Course Syllabus and Description

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Course objectives: To understand theory and to learn design of digital systems at transistor level. The course will involve design, layout and simulation of digital VLSI circuits using various CAD tools.

Prerequisites: Minimal knowledge of computer logic design. The students who do not have the background can still take the course, but they should be prepared to spend additional time for learning them using the additional materials provided by the instructor.

Level of the Course: The course is designed for first year graduate students or advanced undergraduate students.

Text Book: Digital Integrated Circuits (2nd Edition) by Jan M. Rabaey, Anantha Chandrakasan, and Borivoje Nikolic, Prentice Hall, ISBN: 0130909963.

Reference Book:
Principles of CMOS VLSI Design: A Systems Perspective by Neil H. E. Weste and David Harris, Addison Wesley Longman, 3rd Edition.

Course Software: Students should have access to a computer to do the assignments and projects. The computer may be either one's own Workstation/PC/laptop or a Workstation/PC in general access laboratory. A student is free to choose anyone of them. Students can use various tools, such as microwind-DSCH/LT-SPICE/Cadence, etc.

Selected Topics:

  1. MOS transistor theory
  2. CMOS processing technology
  3. Circuit Characterization
  4. Power Dissipation
  5. Clocking Strategies
  6. Design methods and tools
  7. CMOS testing
  8. System Design Examples
Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SETE) Completion:
The students should complete the SETE, which is a short survey. The SETE is a requirement for all organized classes at the UNT. SETE will be made available for the students at the end of the semester to provide them a chance to comment on how this class is taught.  The instructor is very much interested in the constructive feedbacks from the students to continually improve his teaching.

Last updated on 19th January 2009 (Tuesday).