Microelectronic Design
Prof. Stefano D'Amico

Degree course

  • Master of Science in Communication Engineering

Year

Period

Educational Credits (CFU)

Theory hours

Training hours

Lab hours

II

Second

9

42

12

24

Disciplinary Scientific Sector
  • ING-INF/01
Requirements

Learning Outcomes

This is a course in microelectronic design; it is aimed at providing principles and tools to analyse and design analog circuits in CMOS integrated technology. After the course the student should be able to:

1) Describe the basic analog circuits (bandgap reference, current mirrors, differential couple, Miller opamp, class A and class AB output stages, etc…).

2) Evaluate the performance parameters and discuss complexity issues associated with different basic analog circuits.

3) Demonstrate circuit analysis capability of not standard circuits.

4) Understand the technology limits in circuit design.

5) Use the simulator to analyze performance of analog circuits.

Requirements

Analog Electronics

Exam arrangements

The final (oral) exam consists of two cascaded parts:

1. the first part is based on the discussion about a report on the assigned circuit. The circuit must be simulated at the calculator. The student is asked to learn using the simulator, to illustrate the circuit design, to evaluate the performance parameters, and to define the operation of each part of the circuit. it is aimed to verify to what extent the student has gained knowledge and understanding of the use of the circuit simulator and the circuit analysis.

2. the second part is on circuit analysis of one of the basic circuits studied during the course; it is aimed to determine to what extent the student the circuit analysis capability, ability to identify and use data to formulate responses to well-defined problems, problem solving abilities and the capacity integrate different concepts and tools.

PROGRAM

Theory

  • The MOS transistor1,2,3,4,5,6

    • Description of the NMOS transistor
    • Second order effects: velocity saturation of carriers and variation of the threshold voltage
    • Noise in MOS device
    • MOS transistor layout

  • Passive components1,7

    • Integrated capacitors: implementation, accuracy and layout issue
    • Integrated resistors: implementation, accuracy and layout issue

  • Analog switches1,8

    • Analog switches implementation
    • Charge injection and clock feedtrough

  • Bias circuits1,9,10

    • CMOS current mirrors
    • Current reference
    • Voltage reference

Basic gain stages1,11

    • Gain stages
    • Output stages
    • Level shifter

Training

  • Analysis and design of circuit examples1

Laboratory

  • Design experiences by using the circuit simulator on12:

    • Transistor behaviour:

      • Coarse MOS parameter extraction

      • MOS behaviour worst case variation

      • Channel length modulation effects

      • Low-voltage current mirror design

      • VTH dependence on MOS gate length (L)

      • VTH dependence on MOS gate width (W)

      • Velocity saturation effects

    • Circuit design

      • A Low-voltage bandgap

      • A two-stage opamp

Suggested books

  1. Baschirotto, "Slides del corso" (http://microel_group.unisalento.it/)

  2. S. D’Amico “Chapter 4: The MOS transistor” (http://microel_group.unisalento.it/)

  3. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 7-45.

  4. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 102-107.

  5. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 116-130.

  6. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 187-226.

  7. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 108-115.

  8. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 401-451.

  9. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 131-175.

  10. Gray, Hurst, Lewis, Mayer “Analysis and design of integrated circuits” Fourth edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. pages 299-332

  11. Johns & Martin “Analog Integrated circuits design”, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., pages 227-310.

  12. A. Baschirotto, S. D’Amico "IDESA Advanced tutorial series" (http://microel_group.unisalento.it/)


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