EE6361: Advanced Topics in VLSI
Announcement: End Sem details
Date: 3 May 2017 (Wednesday)
Time: 2:00 - 5:00 PM
Location: ESB 207B
Syllabus: eDRAM, SRAM, EDA
Announcement: Second quiz details
Date: 5 Apr 2017 (Wednesday)
Time: 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: ESB 207B
Syllabus: SRAM
Announcement: First quiz details
Date: 27 Feb 2017 (Monday)
Time: 5:00 - 6:00 PM
Location: ESB 207B
Syllabus: eDRAM
Instructors
Classroom
Schedule
S-slot - Thu (1:30 - 4:30 PM)
Evaluation
Assignments: 20%
Quiz 1: 10% (eDRAM)
Quiz 2: 10% (SRAM)
Self Study Seminar : 20%
End Semester Exam: 40%
Course Objective
(Why we teach this course?)
Introduce students to some relevant advanced topics of current interest in academia and industry
Make students aware of some advanced techniques
Make students aware of work happening in India
This course will cover three broad subjects:
Embedded DRAM design and statistical yield analysis (Janakiraman)
SRAM design (Rahul Rao)
EDA (Sridhar Rangarajan)
Learning Objectives
(What the students should be able to do after the course)
Part 1- eDRAM Design and Yield Analysis
Explain the working of a (e)DRAM. What Embedded means?
Explain the working of a feedback sense amplifier and modify existing designs to improve performance
Calculate the voltage levels of operation of various components for an eDRAM
Introduce stacked protect devices to reduce voltage stress of the WL driver
Calculate the number of samples required to estimate yield to specified accuracy and confidence
Explain the use of importance sampling to reduce the number of samples required in step 6
Part 2- SRAM Design
Articulate memory hierarchy and the value proposition of SRAMs in the memory chain + utilization in current processors
Explain SRAM building blocks and peripheral operations and memory architecture (with physical arrangement)
Articulate commonly used SRAM cells (6T vs 8T), their advantages and disadvantages
Explain the operation of a non-conventional SRAM cells, and their limitations
Explain commonly used assist methods
Explain how variations impact memory cells
Part 3- EDA
Describe the role of CAD tools in VLSI Physical Design process.
Explain various design phases and physical design flow
Articulate the commonly used algorithms in physical design tools
Detailed understanding of placement and routing techniques.
Describe the role of physical synthesis in design closure
Incremental synthesis and optimization and its role in physical design closure
Class 1 (12 Jan 2017)
Key References:
K. Roy, S. Mukhopadhyay and H. Mahmoodi-Meimand, “Leakage current mechanisms and leakage reduction techniques in deep-submicrometer CMOS circuits,” in Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 91, no. 2, pp. 305-327, Feb 2003.
Class 2 (19 Jan 2017)
Key References:
Barth, J. et al., “A 500 MHz Random Cycle, 1.5 ns Latency, SOI Embedded DRAM Macro Featuring a Three-Transistor Micro Sense Amplifier,” IEEE JOURNAL OF SOLID-STATE CIRCUITS, VOL. 43, NO. 1, JANUARY 2008. PDF
Lecture Slides
Class 3 (28 Jan 2017)
22nm PTM Models:
Assignment 1
Class 4 (2 Feb 2017)
* Gated Feedback Sense Amplifier
Key Reference:
Gregory Fredeman, et. al. A 14 nm 1.1 Mb Embedded DRAM Macro With 1 ns Access. J. Solid-State Circuits 51(1): 230-239 (2016) PDF
In class quiz:
Class 5 (9 Feb 2017)
Probability Theory Tutorial
Class 6 (16 Feb 2017)
Importance sampling
Key Reference:
R. Kanj, et. al., “Mixture importance sampling and its application to the analysis of SRAM designs in the presence of rare failure events,” 2006 43rd ACM/IEEE Design Automation Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2006, pp. 69-72.PDF
Class 7 (23 Feb 2017)
In class quiz:
Assignment 2
Class 8 (2 Mar 2017)
8T SRAM cell
10T SRAM cell
Asymmetric cells
Sub-threshold cells
Low leakage cells
Lecture slides
Class 9 (9 Mar 2017)
Class 10 (16 Mar 2017)
BTI Effects
Stress in SRAM
Testing and Faults
March patterns
Lecture slides
Assignment 3
Due on: 27th Mar 2017 (11:55 PM)
Download File
H. Pilo et al., “A 64Mb SRAM in 32nm High-k metal-gate SOI technology with 0.7V operation enabled by stability, write-ability and read-ability enhancements,” 2011 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, San Francisco, CA, 2011, pp. 254-256. doi: 10.1109/ISSCC.2011.5746307[PDF]
Moodle submission link
Self Study Seminar
Due on: 12 and 14 Apr 2017 5:00 - 6:00 PM- Will split the groups across two one hour sessions based on convenience
Work in groups of 2
Each group will be assigned 1 of 3 papers given below
Each group will make a 15 min presentation to the class
Speaker will be switched arbitrarily in between by the teacher
Presentation should include
Introduction to basic TCAMs
The problem with the traditional TCAM
Key concept of the proposal
Key results shown in the paper
Conclusion - Potential pit falls in the proposed design and suggested fix
Simulation is not necessary but suitable simulation will carry bonus marks
List of Papers
I. Arsovski and A. Sheikholeslami, “A current-saving match-line sensing scheme for content-addressable memories,” 2003 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, 2003. Digest of Technical Papers. ISSCC., San Francisco, CA, USA, 2003, pp. 304-494 vol.1. doi: 10.1109/ISSCC.2003.1234309
I. Arsovski, T. Hebig, D. Dobson and R. Wistort, “1Gsearch/sec Ternary Content Addressable Memory compiler with silicon-aware Early-Predict Late-Correct single-ended sensing,” 2012 Symposium on VLSI Circuits (VLSIC), Honolulu, HI, 2012, pp. 116-117. doi: 10.1109/VLSIC.2012.6243817
I. Arsovski, T. Chandler and A. Sheikholeslami, “A ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) based on 4T static storage and including a current-race sensing scheme,” in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 155-158, Jan 2003. doi: 10.1109/JSSC.2002.806264
Upload presentations here
Class 11 (23 Mar 2017)
Class 12 (30 Mar 2017)
Class 13 (06 Apr 2017)
Class 14 (13 Apr 2017)
Class 15 (20 Apr 2017)