1. Analysis versus design
Given a system, find its properties.
The solution is unique.
Design:
Given a set of properties, come up with a system possessing them.
The solution is rarely unique.

2. The IC Design Process, Allen’s view

3. Texas Instruments, or Vaibhav Kumar’s view
PG: pattern generation, also called tapeout, to generate GDS
RTM: release to manufacturing
NPD: new product development (delivery)

4. Texas Instruments, or Vaibhav Kumar’s view

5. Product definition & specification
Based on market study
Future market opportunities
Gaps/niches in existing products
Cost effective replacements
Customer needs to specifications
Application environment
Interfaces with other components
I/O requirements
Accuracy/linearity requirements …

6. Electrical Design
the process from the specifications to a circuit solution
Requires active and passive
device electrical models for
Creating the design
Verifying the design
Determining the robustness of the design

7. Physical Design
From electrical design to a layout pattern

8. Test Design To verify that fabricated circuit meet specifications
To characterize additional “behavior”
To trouble-shoot design
To fine tune certain parameters
To trim certain parameters
Top designers are top test engineers

9. Skill-set for Analog IC design
Good physics background
Decent math skills
Skilled in measurements
Good understanding of principles, concepts, and assumptions
Skilled in simulation
Grasp of technology and modeling
Intuition for reasonable simplifications
Audacity to try new things, but guided by theory and physics
Not afraid of failure, but methodical learning from failures/mistakes
Wide range of knowledge

10. Technology scaling The good: The bad: The challenging:
Smaller geometries
Smaller parasitics
Higher transconductance
Higher bandwidths
The bad:
Reduced voltages
Smaller channel resistances (lower gain)
More nonlinearity
Deviation from square-law behavior
The challenging:
Increased substrate noise in mixed signal applications
Threshold voltages are not scaling with power supply
Reduced dynamic range
Poor matching at minimum channel length

11. There are many applications with signal frequencies in the few kHz to MHz range.
Examples include automotive, automation, and more.

12. There are other things that are getting attention, some are close to real market, some are early research.
Keep track of the ITRS: International Technology Roadmaps for Semiconductors.

13. Signal naming conventions

14. Schematic Symbols

15. Circuit analysis skills
Please review materials in appendix A
Make sure you are fluent at
Nodal analysis, KCL
Mesh analysis (dual to nodal), KVL
Cascade stages
Small signal analysis, including linearization
Equivalent circuits
Miller simplification

16. Cascade
V1 =
Vout =
Vout/vin =

17. Nodal analysis
KCL at node A:
KCL at node B:
Solve for Vout/Iin =

18. Small signal analysis
The amplifier may be nonlinear, but near an operating point, it has a small signal model of: vo = Av * vin.
By definition, SSA is always linear.

19. Making
Equivalent
substitutions
Simplified
Cascade

20. Miller simplification
If v2 = K*v1
i1 = (v1-Kv1)/Z
=(1-K)v1/Z
i2 = (v2-v1/K)/Z
=(K-1)/K v2/Z

21. HW Browse through problems 1.1-4 to 1.1-12
If you are excellent, write a statement to indicate so.
If you are rusty on these, briefly do all of these problems and check your answers against book answers.