Handbook

Microelectronics or integrated electronics is the miniaturised electronic circuits that make up Integrated Circuits (ICs) such as microprocessors, Field-Programmable Gate Arrays, Flash-memories, operational amplifier, analogue-to-digital converters, SoCs, ASICs and many other devices. Most ICs today are implemented in various flavours of CMOS technology which is the focus of this course. The ability to use a large number of components at a relatively low cost and the ability to match components accurately on-chip makes the design of integrated circuits and systems different from a similar design using discrete components. Microelectronics Design and Technology is a broad-based, introductory IC design course, which takes the student through all the necessary steps in order to complete (ready-to-manufacture) a basic mixed-signal front-end in a typical integrated system.

Course content includes: basic IC processing technology: lithography, oxidation, diffusion, implantation, film deposition, etching, metalisation. CMOS IC technologies. MOS device models. On-chip components: transistors, capacitors, inductors, resistors, diodes. CMOS design rules, scaling. Tapeout and MPW, floor planning, cell layout and routing. CAD tools. Corner and Monte Carlo simulations. CMOS analogue building blocks: amplifier stages, current mirrors, active loads. Noise sources and analysis. CMOS operational amplifiers, samplers and comparators. D/A converters and A/D converters. Static CMOS gates.  Device sizing. Flip-flops. CMOS digital building blocks: level shifters, decoders, multiplexers, tri-states, buffers and adders. Memories: ROM, SRAM and DRAM cell design; sense amplifiers.