Custom layout training is 6 months course targeted for BTech, BE, MTech, ME, diploma graduates and experienced engineers planning to pursue career as a layout design engineer. Training will focus on all the aspects of layout including Analog layout, Memory layout, Standard cell layout and IO layout. Custom layout design course ensures that a fresher/experienced engineer is prepared on all the essential aspects of Custom layout including ASIC flow, VLSI Design flow, Digital Design concepts, CMOS basics, FinFET basics, various memory architectures, Standard cell, IO’s and detailed Analog layout techniques. Course also includes training on UNIX, revision management, scripting and soft skill for effective interview performance.

Course starts with detailed sessions on semiconductors, Ohms law, Kirchoff law’s, Diode-operation, MOSFET’s, MOSEFT operations, second order effects, FinFET’s, and detailed fabrication process, which is followed by assignments and hands on projects.

Course will also include detailed sessions on layout basics, hands on standard cell layouts, IO layout and memory layout for different architectures. Followed by various analog layout techniques with detailed discussion on Mismatches & Matching, Noises & Coupling, various failure mechanisms which includes Electro migration, IR drop, LOD & Stress effects, WPE, Antenna Effects, Latch up, ESD. Course includes 20+ detailed labs & assignments covering all aspects of custom layout with multiple hands on projects.

Analog layout techniques will involve multiple hands on projects covering various concepts such as common centroid, inter digitation, resistor matching, capacitor matching and opamp circuits, current mirrors, PLL’s, ADC’s, DAC’s, Bandgap, Temperature sensors & Biases -> Current & Voltage bias lines, Large drivers, LNA & Mixers, and Sense amplifier & Bit cell development.

Custom Layout Training

Projects

Projects are the most significant part of any engineers(both fresher and experienced) resume.  It is the projects that differentiate your resume from other resumes, which essentially helps your chances of getting through the interviews.

Below is the list of projects student will be doing as part of six months training. Student will be doing all these projects from scratch. These projects will provide student with expertise on par with a 2 to 3 years experienced engineer, in terms of all the skill set required. Student can work on additional projects to enhance resume for experienced job role.

By working on below projects, student will get familiar with:

  • Complete layout flow including
    • Floor planning
    • Schematic
    • Layout
    • Physical verification

1. Standard Cell Layout of Digital Gates

Description     : Schematic, Layout design and verification for standard cell for NOT, NAND, NOR, AND, OR gate and  Buffer.

Role                : Layout Design and Layout Verification.

Challenges      : Involved in placement, routing by taking care of minimum area and  Verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

2. Level Shifter

Description     : Designed the Layout for Level Shifter.

Role                : Layout Design and Layout Verification.

Challenges      : Involved in placement, routing by taking care of minimum area and  Verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

3. Schmitt Trigger

Description     : Designed the Layout for Schmitt Trigger.

Role                : Layout Design and Layout Verification.

Challenges     : Involved in placement, routing by taking care of minimum area and  Verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

4. Single Stage OpAmp

Description     : Single stage Op-Amp designed, one with NMOS differential pair and   the other with PMOS differential pair whose input and output are   Shielded. Common Centroid matching technique was used while   implementing differential input pair. Taken care of Electro migration   to manage current in the last stage which is a high gain stage and  proper care was taken to avoid latch up.

Role                : Layout Design for OpAmp and Layout verification.

Challenges      : Involved in placement, matching of MOS devices, routing by taking  care of Electro migration and Layout verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

5. 4-bit Flash ADC

Description     : Designed layout for the 4-bit Flash Analog to Digital converter. Main  Challenge was matching of the resistors as any variation in the  Resistance would results in the improper output.

Role                : Layout Design for Block and Top level.

Challenges      : Floor-planning considering different devices and precise resistors  Matching and their Internal routing constraints. Routing by taking  Care of resistance, IR and Top-level layout verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

6. 4-bit DAC

Description     : Designed the layout for 4 bit Digital to Analog converter. Main Challenge was the matching of the resistors.

Role                : Layout Design for block level. Adjusted M1 and M2 pattern errors by adding fill cells and metal fills cleaned DRC, LVS by using the CPDS.

Challenges      : Floor-planning considering resistor. Routing is one by taking care of  IR, symmetry and top-level layout verification.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node : 28nm

7. Band Gap Reference with start-up circuit

Description     : Designed the BGR with startup circuit. Main challenge was the  matching of the resistors and symmetric routing.

Role                : Layout Design for block level (BGR).

Challenges      : Floor-planning considering different devices and BJTs and their internal routing constraints. Routing by taking care of Electro-migration, Latch-up and IR and top-level layout verification LVS/DRC.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node: 28nm

8. Low Drop-Out regulator circuit

Description     : Designed the Layout for LDO using single stage Op-Amp as error  amplifier with large PMOS and feedback resistors. In which matching,   area, Electro migration and shielding constraints are taken into  consideration. Proper care was taken about Electro migration to manage  high current in the last stage which is a high current stage.

Role                : Layout Design for block level and top level.

Challenges      : Floor-planning considering different blocks and their internal routing  constraints. Routing by taking care of electro migration, shielding  symmetry, IR and top-level layout verification LVS/DRC.

Tools Used     : Synopsys Custom Designer & IC Validator (for DRC/LVS).

Technology Node : 28nm

9. Phase Locked Loop

Technology Node : 28nm
Role : layout of VCO, Charge pump, phase detector Cleaned DRC, LVS of the above blocks
Challenges : Sharing of devices, area minimization and routing issues. Also, matching must be there in layout by proper techniques.

10. Serializer and Deserializer (SerDes)

Technology Node : 28nm
Role : Adjusted M1 and M2 pattern errors by adding fill cells and metal fills cleaned DRC, LVS.
Challenges : M1 layer is inbuilt present in Active devices, so M1 errors has to be cleaned without disturbing a floor plan. Also, need to clean the errors regarding higher metals

Demo videos

Theory Demo

LAB Demo:

Overview

Custom layout training is 5.5 months course targeted for BTech, BE, MTech, ME, diploma graduates and experienced engineers planning to pursue career as a layout design engineer. Training will focus on all the aspects of layout including Analog layout, Memory layout, Standard cell layout and IO layout. Custom layout design course ensures that a fresher/experienced engineer is prepared on all the essential aspects of Custom layout including ASIC flow, VLSI Design flow, Digital Design concepts, CMOS basics, FinFET basics, various memory architectures, Standard cell, IO’s and detailed analog layout techniques. Course also includes training on UNIX, revision management, scripting and soft skill for effective interview performance.

Course starts with detailed sessions on semiconductors, Ohms law, Kirchoff law’s, Diode-operation, MOSFET’s, MOSEFT operations, second order effects, FinFET’s, and detailed fabrication process, which is followed by assignments and hands on projects.

Course will also include detailed sessions on layout basics, hands on standard cell layouts, IO layout and memory layout for different architectures. Followed by various analog layout techniques with detailed discussion on Mismatches & Matching, Noises & Coupling, various failure mechanisms which includes Electro migration, IR drop, LOD & Stress effects, WPE, Antenna Effects, Latch up, ESD. Course includes 20+ detailed labs & assignments covering all aspects of custom layout with multiple hands on projects.

Analog layout techniques will involve multiple hands on projects covering various concepts such as common centroid, inter digitation, resistor matching, capacitor matching and opamp circuits, current mirrors, PLL’s, ADC’s, DAC’s, Bandgap, Temperature sensors & Biases -> Current & Voltage bias lines, Large drivers, LNA & Mixers, and Sense amplifier & Bit cell development.

Syllabus

Custom layout basics course syllabus (Duration: 2 months)

VLSI design flow overview

  • Requirements
  • Design specification & architecture
  • RTL Coding
  • RTL integration
  • Functional verification
  • Synthesis
  • DFT
  • Physical Design
  • STA
  • Custom Layout
  • Physical Verification
  • Post Silicon Validation

Advanced Digital Design

  • Digital Design basics
  • combinational logic
  • sequential logic, FF, latch, counters
  • Memories
  • Setup time, Hold time, timing closure, fixing setup time and hold time violations
  • STA basic concepts time, Hold time, timing closure, fixing setup time and hold time violations
  • www.vlsiguru.com/digital-design-complete

Linux operating system

  • Linux OS basics
  • File and directory management
  • User administration
  • Environment variables
  • Commonly used commands
  • Shell scripting basics
  • Xargs, Grep, Pipe
  • SEd and AWK
  • Makefile

Semiconductor device fundamentals

  • Conductors, Semiconductors, Insulators
  • Intrinsic and Extrinsic Semiconductors
  • Diode
  • BJT
  • MOSFET (NMOS, PMOS, CMOS)
  • FinFET
  • Device Fabrication
  • Significance of above aspects with Physical Design flow

Custom layout flow keywords and VLSI Technology concepts

  • Introduction to all the majorly used keywords on Custom layout flow
  • VLSI Technology concepts
    • Resistance, Capacitance, Inductance
    • Parasitic capacitance
    • L-C-R circuit analysis
    • RC circuit significance with circuit delay
  • Clock distribution concepts, skew

TCL Scripting

  • Introduce TCL
  • Why TCL?
  • TCL Script Processing
  • Understand TCL uses and strengths
  • Writing simple TCL scripts
  • TCL for VLSI scripting
  • TCL : Main Features
  • TCL in EDA
  • TCL shell (tclsh)
  • Working with TCL scripts (UNIX)
  • TCL Interpreter in SoC Design Tools
  • TCL Scripting for SoC Design
  • TCL Commands
  • Variables
  • Substitution and Command Evaluation
  • Operators
  • Mathematical Functions
  • Procedures
  • Control flow : if, if-else, switch, for, foreach, while, break and continue
  • string, string operations
  • List, List manipulation
  • Arrays, array methods
  • Working with files
  • Command line arguments
  • Regular expressions
  • TCL detailed exampls
  • TCL Packages

Custom layout main course syllabus (Duration: 4 months)

Layout tool

  • Layout Editor Tool
  • Understanding the schematic symbols and parameters
  • Creating and managing libraries and cell
  • Commands for Layout editing.
  • Commands for schematic editing.
  • Verification : DRC and LVS
  • Antenna effect, latchup, Electromigration, IR Drop
  • Analog Layout of OpAmp, Current Mirror, PLL, ADC, and DAC
  • Resistor, Capacitor layout techniques
  • CMOS and BiCMOS layout techniques
  • Standard Cell Layout : Inverter, AND, OR, NAND, NOR, AOI, OAI, Latches, and Flop

Advanced Layout Concepts

  • Mismatches & Matching.
  • Failure Mechanism : Electro migration, IR drop, LOD & Stress effects, WPE, Antenna Effects, Latch up, ESD (with High voltage rules, EOS effects).
  • Noises & Coupling.
  • Different Types of process – Advantages & Disadvantages – Planar CMOS, FD-SOI, SOI, Bi-CMOS, Gallium Arsenide, Silicon-Germanium, Finfet.
  • Full Chip Construction, Scribe Seal, Pad Frame, Integration and guidelines.
  • Packaging.

Standard cell, IO, and Memory Layout

  • Std Cell & Memories.
  • IO Layout Guidelines : High speed IOs and High Speed Interfaces.
  • Sense amplifier & Bit cell development
  • Why memory layout different than analog layout
  • Memory layout flow
  • Types of memory layout (SRAM/DRAM/ROM)
  • Introduction to SRAM memory layout
  • Fixing few manually created leaf-cell errors which impact
  • Abutment issues
  • Impact of IR, EM and DFM .
  • SRAM memory design architecture
  • Words line and address line
  • SRAM rows and column design
  • Building blocks of SRAM
  • Memory Bit cell
  • Row decoder
  • Word line driver
  • Sense amplifier
  • Control block
  • Misc digital logic.
  • Pitch Calculation for blocks.
  • Power Planning

Analog and Mixed signal Layout

  • High speed Analog Layout
  • RF Layout guidelines with Transmission lines and inductor concepts
  • Handling clocks
  • Analog Circuits & Layout guidelines
  • Single & Multi stage differential opamp layout
  • current mirror layout
  • PLL, DLL and Oscillators
  • LDO and other regulators
  • ADCs & DACs
  • Bandgap, Temperature sensors & Biases -> Current & Voltage bias lines
  • Large drivers
  • input pair, differential routing, Power routing, offset minimising
  • Power/Signal IR Drop
  • cross-talk and coupling
  • Electrostatic Discharge
  • Deep Sub-micron Layout Issues
  • Shallow Trench Isolation (LOD)
  • Well Proximity Effect

Physical Verification concepts

  • Design Rule Checks
  • Layout Versus Schematic (LVS)
  • Electrical Rule Checks (ERC)
  • Antenna Checks
  • Latch-up
  • Reliability checks like EM and IR analysis
  • Design for manufacturability (DFM)checks
  • Electrostatic discharge (ESD) path checks

Assignments and hands on projects

  • Assignments and multiple hands on projects
  • Best Practices & Interview Questions.

Schedule

Course is offered in both classroom and online training

Custom Layout Training
Duration 6 months
Next Batch 09/October
Schedule
Saturday & Sunday(9AM – 5PM) India time
9AM – 1PM (Theory session offered by trainer)
2PM – 5PM (Lab & tool based session guided by trainer). Students from US will get support in different time.
Students can also get support on complete project flow during weekdays in evenings.
New batch starts Every 5 Weeks
Tools Synopsys Custom Designer, IC Validator
Mode of training Live online training sessions
Tool Access Tool access for complete course duration
Batch Size 15

FAQs

What are the Course Prerequisites?

  • Expertise on Digital & Analog design concepts
  • Exposure to basic layout concepts

Course Material

Course Material Shared:

  • User Manual
  • Layout Checklist
  • Tool user guide

Audience

Target Audience:

  • Graduates planning to make career as a custom layout design engineer
  • Experienced engineers planning to change career domain
  • Engineering college faculty looking to enhance their VLSI skill set

Trainer

Trainer Profile

  • 6+ years of rich experience of working in all aspects of custom layout from Analog, Memory, IO and Standard cell at various technology nodes
  • Senior Director in a reputed Design company

Fee

    • Payment schedule
      • 5000 INR towards course enrolment
      • 40000 + GST(overall)
        • Half payment within 1 week of course commencement
        • Remaining half within 1.5 month
Call Now Button
error: Content is protected !!
Leave your contact details

×

Powered by WhatsApp Chat

WhatsApp Chat is free, download and try it now here!

× Live Chat