AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course the student will be able to design basic cells for circuits in microelectronic technology (in particular CMOS) starting from the functional and behavioral specifications.

In particular, the student will have learned the main elements of microelectronic design such as: basic knowledge of device manufacturing technologies, modeling, realization at the layout level (including knowledge of the design rules), circuits and construction approaches to static and dynamic and digital circuits, as well as of memory cells. An in-depth study of circuit simulation methodologies will be also pursued.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures and 4 hours of practice

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

1. Introduction to the matter physics and semiconductor devices.
2. Microelectronic Technologies: From Device Manufacturing to Integrated Circuits.
3. Basic concepts of microelectronic layout: design rules, circuit examples, layout CAD tools; Behavior and modeling of the MOS transistor.
4. Basic circuits: basic topologies and sizing of digital cells (inverters, logic gates). Dynamic circuits and memories; Analog basic building blocks.
5. Final project assignment.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• S.M. Sze, Semiconductor Devices Physics and Technology, 2nd Edition, John Wiley and Sons, 2002.
• Y. Tzividis, Mixed ANALOG-DIGITAL VLSI Devices and TECHNOLOGY, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pie. Ltd., 2002
• Digital Integrated Circuits, J.M. Rabaey, A. Chandrakasan, B. Nikolic, Pearson, 2003 .
• N.H.E. Weste, D.M. Harris, CMOS VLSI Design – A circuit and system perspective, 4th Ed., Addison Wesley Publisher, 2011
• Sedra/Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, 7th Edition, Oxford University Press, 2014.