Project Course in VLSI Design

Aim

This course aims to provide students with knowledge and practical experience in the design and fabrication of CMOS VLSI chips, as well as advanced competence in conducting technical development projects within microelectronics and integrated circuit design. After completing the course, students are expected to have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

• Acquire, analyze, and synthesize knowledge from different disciplines related to VLSI chip design techniques to solve complex problems in new contexts.
• Knowledge and practical experience with professional CAD tools for design, simulation, layout, and verification of VLSI circuits.
• Ability to design a chip from concept to final layout and verification.
• Capability to plan and execute projects using a systematic and industry‑relevant approach, including the ability to:Organize a project team, develop a project plan, and distribute tasks efficiently among team members.Foster effective teamwork, create a dynamic and collaborative group environment, and actively monitor project progress.Apply knowledge from previous courses, search for complementary information, take initiative, and develop creative technical solutions.Meet project milestones and deadlines, document the project effectively, and communicate progress through written reports and oral presentations.
• Document a life cycle assessment (LCA) that considers relevant aspects of environmental, economic, and social sustainability.​
• Reflect on and consider sustainability aspects in the planning and implementation of a project.​
• Show the ability to act based on life cycle analysis to influence the surrounding society (locally, nationally, or globally) to create a more positive impact (socially, economically, sustainably, etc.).

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 tools to be used throughout the design projects.

We provide projects both in transistor level and hardware description and synthesis. The projects may vary between years. Examples of previous projects include ADC, DAC, high speed communication links, ALU’s, parts of a CPU and timer circuits.

Design project includes: Team building, project planning, project management, pre-study of the project, architectural exploration, behavioral modeling and verifications, logic/transistor-level design. In purely digital projects, this corresponds to place-and-route, by which is meant automated gate level layout based on existing standard cell libraries. Finally, for all projects, circuit simulations, circuit layout, layout verifications, tape out (prepare the database for manufacture), and the final project documentation are included.

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.