I am pursuing my bachelors in Electronics and Communication Engineering. I developed a keen interest in the courses being taught in the department. Also, there was a laboratory course where we were introduced to the tool (Cadence Virtuoso) that gives practical insight into the working of semiconductor devices and circuits. During that time, I already knew that Texas Instruments is one of the best companies working with semiconductor devices. So, I started aiming to intern there.

I was already in touch with the seniors who secured their internships at Texas Instruments last year. I enquired about the main topics that I should focus on and started preparing for that. Most of the topics are usually covered in the departmental courses, so I knew my first plan of action.

SELECTION PROCESS

Texas Instruments visits our campus every year in the beginning, so I applied via TPO. The application process was as follows:

1. TPO shares the job profile, stipend, and other details to the students on the Placement Portal.
2. Students can apply with their resume on the Portal itself.
3. The company then conducts a test. The test was of one and a half hours and comprised of 3 sections - Analog, Digital, and Aptitude. The duration for each section was limited, and there was negative marking for wrong questions also. Attempting maximum questions with highest accuracy would be the key to perform well.
4. Then the shortlist was announced by the TPO and soon, the interview was scheduled.
5. There were three rounds in the interview process, one for the Digital domain, the second for the Analog domain, and the third was an HR round. The important thing is that you should be confident and interactive with the Interviewer. They are not here to judge your skills and knowledge only, they would also focus on your attitude and your approach to the problems.
6. After the interview was over, the interviewer talked with the selected candidates and asked them about their preference in case they were selected for both Analog and Digital domains. The result was soon uploaded by the TPO as well.

The eligibility criteria were that the student is pursuing either Electronics or Electrical Engineering as their majors and should have a CGPA higher than 7.

GETTING THERE

For preparation, I would suggest that you have a good knowledge of the ECE department’s courses. Digital Logic Circuits, CMOS Circuits, Op-Amps, Sequential Circuits, MOS Device Characteristics, RC Circuits, and Analog MOS Circuits are the main topics to focus on. The books you can refer to for these topics are Digital Design - by M. Morris Mano and Fundamentals of Microelectronics - by Behzad Razavi.

Apart from this, if you have any hands-on experience of the tools or have done any project related to the field, it is considered a plus point.

Texas Instruments in one of the leading companies in the world working with semiconductors and electronics. The headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas and its office in India is situated in Bangalore.

A picture of the Campus which I wanted to visit but couldn’t because of the Pandemic.

WORK

My project was to design a failsafe GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) working at 1.8V and verify it across the PVT (Process Voltage Temperature) variations. It started with a literature study of the concepts and working of different blocks and familiarisation with the tools, specifications, and requirements for the design.

In a CMOS circuit design, the main parameters are performance, area, and power. My goal was to achieve a significant decrease in any of these parameters.

The work culture at Texas Instruments is very supportive. Everyone is easily approachable and helpful to the interns. Due to COVID, the internship was remote and therefore, many great experiences were missed by us. But the HR team worked very hard to make sure that we get the best that is possible. They organized virtual meeting sessions with leaders across the globe. They even organized sessions with some NCGs (New College Graduates) who joined TI this year only, and they shared their Internship experience with us and how they converted it into a successful PPO.

The work hours were flexible due to the Work From Home scenario. But the emphasis was laid on the deadlines. The nature of work is relaxed, but it demands that you take maximum interest in what you are doing and give your best.

Before starting the internship, the company allots a mentor to each of the interns who not only supervises your work but also helps you get acquainted with the work culture and guides you along the path. But at the same time, he/she expects you to be proactive with your thoughts and take the lead.

A picture was taken with the team on the Webex Platform as it was Virtual this whole time.

I learned a lot of technical stuff and the details that we should focus on when working on a real industrial project that will serve millions of customers. One should expect to learn a lot of theoretical and practical knowledge on how to design a circuit from scratch and the technicalities that we have to take care of while developing and testing it.