The commercial chip design tools available today are very powerful
However, these tools are highly complex and need long time to learn.
Teaching hours in Nano-CMOS are decreased
Physics of semiconductors are exploding in complexity (100-1000 parameters in MOS models)
Student and engineer diversity must be considered. Gaps in the background knowledge must be addressed
EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Tools should be used by large number of students at undergraduate level
Design tools should provide intuitive design, simulation and visualization environments
Design tools should be easily accessible. Most of the work is done out of regular teaching hours (e-learning, project-based..)
Target course and practical training duration: 15 H
MICROWIND
Technology scale down, where we come from, where we are (45 nm), where we go..
A tutorial on MOS devices, based on problem-based learning
The design of inverters, and a simple ring oscillator, and a small student contest.
The design of basic logic gates introducing interconnect design, compact design strategies, and impact on switching speed and power consumption.
The design of analog blocs introducing amplification, voltage reference, addition of analog signals, and mixed-signal blocs
A design project, e.g. converter, processing unit, OpAmp, radio-frequency block, etc..
MICROWIND
User-friendly and intuitive design tool for educational use.
The student draws the masks of the circuit layout and performs analog simulation
The tool displays the layout in 2D, static 3D and animated 3D
MICROWIND
MOS DEVICE
Traditional teaching : in-depth explanation of the potentials, fields, threshold voltage, and eventually the expression of the current Ids
Our approach : step-by-step illustration of the most important relationships between layout and performance.
Design of the MOS
I/V Simulation
2D view
Time domain analysis
MICROWIND
BASIC GATE DESIGN
Illustration of the most important relationships between layout and performance.
Design of pMOS
Design of inverters
Design of a VCO
Try to optimize the VCO for highest possible speed
Improve MOS size
Change MOS options
Make the layout more compact
Keep an eye on power consumption
MICROWIND
PROJECT EXAMPLES
engage students in a stimulating learning experience using latest CMOS technologies
Circuit analysis and optimization using WinSpice
Combinational and sequential circuit layouts
ALU Design
Power amplifier Bluetooth
EVALUATION
The VLSI course was evaluated anonymously by the students
UNISA course evaluation questionnaire containing ten core questions and open text response.
The students rated the course very highly in all the evaluation items.
The course in the in the top-5 courses offered in engineering in UniSA.
(off-line: Dr. Aziz won the “top teacher of the year” in Australia 2009)
EVALUATION
Answers to questionnaire
EVALUATION
“From just a few logic gates, we have created a 4-stage binary counter and compiled it into layout. It also gave us the basic concepts to understand the operation of the transistors in order to extract their models.”
“The 24-hours clock project was a good exercise which permitted us to see how it is inside a semiconductor and how it works.”
“We learned a lot about designing integrated circuit. We faced some practical problems, and tried to solve them or to understand them.”
“This study allows us to understand the DAC running. In spite of some design problems, we managed to make the DAC work well.”
“Before doing this project, we hadn’t thought that there are as many ways to realize an amplifier. It’s an area not easy to understand. Each technique has its limit. We tried to optimize our operational amplifier design to maximize the gain.”
PERSPECTIVES
Application note on 32 nm & 22 nm technologies
Application note on process variability and Monte-Carlo simulation
