Beginner - Layout techniques

[guamak_menanak]

i am a beginer of mask layout design

I'm a beginner in drawing layout, any suggestion on how to gain my knowledge on layout?? Website or book that you can suggest??

Is there any layout techniques rather than multi-finger and common centroid??

Pls let me know....

 

[gold_kiss]

layout techniques in cadence vlsi design

Hi,

Well here are few basic thump rules:

1) Always use even layers 2, 4, 6 for horizontal routing and odd layers 1, 3, 5 for vertical routing.

2) Your Vdd and Vss rails be done using the topmost metal layers, as the topmost metal layers have low resisitivity and hence higher current carrying capacity.

3) For matching, either use interdigitized or common centroid layout scheme. You can get help as to how this should be drawn in any of the books on Analog IC design (see Razavi)

4) Always read the DRC and LVS rule decks before you begin with your layouts. This will give you fair amount of idea about the layout rules. And some common carried mistakes be avoided.

5) If you are using L-edit, then few days before I had seen some book on Layout design using L-edit in the Book upload section. Try downloading this one and read it before you start.

6) You should first of all be familiar as how devices are formed (meant how they are actually fabricated) as you are the person who is drawing the mask.

7)If you are using Virtuoso Layout editor, you can ask me for help. I have about 4 months of work experience using this tool. I am still a learner...but will give some suggestions on it ..and might be I learn from you.

8) There are lots of document that the Foundry provides ...I have seen on TSMC. Device formation document. If you get this one thats ultimate.

9) There is one more good pdf in this site by some guy Arun ..."Layout techniques" its great document ...can search this one and use.

Cheers,
Gold_kiss

 

[obrian]

beginner ic layout

What tools are you using?

If you are using Cadence, then you probably find tutorials in there.
I used their tutorials and followed step by step and it was pretty useful.


=)

 

[linxf2003]

arun layout techniques

Read the design rule or design manual before sending your chip for fabrication. Last time, we miss the antena rule and did not check it. lots of chips failed.

 

[flyinspace]

practical layout for beginner

I remember a e-book is for layout. It's name is "the art of layout"(I am not sure about the exact name, sorry). I think you can obtain many skills from the book.
Good Luck!

 

[stanleyu]

four metal mask layout techniques

1)For start, you need to understand the device technologies you're going to use, for example CMOS. Most analog books will start with a chapter on device technology and some CMOS processing steps. Understand the device physics and try to visualize which layer is on top of another during the CMOS fabrication. It helps to visualize during your mask layout which is only 2D( I wonder one day Cadence may comes out with a 3 D version of layout we drew).
2)For analog design, Alan Hastings book is considered among the class.
For digital design,
-IC Layout Basics : A Practical Guide
by Christopher Saint, Judy Saint
-IC Mask Design: Essential Layout Techniques
by Christopher Saint, Judy Saint
3)As you need to abide by the design rules of the process you are going to use, you can draw out or list down the minimum distance for each layer can be placed or overlap. Although we would like our layout to be as compact as possible, you need to beware of eletromigation, current density, unnessary current induction, crosstalk etc.
4)Always perform LVS to ensure your layout is correct as the circuit you design.
5)Do post layout simulation because the way you drew your layout will introduce unnessary parasitic in your circuit which will degrade your circuit performance. Thus it will help to predict the degraded performance of the chip when fabricated opposed to simualation which is pure ideal case.
6)Prepare your own checklist for layout and lastly be patience an alert on your layout.

 

[xinsu]

books:ic mask design essential layout techniques

In my opinion,I think you should layout a analog module,then you will get much knowledge about layout techniche.

 

[appleleafs]

ic layout beginner

I think that one can learn from some already made layout, and get some good understanding first.

 

[lokeyh]

analog layout techniques

Several good layout books:

1. The Art of Analog Layout by Alan Hastings
2. IC Mask Design: Essential Layout Techniques by Christopher Saint, Judy Saint
3. CMOS IC Layout : Concepts, Methodologies, and Tools by Dan Clein

 

[selvaraja]

mycad cmos layouts

Hi

First you need to understand the process and fabrication steps of CMOS. Secondly you must have good understanding in device physics. Most important thing practical skill ....start doing from cell layout then block level layout and finally full chip layout.

 

[piao]

beginners ic layout design

another book is IC layout basic, the author is the same as IC MASK design

 

[amraldo]

u can bein with microwind simulator

 

[lakeoffire]

Be familiar with the design rules first. Also, try to use the pcell as much as possible.

 

[EcraZ]

Here I attach a small layout book that comes with MyCad installation.

Don't have the TOC but deals with basic layout of cmos and other gates drc lvs etc...

 

[EdmundZheng]

i am a beginner of layout, i would like to ask an easy question. now, i am designing a lna in ads, finally i dont know how to layout, and which tool i should use. and another question is that the circuits designed in Cadence can be produced in factories? thanks in advance! kind regards! by Edmund

 

[winagain]

if you want to do full custom layout design, you need:
cadence corporation's software virtuoso is better than others.

if you want to do place& route , you need :
1.synopsys's Astro
2.cadence's socencounter
are also good tool

 

[blueant]

Laker is very good tool for custom layoutdesign too

 

[s3034585]

HI Winagain
You have mentioned about Synopsys Astro for p&r. Thus i wanted to know do u have any idea of how to use this tool. I am currently learning Astro. I want to understand the format for the various files which r required for it.
Eg

2) GDSII files (.gds)

3) TDF files (.tdf)
4) Pad orientation information in a (.clf) file

5) A constraints file (.sdc) that contain timing constraints and clock definitions

6) EDIF netlist file (.edf) that contains connectivity information

7) Design database file (.db) that contains netlist, timing, and design rule constraints


Thanks in advance

 

[songsong]

Thomas Hornak et al., "An Image-rejecting mixer and vector filter with 55-db image rejection over process, temperature, and transistor mismatch," JSSC, vol. 36, no. 1, Jan 2001.

Added after 6 minutes:

Sorry, I replied wrong.

 

[layes2]

the art of analog layout
or cadence mannual