VLSI Design, 12 credits

Main field of study

Course level

Advancement level

Course offered for

• Computer Science and Engineering, M Sc in Engineering
• Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering, M Sc in Engineering
• Electronics Engineering, Master's programme
• Information Technology, M Sc in Engineering
• Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering - International, M Sc in Engineering

Specific information

The Entrepreneurship part overlap with other CDIO courses and cannot be included more than once in a degree.

Exchange students may apply for the course after arrival to LiTH but before it starts. The international officer for exchange studies must be contacted before applying.

Entry requirements

Note: Admission requirements for non-programme students usually also include admission requirements for the programme and threshold requirements for progression within the programme, or corresponding.

Prerequisites

Intended learning outcomes

This course is intended to give knowledge and experience in design and fabrication of CMOS VLSI chips. This includes:

1. Deep insight in physical design of VLSI chips.
2. Knowledge and experience of using professional CAD tools for design, simulation, layout, and verification of VLSI chips.
3. Design of a ‘real’ and functional chip, starting from the idea and behavioral modeling to detailed circuit design at transistor level, circuit layout, and final verifications.
4. Complete the project using a systematic and professional approach required by industry to run large and complex VLSI projects:
   • Organize a project group, make project plan, and divide the task efficiently among the group members.
   • Promote teamwork, create a dynamic and functional group, and actively monitor the progress of the project.
   • Apply the knowledge from previous courses, search for supplementary knowledge and material, take the initiative, and find creative solutions.
   • Meet the project milestones and the final deadline, document the project, and show the progress by written reports and oral presentations.

• account for models that describe what it takes for a new venture to have a stable basis for further development and to asess the level of development of ventures using such models; and
• account for the information and analyses needed to evaluate a development project from a business point of view and have the ability to collect and analyse relevant information for the purpose.

  Course content

  Labs include: a small project-example intending to demonstrate a full custom (handwork) and an automated VLSI design flow as well as introducing major CAD tools to be used throughout the design projects.

  Design project includes: Team building, project planning, project management, pre-study of the project, architectural exploration, behavioral modeling and verifications, logic and transistor-level design and circuit simulations, circuit layout, layout verifications, tape out, and the final project documentation.

  Lectures support the project moments including: Course description, introduction to VLSI design methodology, project description, advanced circuit and layout techniques, interconnect interface circuits, on-chip power delivery, clock distribution, synchronization techniques, IO drivers, and pads, testability and reliability considerations, and other related topics.

  Teaching and working methods

  Lectures, labs and the chip design project, where the task is: Design, simulation, and fabrication-ready layout of VLSI functional blocks on a chip in 0.35µm CMOS Technology.
  The core of the course is the project, which will be selected and carried out by a group of 4-to-8 students in an independent manner. The complete chip-design should be ready by the end of Vt2, and a written report should be handed to a supervisor (one for a design team). The chips can be fabricated provided the design is accepted and the students declare to attend the course Evaluation of an Integrated Circuit.
  The course runs over the entire spring semester.

  Examination

  UPG1	Entrepreneurship Assignments	3 credits	U, G
  LAB1	Laboratory Work	1.5 credits	U, G
  PRA1	Project Work	7.5 credits	U, G

  Grades are given as ‘Fail’ or ‘Pass’.

  Grades

  Two-grade scale, U, G

  Other information

  Supplementary courses: Evalution of an Integrated circuit.

  Department

  Institutionen för systemteknik

  Director of Studies or equivalent

  Tomas Svensson

  Examiner

  Atila Alvanpour

  Course website and other links

  http://www.isy.liu.se/en/edu/kurs/TSEK06/

  Education components

  Preliminary scheduled hours: 60 h
  Recommended self-study hours: 260 h

  Course literature

  Jan M. Rabaey, Anantha Chandrakasan, Borivoje Nikolic, "Digital Integrated Circuits", Prentice Hall, Second Edition (International edition), ISBN 0-13-120764-4 Kompendium om projektmodellen LIPS (köps på Bokakademin).