VLSI Design

(18B11EC315)

Unit 1: Introduction
Lecture 1
Contents
• Course objectives
• Detailed syllabus
• Evaluation Criteria
• Revolution of Semiconductor Industry
• VLSI Memory Era
• Types of IC Design
• References
 Detailed Syllabus
Module No. Subtitle of the Module Topics No. of Lectures

1. Introduction to VLSI Overview of VLSI design methodologies, VLSI design flow, Design hierarchy, VLSI 3
design styles.

2. MOS Transistor Theory MOS structure and operation, MOSFET I-V characteristics, Scaling and small-geometry 9
effects, MOSFET capacitances, MOSFET models for circuit simulation

3. MOS Inverters Static and switching characteristics, Delay-time definitions, calculation of delay times, 9
Inverter design with delay constraints, Static and switching power dissipation of CMOS
inverter

4. MOS Logic Circuits CMOS logic circuits, Complex logic circuits, Pass transistor logic, CMOS transmission 13
gates, Sequential logic circuits, Dynamic logic circuits, Stick diagram, Layout, Layout
design rules

5. Semiconductor Memories Working of Dynamic and Static Random Access Memory (DRAM, SRAM) 4

6. System Design using HDL Language fundamentals, Different modeling techniques using Verilog-HDL 4

Total number of Lectures 42

 Course Outcomes
S. No. Course Outcomes Cognitive Levels/ Blooms Taxonomy

CO1 Understand VLSI design flow, VLSI design styles, digital systems modeling using Understanding
Verilog-HDL
(Level II)

CO2 Demonstrate the operation of MOSFET, understanding technology scaling and Analyzing
its effects
(Level IV)
CO3 Develop the concepts of static and dynamic characteristic of MOS inverters, Analyzing
combinational and sequential circuits

(Level IV)
CO4 Understand the dynamic logic circuits, stick diagram, layout and working Analyzing
principle of different types of semiconductor memories

(Level IV)
Course Objectives
This course aims to convey knowledge of basic concepts of circuit
design using CMOS with emphasis on the design, optimization and
layout. Special attention will be devoted to the most important
challenges facing digital circuit designers today and in the coming
decade, being the impact of scaling, deep submicron effects and timing.
Learn to design and analyze state-of-the-art digital VLSI chips using
CMOS technology
Understand the complete design flow
Evaluation Criteria
• Components Maximum Marks
• T1 20
• T2 20
• End Semester Examination 35
• TA 25 (Quiz/Assignments)
• Total 100
 1. Sung-Mo Kang, ; Yusuf Leblebici ; Chulwoo Kim, “CMOS
Digital Integrated Circuits: Analysis and Design”, 4th
Edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Indian
Edition,2019.

2. J. M. Rabaey, A. Chandrakasan, B. Nikolic, “Digital

Integrated Circuits: A Design Perspective”, 2nd Edition,
Recommended Pearson Education Inc., 2016.
Readings
3. Neil Weste and David Harris, “CMOS VLSI Design: A Circuits and
Systems Perspective”, 4th Edition, Pearson Education India, 2015.

4. [Link] Mano, Michael [Link], “Digital Design: With an

Introduction to the Verilog HDL,VHDL, and System
Verilog”, 6th Edition, Pearson , 2018.
Prerequisites & General principle
• Logic design, Basic MOS Device physics, Digital electronics

• Technology changes fast => important to understand general

principles
• optimization, tradeoffs
• work as part of a group
• leverage existing work: programs ,building blocks
• Concepts remain the same:
• Example: relays -> tubes -> bipolar transistors -> MOS transistors
What we will cover in course?
• Designing chips containing lots of transistors
• How basic components work (transistors, gates, flops, memories, adders,
• Complexity management: hierarchy and CAD tools(HDL)
• Key issues:
• Creating logical structures from transistors
• Performance analysis and optimization
• Timing analysis: Propagation delay calculations
• Power consumption, clocking, I/O, etc.
VLSI
VLSI stands for very large scale integration

Process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of

transistor-based circuits into single chip
Design/manufacturing of extremely small, complex circuits using
modified semiconductor materials
HDL(hardware descriptive language) used for designing VLSI circuits
-Verilog
- VHDL
System and Chips
• This course: designing ICs
• Part of a system: chips + board + software + …
• System companies: HP, Cisco
• Chip companies: Intel, Qualcomm, nVidia vs.
Hercules
• Most ECE graduates work in
• VLSI design: Intel, Qualcomm, ST Microelectronics,
Cadence, Synopsis
• System design: HP, Cisco
• Software: Microsoft, Google
Types of IC Design[8]
• IC Designs can be Analog or Digital
• Digital designs can be one of three groups
• Full Custom
• Every transistor designed and laid out by hand
• ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuits)
• Designs synthesized automatically from a high-level language description
• Semi-Custom
• Mixture of custom and synthesized modules
 REFERENCES
13

[1] O'Regan G. (2016): The Invention of the Integrated Circuit and the Birth of Silicon Valley.
Introduction to the History of Computing. Undergraduate Topics in Computer Science.
Springer, Cham, ISBN: 978-3-319-33138-6.

[2] Kahng D., “A Historical Perspective on the Development of MOS Transistors and Related
Devices,” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 23, no. 7, 1976, pp. 655- 657.

[3] Wanlass F. M. And Sah C.T., “Nanowatt Logic Using Field-Eect Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor Triodes,” International Solid State Circuits Conference Digest of Technical
Papers February 20, 1963, pp. 32-33.

[4] Bohr M., “The New Era of Scaling in an SoC World, “IEEE International Solid-State
Circuits Conference, Digest of Technical Papers, Feb. 2009, pp. 23-28.

30/10/2025
 REFERENCES
14

[5] Brown G.A., Zeitzo P.M., Bersuker G. Hu H.R., “ Scaling CMOS: materials & devices,”
International SEMATECH, 2706 Montopolis Drive, 2004, pp. 20-25.

[6] Itoh K., “VLSI Memory Chip Design,” Springer Series in Advanced Microelectronics.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidlberg, 2001.
[7] [Link]
(Accessd on: January 12, 2018)
[8]Sung-Mo Kang, ; Yusuf Leblebici ; Chulwoo Kim, “CMOS Digital Integrated Circuits:
Analysis and Design”, 4th Edition, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Indian Edition,2019.
Online e-book available:
[8][Link]

30/10/2025