Module-1

VLSI DESIGN FLOW

Full custom design
Semi-Custom design
• Since the complexity of VLSI Circuits is in the
order of millions of transistor, designing a VLSI
Circuits is understandably a complex task.
• In order to reduce the complexity of design
process, several intermediate level of
abstractions are introduced. More and more
details about the new design are introduced as
the design progresses from highest to lowest
levels of abstraction.
• Figure
illustrated the
design is
taken from
specification
to fabrication
step by step
with help of
various CAD
tools
• The first step of any design process is to lay down
the specifications of the system. System specification
is a high level representation of the system.
• The factors to be considered in this process include:
performance, functionality, and physical dimensions
(size of the die (chip)). The fabrication technology
and design techniques are also considered.
• The specification of a system is a compromise
between market requirements, technology and
economical viability. The end results are
specifications for the size, speed, power, and
functionality of the VLSI system.
• The basic architecture of the system is designed
in this step. This includes, such decisions as
RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) versus
CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer),
number of ALUs, Floating Point units, number and
structure of pipelines, and size of caches among
others.
• The outcome of architectural design is a Micro-
Architectural Specification (MAS). While MAS is a
textual (English like) description, architects can
accurately predict the performance, power and die
size of the design based on such a description.
• In this step, main functional units of the system are
identified. This also identifies the interconnect
requirements between the units.
• The area, power, and other parameters of each unit
are estimated. The behavioral aspects of the system
are considered without implementation specific
information.
• For example, it may specify that a multiplication is
required, but exactly in which mode such multiplication
may be executed is not specified. We may use a
variety of multiplication hardware depending on the
speed and word size requirements.
• The key idea is to specify behavior, in terms of input,
output and timing of each unit, without specifying its
internal structure.
• The outcome of functional design is usually a
timing diagram or other relationships between
units. This information leads to improvement of
the overall design process and reduction of the
complexity of subsequent phases.
• Functional or behavioral design provides quick
emulation of the system and allows fast
debugging of the full system.
• Behavioral design is largely a manual step with
little or no automation help available.
• In this step the control flow, word widths, register allocation,
arithmetic operations, and logic operations of the design that
represent the functional design are derived and tested.
• This description is called Register Transfer Level (RTL)
description. RTL is expressed in a Hardware Description
Language (HDL), such as VHDL or Verilog.
• This description can be used in simulation and verification. This
description consists of Boolean expressions and timing
information. The Boolean expressions are minimized to achieve
the smallest logic design which conforms to the functional
design.
• This logic design of the system is simulated and tested to verify
its correctness. In some special cases, logic design can be
automated using high level synthesis tools. These tools produce
a RTL description from a behavioral description of the design.
• The purpose of circuit design is to develop a circuit
representation based on the logic design.
• The Boolean expressions are converted into a circuit
representation by taking into consideration the speed and
power requirements of the original design.
• Circuit Simulation is used to verify the correctness and
timing of each component. The circuit design is usually
expressed in a detailed circuit diagram. This diagram shows
the circuit elements (cells, macros, gates, transistors) and
interconnection between these elements. This
representation is also called a netlist.
• Tools used to manually enter such description are called
schematic capture tools. In many cases, a netlist can be
created automatically from logic (RTL) description by using
logic synthesis tools.
• In this step the circuit representation (or netlist) is converted
into a geometric representation.
• As stated earlier, this geometric representation of a circuit is
called a layout. Layout is created by converting each logic
component (cells, macros, gates, transistors) into a
geometric representation (specific shapes in multiple layers),
which perform the intended logic function of the
corresponding component.
• Connections between different components are also
expressed as geometric patterns typically lines in multiple
layers.
• The exact details of the layout also depend on design rules,
which are guidelines based on the limitations of the
fabrication process and the electrical properties of the
fabrication materials.
• Physical design is a very complex process and therefore it is
usually broken down into various sub-steps.
• Various verification and validation checks are performed on the
layout during physical design. In many cases, physical design
can be completely or partially automated and layout can be
generated directly from netlist by Layout Synthesis tools.
• Most of the layout of a high performance design (such as a
microprocessor) may be done using manual design, while many
low to medium performance design or designs which need
faster time-to-market may be done automatically.
• Layout synthesis tools, while fast, do have an area and
performance penalty, which limit their use to some designs.
• Manual layout, while slow and manually intensive, does have
better area and performance as compared to synthesized
layout.
• After layout and verification, the design is ready for fabrication.
Since layout data is typically sent to fabrication on a tape, the
event of release of data is called Tape Out.
• Layout data is converted (or fractured) into photo-lithographic
masks, one for each layer.
• Masks identify spaces on the wafer, where certain materials
need to be deposited, diffused or even removed. Silicon crystals
are grown and sliced to produce wafers.
• Extremely small dimensions of VLSI devices require that the
wafers be polished to near perfection. The fabrication process
consists of several steps involving deposition, and diffusion of
various materials on the wafer.
• During each step one mask is used. Several dozen masks may
be used to complete the fabrication process.
• Finally, the wafer is fabricated and diced into individual
chips in a fabrication facility.
• Each chip is then packaged and tested to ensure that it
meets all the design specifications and that it functions
properly.
• Chips used in Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are
packaged in Dual In-line Package (DIP), Pin Grid Array
(PGA), Ball Grid Array (BGA), and Quad Flat Package
(QFP).
• Chips used in Multi-Chip Modules (MCM) are not
packaged, since MCMs use bare or naked chips.
Full custom design
• This style involves the design of every component from scratch.
• High Performance and speed.
• Time to market is very high.

• This method is followed if there are no libraries available.

• All the mask layers are customized.

• Very expensive in terms of effort and cost