Course Catalogue

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Integrated circuit design underpins the majority of modern electronics, and this course will enhance students' knowledge of typical industrial design flows for analogue, digital, and mixed signal integrated circuits. It will cover both the technical aspects of the integrated circuit design process, and the broader engineering aspects, using an extended design example to investigate both the details of silicon design, and also analyse areas such as manufacturability and design costs.

This course will be timetabled in blocks, typically one week in four with tutorials and on-line support available between each block.

Mandatory Entry Requirements

None

Recommended Entry Requirements

None

None

None

Assessment

Final Examination 25%

Design Study 75%

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

Due to the nature of the coursework and sequencing of courses, it is not possible to reassess the coursework.

The initial grade on design study will be used when calculating the resit grade.

The course aims to develop students' insights into the design philosophies, processes, and tools used in the industrial fabrication of integrated circuits, and to reinforce these insights through a realistic design study using commercially relevant design tools.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ state Moore's law and precis the effect of scaling rules on the operation of integrated circuits;

■ describe and draw process flows for digital, mixed signal and analog integrated circuits;

■ demonstrate the use of simulation tools for the design of digital, analogue circuits and sub-systems;

■ demonstrate the conversion of digital and analogue circuit designs into a silicon layout topology;

■ exercise design judgement in translating a list of functional requirements to a physical design implemented on a typical fabrication process;

■ evaluate optimum economic solutions by comparing different design implementations and process technologies.

Students must attend the degree examination and submit work for assessment for the course design study. 

Students must attend the timetabled practical and tutorial classes.