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ECE 5404 - Advanced Analog Integrated Circuit Design

Course Description

Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor (CMOS) technology; Analog and mixed-signal Integrated Circuits (ICs) design, and techniques to analyze and optimize performance metrics, such as: speed, area, power and signal integrity; Clocking, interconnect and scaling issues of ICs; Op Amp and Comparator, Voltage References, Integrated Filter, analog to digital converter (ADC), digital to analog converter (DAC), and phase-locked loop (PLL); Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools – schematic, layout, extraction and circuit simulation; Advanced topics including ICs’ high frequency performance issues, emerging nano-devices, advanced fabrication technologies, three dimension (3D) ICs, and neuromorphic computing.

Why take this course?

Analog and mixed-signal Integrated Circuits (ICs) design is essential for computing chips, architectures, and systems development. Analog and mixed-signal IC has been discussed in the technical literature for about two decades and there are several real-world examples of its implementation. This course discusses the fundamental analysis, modeling, and control, and protection tools and techniques for analog and mixed-signal ICs, and advanced topics in IC area including neuromorphic electronic circuit design for brain-inspired computing system, and energy efficient 3D IC design and automation. It is critical that ECE students have an opportunity to gain exposure to state-of-the-art analog IC design for communications, sensor, instrumentation, data conversion, and power management applications. It should be noted that skilled analog/mixed-signal IC designers continue to be in high demand in the semiconductor/electronics industries.

Learning Objectives

  • Analyze the use of theory in Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) Technology;
  • Design analog and mixed signal integrated circuits;
  • Evaluate the research designs and analytic methods for the performance metrics (such as: speed, area, power and signal integrity) of transistors, interconnects, and circuits;
  • Assess the scientific merits and weaknesses of research in the advanced IC fields including neuromorphic electronic circuit design for brain-inspired computing system, and energy efficient 3D IC design and automation;
  • Employ CAD tools in the levels of schematic, layout, extraction and circuit simulation through labs and projects.