates.
Requisition ID: 79090
Winter/Spring PhD Co-op High-Speed Optoelectronics Co-Design
AI is rewiring the data center, and the bottleneck is the link. Every leap in AI compute depends on moving more bits, faster, at lower power. At Skyworks, we are building novel devices and modules that will help make that possible, and we want a PhD researcher to design innovative circuits that bring them to life.
In this 6-month co-op, you will co-design new topologies of 400G–800G TIAs and drivers together with new optical devices we are developing. You will not treat the device as a fixed block, and you will not hand off a circuit at the end. You will work across the full stack, from device physics to circuit architecture, packaging, signal integrity, and link performance, to find the design point no single discipline can reach alone. Then you will take it into the lab and prove it.
You will work with device, process, circuit, packaging, and system experts, with direct access to world-class semiconductor fabs and high-volume manufacturing. Ideas do not stay in simulation here; they move to wafers and products. You will have real ownership, and your work will influence technology decisions.
This Co-Op time frame will be January to June 2027.
Responsibilities
What You'll Do
- Co-design innovative high-speed TIAs and drivers optimized around novel optical device characteristics
- Model optical devices for circuit design, capturing capacitance, bandwidth, noise, responsivity, and modulation efficiency
- Simulate and optimize bandwidth, gain, noise, linearity, jitter, and power across device–circuit–package boundaries
- Attack the signal path end to end: RF behavior, impedance matching, parasitics, interconnects, and signal integrity
- Characterize devices and circuits in the lab using VNAs, high-speed oscilloscopes, BERTs, and probe stations
- Correlate measurements with models, close the gaps, and feed what you learn back into the design
- Find the limits: identify what constrains performance at 400G–800G and propose device-, circuit-, or package-level solutions
- Translate system requirements into concrete device and circuit specifications
- Present findings and recommendations to engineering teams and technical leadership
What You'll Gain
- Ownership of a real technical problem, with results that shape Skyworks technology direction
- Direct collaboration with device, circuit, process, packaging, and system experts
- A view of how ideas move from model to wafer to product in a high-volume manufacturing company
- Hands-on experience in advanced RF and photonics labs
- Visibility with technical leadership through design reviews and presentations
- A path to potential full-time opportunities at Skyworks
Required Experience and Skills
- Currently enrolled in a PhD program in Electrical Engineering, Applied Physics, Photonics, or a related field
- Demonstrated research experience in high-speed circuits, RF, optoelectronic devices, or related areas
- Strong foundation in analog/RF and high-speed circuit design
- Solid understanding of semiconductor and/or optoelectronic device physics
- Working knowledge of RF and signal integrity: S-parameters, transmission lines, impedance matching, parasitics, and noise
- Hands-on experience with circuit and/or EM simulation and modeling tools
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Curiosity, attention to detail, and a collaborative mindset
- Available to work on site for the full 6-month co-op
Desired Experience and Skills
- Experience with Cadence Virtuoso/Spectre, Keysight ADS, Ansys HFSS, or equivalent tools
- Background in TIA, driver, or high-speed transceiver design
- Hands-on high-speed or RF lab experience, including S-parameter, eye-diagram, and BER measurements
- Familiarity with photodetectors, modulators, lasers, or photonic integrated circuits
- Exposure to compound semiconductors (GaAs and InP), thin-film modulator technologies, or silicon photonics
- Familiarity with semiconductor fabrication or photonic device processing
- Knowledge of PAM4 and coherent signaling and high-speed optical link fundamentals
- Strong programming skills in Python or MATLAB for modeling and automation
The typical pay range for an Engineering intern across the U.S. is currently USD $29.00 - $49.00 per hour and for a Non-Engineering intern across the U.S. is currently USD $23.00 - $42.00 per hour. Starting pay will depend on level of education, the ultimate job duties and requirements, and work location. Skyworks has different pay ranges for different work locations in the U.S.
Skyworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Skyworks strives to create an accessible workplace; if you need an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@skyworks.com.