Description

An understanding of modern logic design is crucial to chip manufacturing, as almost all digital systems today are based on VLSI chips. This course serves as an introduction to back-end VLSI design fundamentals, as well as various computer-aided design (CAD) tools and methodologies.

Learn about MOS transistors and IC fabrication and develop abstractions to create and reason about complex digital systems. Learn how to model gates and synthesize their physical layouts as well as how to validate complex hardware and software systems. Explore some of the most critical VLSI design issues including fabrication and layout, timing, power minimization, testing and debugging.

Prerequisites

EE 101A and EE108; familiarity with transistors, logic design, Verilog, and digital system organization.

Topics include

  • MOS transistors and IC fabrication
  • Transistors
  • Gates and physical layouts
  • Verilog and System Verilog
  • Validation
  • Testing, reliability, power and performance
  • Precharge logic, and other circuits

Course Availability

The course schedule is displayed for planning purposes – courses can be modified, changed, or cancelled. Course availability will be considered finalized on the first day of open enrollment. For quarterly enrollment dates, please refer to our graduate education section.