VLSI and Full Custom Design

This course focuses on designing digital IC blocks in CMOS technology from the bottom up. Design rules and layout static, dynamic pass gates, and other logic families. Sequential circuits, arithmetic circuits, data path structure, and memories. Interconnect and I/O design. Clock and power distribution networks, testing and reliability. Design of cutting-edge VLSI chip. Teams of 3 to 5 students undertake a significant circuit design problem, going from specification to VLSI implementation while optimizing for speed, area, and power. Group collaboration and engineering design.