Senior Back End DFT Engineer

About Graphcore

Graphcore is one of the world’s leading innovators in Artificial Intelligence compute. 

It is developing hardware, software and systems infrastructure that will unlock the next generation of AI breakthroughs and power the widespread adoption of AI solutions across every industry. 

As part of the SoftBank Group, Graphcore is a member of an elite family of companies responsible for some of the world’s most transformative technologies. Together, they share a bold vision: to enable Artificial Super Intelligence and ensure its benefits are accessible to everyone.  

Graphcore’s teams are drawn from diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of skills and perspectives. A melting pot of AI research specialists, silicon designers, software engineers and systems architects, Graphcore enjoys a culture of continuous learning and constant innovation. 

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced Back End DFT Engineer to join our Product Test and Diagnosis Department.

The role requires an understanding of the DFT structures and strategies implemented in next-generation AI processors, as well as the generation of test patterns necessary to meet coverage, quality, and power budget targets.

The test patterns will be targeted at a range of target test systems throughout the Life Cycle of the product; Wafer Sort, Final Test, Board Test, System Test and In-Field.

The ideal candidate should also have a focus on quality and demonstrate a good understanding of the importance of production test on the success of a product. They will have a DFT or ATE Test Engineering background, and will have a pragmatic, hands-on and flexible approach to a fast-changing environment.

The Team

The Product Test and Diagnostics team’s role is to detect and manage hardware defects that arise from the manufacture and use of our products. This covers chips, boards and finished systems and takes place both in the manufacturing sites and in the field.

Responsibilities and Duties

• Working with the Silicon and DFT teams to define manufacturing test solutions.

• Understanding of top level DFT strategies within multi-die product.

• Generation and retargeting of structural test vectors, fault coverage analysis and improvement

• Use of Tessent for pattern debug / diagnostics on the bench

• Conversion of patterns to a variety of test platforms

• Work with the product and test engineering teams to ensure successful silicon bring-up and help identify any silicon failures to enhance yield learning and improvement

Candidate Profile

Essential:

• A pragmatic approach, the ability to improvise, pitch in, and get the job done.

• Very good knowledge of Digital Integrated Circuits and Systems

• Very good understanding of DFT components like JTAG (IEEE 1149.x), IJTAG (IEEE P1687), Core Test (IEEE P1500), Die Stack Test (IEEE-1838), SSN (Streaming Scan Network), Test Compression, OCC etc.

• Experience in Scan based testing and industry standard ATPG tools

• Exposure to silicon bring-up, post-silicon testing and tester pattern debugging

• Experience in Production Test and ATE test.

• Ability to work within high pressure cross-department and cross-company teams.

• Ability to mentor junior members of the team

• Strong scripting and debugging skills using programming languages like Python, TCL, Perl, Shell etc.

• Degree level qualifications in Electronics or a related field

• Good communication skills.

Desirable

• Experience of SSN and multi-core parallel testing.

• Experience of pattern conversion to ATE platforms.

• Experience of Advantest or Teradyne test systems

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, Graphcore offers flexible working, a generous annual leave policy, private medical insurance and health cash plan, a dental plan, pension (matched up to 5%), life assurance and income protection. We have a generous parental leave policy and an employee assistance programme (which includes health, mental wellbeing, and bereavement support). We offer a range of healthy food and snacks at our central Bristol office and have our own barista bar! We welcome people of different backgrounds and experiences; we’re committed to building an inclusive work environment that makes Graphcore a great home for everyone. We offer an equal opportunity process and understand that there are visible and invisible differences in all of us. We can provide a flexible approach to interview and encourage you to chat to us if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Applicants for this position must hold the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately at this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or support for visa applications