UNICHIP Graz -
Design of Integrated Circuits
P. Söser
Department of Electronics,
Graz University of Technology, A-8010 Graz, Austria
To satisfy the growing demand for engineers trained in the design of integrated circuits (ICs) the Department of Electronics offers several academic courses to cover this topic. In order to establish fundamental knowledge on design flow, verification, and test of ICs also some research projects are carried out at the Department. The main area in IC-design is the wide topic of mixed signal ASICs in CMOS or BiCMOS technology. In the following chapters there will be an introduction to the facilities and the courses at the Department of Electronics. Furthermore some IC projects of the year 1997 are presented.
Introduction
A main part of the 1997 activity at the Department of Electronics in UNICHIP was training the students in the field of IC-design. The Department offers 5 courses to cover the following topics:
In order to get a deeper understanding of the problems encountered with analog integrated circuit design a course at the Imperial College in London/Great Britain was attended by a member of the project team.
Academic Courses
The following table shows the titles and further information on all courses related to IC design offered at the Department of Electronics.
There were 16 theses worked on in 1997. Some of them where carried out in close cooperation with the three major enterprises in Austria dealing with IC design and manufacturing (AMS, Siemens-EZM and Philips Semiconductor Gratkorn).
|
title of the course |
type |
hours/term |
participants/year |
|
Integrierte Schaltungen 1 |
VO |
30 |
80 |
|
Integrierte Schaltungen 2 |
VO |
30 |
40 |
|
Integrierte Schaltungen 2 |
UE |
30 |
40 |
|
Testen Integrierter Schaltungen |
LU |
45 |
28 |
|
Elektronikprojekt |
PR |
90 |
10 |
Table 1: Courses dealing with IC-design
Facilities
Hardware
We are using the following hardware components in our courses as well as for research projects:
Software
We are using the following software-tools in our courses and for research projects:
Experimental
In many courses there is a practical aspect, which leads to fabrication of chips by means of MPW-runs (Multi-Project-Wafer).
Student Projects
Five testboards were successfully designed and used for various AD-Converters (types: 20 bit charge-balance; 12 bit successive approximation; sigma-delta and 8 bit flash) to automate the characterization by means of PC-based test programs, which were part of each project.
The design of a test environment and prototype testing for a mixer chip used in a GSM transceiver chipset was carried out in this project.
Source-coupled-logic building blocks (NAND, NOR, Latch etc.) were designed and compared to standard cells with respect to area as well as static and transient current consumption.
The digital parts of a 20 bit AD-Converter and a quantization unit for periodic, digital signals were designed using VHDL and logic synthesis.
Research Projects
The engineering samples of two projects of 1996 (ENDOR [1], ENDEAVOR [2]) were tested and their correct functionality was evaluated.
Two generators were realized to expand the palette of device generators for Mentor Graphics® IC-Design framework used at our department. One is for shape- or path-based contacts and the other one is for binary weighted arrays of capacitors with minimum mismatch errors.
For details see [3].
For details see [4].
To measure the velocity of sound in a fluid the time can be determined which an ultrasonic pulse needs to propagate over a known distance. In existing PCB systems this time is approximately 10 ľs, and a resolution of 10 ps has to be achieved. Realization studies were carried out to integrate such a system on one chip.
Conclusion
The design of integrated circuits from the idea to the chip is the main goal for the project "UNICHIP-Graz, Entwurf integrierter Schaltungen". To train the students in this field there are some academic courses offered. There are also some research projects which are all together in the field of mixed-signal ASICs for sensor applications.
Acknowledgment
The "Steiermärkische Landesregierung, Abteilung für Wirtschaftsförderung" is funding this project by carrying a substantial part of the cost for personnel.
References
[1] W. Meusburger, R. Röhrer, H. Senn, P. Söser: "ENDOR - Ein ASIC für ein batteriebetriebenes Handdichtemeßgerät", proceedings of "Austrochip 97", Linz 1997; ISBN: 3 85320 826 6; p. 297 300
[2] H. Leopold, W. Meusburger, R. Röhrer, H. Senn, P. Söser: "ASICs in electronic instrumentation", proceedings of "Grundlagen und Technologie elektronischer Bauelemente"; Großarl 1997; ISBN: 3-901578-02-1; p. 99 105
[3] G. Schatzberger, A. Hopper, W. Meusburger, H. Senn, P. Söser: "Ein schneller 12-bit A/D-Umsetzer für niedrige Betriebsspannungen", proceedings of "ME 97", Wien 1997; ISBN 3-85133-010-2; p. 163 168
[4] G. Schatzberger, H. Senn, P. Söser: "Automatisierte Charakterisierung von Operationsverstärkern mit Hilfe von Simulationswerkzeugen", proceedings of "Austrochip 97", Linz 1997; ISBN: 3 85320 826 6; p. 337 343
Project Information
Project Manager
Dipl.-Ing. Dr. P. Söser
Institut für Elektronik, TU Graz
Project Group
|
Last Name |
First Name |
Status |
Remarks |
|
Leopold |
Hans |
professor |
BMWV |
|
Meusburger |
Walter |
assistant |
BMWV |
|
Röhrer |
Robert |
assistant professor |
BMWV |
|
Schatzberger |
Gregor |
student |
Inst. f. Elektronik |
|
Senn |
Helmuth |
researcher |
Inst. f. Elektronik |
|
Söser |
Peter |
assistant |
BMWV |
The salaries for H. Senn and G. Schatzberger were refunded by Steiermärkische Landesregierung, Abteilung für Wirtschaftsförderung.
Publications in Reviewed Journals
Presentations
Cooperations