Fundamentals of VLSI Chip Design

1. CSCE 613: Fundamentals of VLSI Chip Design Instructor: Jason D. Bakos

2. Topics for this Lecture • Semiconductor theory in a nutshell • MOSFET devices as switches • Transistor-level logic • Logic gates • IC fabrication • SCMOS design rules • Cell libraries

3. Elements

4. Semiconductors • Silicon is a group IV element (4 valence electrons, shells: 2, 8, 18, …) • Forms covalent bonds with four neighbor atoms (3D cubic crystal lattice) • Si is a poor conductor, but conduction characteristics may be altered • Add impurities/dopants (replaces silicon atom in lattice): • Makes a better conductor • Group V element (phosphorus/arsenic) => 5 valence electrons • Leaves an electron free => n-type semiconductor (electrons, negative carriers) • Group III element (boron) => 3 valence electrons • Borrows an electron from neighbor => p-type semiconductor (holes, positive carriers) + - - + + + + + + + + + + + + + - - - - - - - - - - - - P-N junction forward bias reverse bias

5. MOSFETs • Diodes not very useful for building logic • Metal-oxide-semiconductor structures built onto substrate • Diffusion: Inject dopants into substrate • Oxidation: Form layer of SiO2 (glass) • Deposition and etching: Add aluminum/copper wires negative voltage (rel. to body) (GND) positive voltage (Vdd) NMOS/NFET PMOS/PFET - - - + + + - - - + + + current current channel shorter length, faster transistor (dist. for electrons) body/bulk GROUND body/bulk HIGH (S/D to body is reverse-biased)

6. FETs as Switches • NFETs and PFETs can act as switches CMOS logic bulk node not shown CMOS: assuming PU and PN network are perfect switches and switch simultanously, no current flow and no power consumption! “and structure” “or structure”

7. DeMorgan’s Law Logic Gates • CMOS: complimentary in form and function • NMOS devices (positive logic) form pull-down network • PMOS devices (negative logic) form pull-up network • Implication: CMOS transistor-level logic gates implement functions where may the inputs are inverted (inverting gates) • Add inverter at inputs/outputs to create non-inverting gate inv NOR2 NAND2 NAND3

8. Compound Gates • Combine parallel and series structures to form compound gates • Example: • Use DeMorgan’s law to determine complement (pull-down network): C A B D Y C A B D

9. Pass Transistors/Transmission Gates • NMOS passes strong 0 (pull-down) • PMOS passes strong 1 (pull-up) Pass transistor: Transmission gate:

10. Tristates

11. Multiplexer Transmission gate multiplexer Inverting multiplexer

12. Multiplexer 4-input multiplexer

13. Latches Positive level-sensitive latch

14. Latches Positive edge-sensitive latch

15. IC Fabrication • Inverter cross-section field oxide

16. IC Fabrication • Inverter cross-section with well and substrate contacts (ohmic contact)

17. IC Fabrication • Chips are fabricated using set of masks • Photolithography • Inverter uses 6 layers: • n-well, poly, n+ diffusion, p+ diffusion, contact, metal • Basic steps • oxidize • apply photoresist • remove photoresist with mask • HF acid eats oxide but not photoresist • pirana acid eats photoresist • ion implantation (diffusion, wells) • vapor deposition (poly) • plasma etching (metal)

18. IC Fabrication Furnace used to oxidize (900-1200 C) Mask exposes photoresist to light, allowing removal HF acid etch piranha acid etch diffusion (gas) or ion implantation (electric field) HF acid etch

19. IC Fabrication Heavy doped poly is grown with gas in furnace (chemical vapor deposition) Masked used to pattern poly Poly is not affected by ion implantation

20. IC Fabrication Metal is sputtered (with vapor) and plasma etched from mask

21. Layout Design Rules • Design rules define ranges for features • Examples: • min. wire widths to avoid breaks • min. spacings to avoid shorts • minimum overlaps to ensure complete overlaps • Measured in microns • Required for resolution/tolerances of masks • Fabrication processes defined by minimum channel width • Also minimum width of poly traces • Defines “how fast” a fabrication process is • Lambda-based (scalable CMOS) design rules define scalable rules based on l (which is half of the minimum channel length) • classes of MOSIS SCMOS rules: SUBMICRON, DEEP SUBMICRON

22. Layout Design Rules

23. Layout Design Rules • Transistor dimensions are in W/L ratio • NFETs are usually twice the width • PFETs are usually twice the width of NFETs • Holes move more slowly than electrons (must be wider to deliver same current)

24. Layout 3-input NAND

25. Design Flow • Design flow is a sequence of steps for design and verification • In this course: • Describe behaviors with VHDL/Verilog code • Simulate behavioral designs • Synthesize behaviors into cell-level netlists • Simulate netlists with cell-delay models • Place-and-route netlists into a physical design • Simulate netlists with cell-delay models and wire-delay models • Need to define a cell library: • Function • Electrical characteristics of each cell • Layout

26. Cell Library (Snap Together) Layout