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Basics of IC Design Flows

Basics of IC Design Flows

This series will give you foundational information about the concept of integrated circuit (IC) design flows across types of IC.


What Is Mixed-Signal IC Design?

What Is Mixed-Signal IC Design?

This brief gives an overview of the steps in a typical mixed-signal IC design flow.


What Is RF Integrated Circuit Design?

What Is RF Integrated Circuit Design?

Learn the high-level steps behind RFIC design.


What Is Analog IC Design?

What Is Analog IC Design?

Learn the basic steps of the analog IC design process and how it compares to digital IC design.


What Is Digital IC Design?

What Is Digital IC Design?

Learn the high-level overview of digital integrated circuit (IC) design.


New Test Chip Analyzing 3D Thin Film Structures Hits the Market

New Test Chip Analyzing 3D Thin Film Structures Hits the Market

Chipmetrics Oy, a Finnish company, has begun to commercialize a test chip for analyzing thin-film structures in 3D chips.


News Dec 01, 2020 by Jake Hertz
Department of Defense Backs New Secure Electron Beam Lithography Initiative

Department of Defense Backs New Secure Electron Beam Lithography Initiative

U.S. Department of Defense-backed secure fab SkyWater is set to adopt Multibeam’s Multicolumn Electron-Beam Lithography system in its 45 nm process.


News Nov 28, 2020 by Luke James
Transistor Sizing in VLSI Design Using the Linear Delay Model

Transistor Sizing in VLSI Design Using the Linear Delay Model

In this article, we will learn how to find the optimal size of a transistor/logic gate present in a larger circuit to provide the desired performance using the linear delay model.


Security IC Solutions: Build or Buy?

Security IC Solutions: Build or Buy?

Depending on the project, designers have a number of options to either etch security at the silicon level or buy a pre-fabricated and pre-programmed security IC.


The Elmore Delay Model in VLSI Design

The Elmore Delay Model in VLSI Design

In this article, we'll discuss the Elmore delay model, which provides a simplistic delay analysis that avoids time-consuming numerical integration/differential equations of an RC network.


Introduction to CMOS Image Sensors

Introduction to CMOS Image Sensors

In this article, you'll learn the basics of the CMOS image sensor, including its core components, its block diagram, its strengths and weaknesses, and its applications.


Chipmakers Petition for Language Change in Funding Bill to Include Mission-Critical Devices

Chipmakers Petition for Language Change in Funding Bill to Include Mission-Critical Devices

A bill currently going through Congress which would see semiconductor firms handed an extra $3 billion in funding could do more harm than good if its language isn’t modified, some defense firms have said.


News Nov 07, 2020 by Luke James
Boosting Memory Performance in the Age of DDR5: An Intro to DDR Training Modes

Boosting Memory Performance in the Age of DDR5: An Intro to DDR Training Modes

Analysts predict that DDR5 will dominate the DRAM market in coming years. How do you calibrate DDR for peak memory performance?


News Nov 06, 2020 by Dr. Steve Arar
The Linear RC-Delay Model in VLSI Design

The Linear RC-Delay Model in VLSI Design

In this article, we'll discuss how a single transistor can be sized to properly integrate with other transistors to provide optimal performance in terms of speed and power.


A New Multimodal Architecture Said to Redefine the Way Transistors Work

A New Multimodal Architecture Said to Redefine the Way Transistors Work

Researchers at the University of Surrey have come up with a new type of transistor that offers linear behavior and huge upside.


News Nov 02, 2020 by Jake Hertz
Op-Amps as Low-Pass and High-Pass Active Filters

Op-Amps as Low-Pass and High-Pass Active Filters

In this video we will explore a particularly important application of op-amps, namely, the design of high-performance filters that do not require inductors.


Synopsys, Cadence, and Agnisys Release Major Platform Updates to EDA Tools

Synopsys, Cadence, and Agnisys Release Major Platform Updates to EDA Tools

This summer, three major EDA companies have ramped up their software tools to better assist IC designers.


News Oct 19, 2020 by Jake Hertz
The Effect of MOS Non-Idealities on VLSI Circuit Reliability

The Effect of MOS Non-Idealities on VLSI Circuit Reliability

Learn about various non-idealities of MOS transistors and the effects they have on VLSI system reliability.


What is DrMOS—the IC Powering Next-Gen Processors?

What is DrMOS—the IC Powering Next-Gen Processors?

Integrated powertrain devices go back at least as far as 2004 when Intel wrote the specification for DrMOS, a high-efficiency high-current IC for powering next-gen processors.


News Sep 30, 2020 by Adrian Gibbons
Non-Idealities in VLSI Circuits

Non-Idealities in VLSI Circuits

This article discusses VLSI (very-large-scale integration) circuits and the sources of non-idealities that affect MOS transistors.