Digital Integrated Circuits
A Design Perspective
Jan M. Rabaey
Outline (approximate)
Introduction and Motivation
The VLSI Design Process
Details of the MOS Transistor
Device Fabrication
Design Rules
CMOS circuits
VLSI Structures
System Timing
Real Circuits and Performance
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
The First Computer
The Babbage
Difference Engine
(1832)
25,000 parts
cost: 17,470
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
ENIAC - The first electronic computer
(1946)
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
Evolution in Complexity
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
What is CMOS VLSI?
MOS = Metal Oxide Semiconductor (This used to
mean a Metal gate over Oxide insulation)
Now we use polycrystalline silicon which is
deposited on the surface of the chip as a gate. We
call this poly or just red stuff to distinguish it from
the body of the chip, the substrate, which is a single
crystal of silicon.
We do use metal (aluminum) for interconnection
wires on the surface of the chip.
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
CMOS:Complementary MOS
Means we are using both N-channel and Pchannel type enhancement mode Field Effect
Transistors (FETs).
Field Effect- NO current from the controlling
electrode into the output
FET is a voltage controlled current device
BJT is a current controlled current device
N/P Channel - doping of the substrate for
increased carriers (electrons or holes)
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
N-Channel Enhancement
mode MOS FET
FourTerminalDevicesubstratebias
TheselfalignedgatekeytoCMOS
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
VLSI:Very Large Scale
Integration
Integration: Integrated Circuits
multiple devices on one substrate
How large is Very Large?
SSI (small scale integration)
7400 series, 10-100 transistors
MSI (medium scale)
74000 series 100-1000
LSI 1,000-10,000 transistors
VLSI > 10,000 transistors
ULSI/SLSI (some disagreement)
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Intel 4004 Micro-Processor
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
Evolution in Transistor Count
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
Scale Example
Consider a chip size of 20mm X 20mm
Consider a transistor size of 2um X
2um
With area for wires, etc.
1x108 transistors / chip
Or - plot at 1 transistor : 1 mm
1 chip : 20 meter x 20 meter plot
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Intel Pentium (II) microprocessor
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
VLSI Design
But the real issue is that VLSI is about designing
systems on chips.
The designs are complex, and we need to use
structured design techniques and sophisticated
design tools to manage the complexity of the
design.
We also accept the fact that any technology we
learn the details of will be out of date soon.
We are trying to develop and use techniques that
will transcend the technology, but still respect it.
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
The Process of VLSI Design:
Consists of many different representations/Abstractions of the
system (chip) that is being designed.
System Level Design
Architecture / Algorithm Level Design
Digital System Level Design
Logical Level Design
Electrical Level Design
Layout Level Design
Semiconductor Level Design (possibly more)
Each abstraction/view is itself a Design Hierarchy of refinements
which decompose the design.
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Design Abstraction Levels
SYSTEM
MODULE
+
GATE
CIRCUIT
DEVICE
G
S
n+
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
D
n+
Prentice Hall 1995
Help from Computer Aided
Design tools
Tools
Logic design
Electronic/circuit
design
Device physics
Artwork
Applications - system
design
Architectures
Editors
Simulators
Libraries
Module Synthesis
Place/Route
Chip Assemblers
Silicon Compilers
Introduction to VLSI Design
Experts
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
New Design Methodologies
Methodologies which are based on:
System Level Abstractions v.s. Device
Characteristic Abstractions
Logic structures and circuitry change slowly over
time
trade-offs do change, but the choices do not
Scalable Designs
Layout techniques also change slowly.
But the minimum feature size steadily decreases with time
(also Voltage, Die Size, etc.)
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Design Approaches
Custom
full control of design
best results, slowest design time.
Semi-custom (std cell)
use Cell libraries from vendor
cad tools, faster design time
Gate Array
fastest design time
worst speed/power/density
best low volume (worst high volume)
EPLA/EPLD - FPGA - electrically programmable (in the
field) -
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Close up of Intel Chip?
Time Magazine, July 1998
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Evolution in Speed/Performance
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
Technologies
Bipolar (BJT)
TTL, Schottky
ECL
I^2 L
Dual Junction, current controlled devices
MOS (FET unipolar)
NMOS, PMOS
CMOS <== our course
Single Junction voltage controlled devices
GaAs (typically JFETs)
OEICs - MQWs, Integrated Lasers,?
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
Silicon in 2010
Density AccessTime
(Gbits/cm2)
(ns)
Die Area:
2.5x2.5 cm
DRAM
8.5
10
Voltage:
0.6 V
2.5
10
Technology: 0.07 m DRAM (Logic)
SRAM (Cache)
0.3
1.5
Density
Max. Ave. Power Clock Rate
(Mgates/cm2)
(W/cm2)
(GHz)
Custom
25
54
3
Std. Cell
10
27
1.5
GateArray
5
18
1
Single-Mask GA
2.5
12.5
0.7
FPGA
0.4
4.5
0.25
Digital Integrated Circuits
Introduction
Prentice Hall 1995
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
8
inch
Introduction
18 inch
Steven P. Levitan 1998
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
SIA -National Technology
Roadmap for Semiconductors
Introduction to VLSI Design
Introduction
Steven P. Levitan 1998
