Fundamentals of VLSI design

EE-429 / 6 credits

Teacher(s): Burg Andreas Peter, Levisse Alexandre Sébastien Julien

Language: English

Summary

The course introduces the fundamentals of digital integrated circuits and the technology aspects from a designers perspective. It focuses mostly on transistor level, but discusses also the extension to large digital semicustom designs.

Content

Introduction: 
History/milestones, methodology, technology, design objectives & principles

Digital CMOS Fundamentals (Inverter):
DC characteristics, delay, rise/fall time, noise-margins, impact of  sizing

Basic CMOS logic gates:
Constructing basic logic gates, transistor sizing, gate delay considerations

Custom digital logic:
Logical effort model, sizing of gates, inverter chains

Parasitic effects:
Routing capacitance, wire resistance, Elmore delay model

Technology considerations:
Technology scaling, impact on parasitics, variabiity

Low-power design: 
Power consumption basics (leakage, dynamic), voltage-scaling, basic low-power design principles

Memories:
Embedded SRAM (6T bit-cell, organization, peripherals), SRAM stability (noise margins)
DRAM (briefly)

Fundamentals of Semicustom design:
Design flow, design abstraction, IP components, standard-cells (layout, characterization, lib, lef)

Semicustom design flow:
Logic synthesis, place & route, clock distribution, verification

Learning Prerequisites

Required courses

EE-490(b) Lab in EDA based design (can be attended in parallel in same semester)

Recommended courses

EE-334 Digital system design (can be attended in parallel in same semester)

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the student must be able to:

  • Construct digital logic gates
  • Analyze the performance of digital gates
  • Optimize digital logic
  • Explain the operation of embedded memories
  • Anticipate the impact of parasitics and technology scaling
  • Implement a semicustom integrated circuit from a given RTL code to layout
  • Link simplified abstract models to detailed computer simulations

Teaching methods

Ex-cathedra lectures with computer labs using industry-standard IC design tools

Resources

Notes/Handbook

Slides & course notes

Moodle Link

Prerequisite for

EE-431 Advanced VLSI design (highly recommended)

In the programs

  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Fundamentals of VLSI design
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional
  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Fundamentals of VLSI design
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: optional
  • Semester: Fall
  • Exam form: Written (winter session)
  • Subject examined: Fundamentals of VLSI design
  • Courses: 3 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Project: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
  • Type: mandatory

Reference week

Related courses

Results from graphsearch.epfl.ch.