VLSI CIRCUIT
DESIGN
ECT 304
MODULE 1
Introduction
Moore’s law .
ASIC design, Full custom ASICs, Standard cell based ASICs, Gate array based ASICs,
SoCs
FPGA devices
ASIC and FPGA Design flows
Top-Down and Bottom-Up design methodologies.
Logical and Physical design.
Speed power and area considerations in VLSI design
Integrated Circuit (IC)
An Integrated Circuit or IC, is a tiny electronic device that integrates multiple
components such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors onto a single piece of silicon.
Before ICs, electronic circuits were built using separate components, which made
devices large and inefficient.
The first IC was developed in 1958 by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce.
ICs significantly reduced the size, cost, and power consumption of electronic devices.
Types of ICs:
• SSI (Small Scale Integration) – Few transistors per chip.
• MSI (Medium Scale Integration) – Hundreds of transistors.
• LSI (Large Scale Integration) – Thousands of transistors.
• VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) – Millions to billions of transistors.
Over time, ICs have advanced from Small Scale Integration (SSI), which contained only
a few transistors, to Medium Scale Integration (MSI) and Large Scale Integration (LSI),
which contained thousands.
Today, we use Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) technology, where millions or even
billions of transistors fit into a single chip.
VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)
VLSI, or Very Large Scale Integration, refers to the process of integrating millions or
billions of transistors onto a single semiconductor chip.
This technology is used in microprocessors, memory chips, and advanced AI
processors.
VLSI technology enables the development of powerful yet compact electronic
devices such as smartphones, laptops, and embedded systems.
The advancement of VLSI follows Moore’s Law,
Moore’s Law
“which states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles approximately every
two years. This has led to exponential growth in computing power while reducing
power consumption and cost ’’
ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit)
ASIC[“a-sick”] is an acronym for Application Integrated Circuit
An Application-Specific Integrated Circuit, or ASIC, is a type of integrated circuit (IC)
designed for a specific application or function rather than for general-purpose use.
Unlike general-purpose processors, which can perform multiple tasks, an ASIC is
optimized for a particular operation, making it more efficient in terms of speed, power
consumption, and size
For instance, an ASIC used in a smartphone camera is specifically designed for image
processing, ensuring fast and high-quality photo capture
Why Do We Need ASICs
General-purpose processors, like CPUs, are designed to handle a variety of tasks, but
they may not be the most efficient for specialized applications. ASICs, on the other
hand, provide:
11️⃣ High Performance – Since they are optimized for a specific
function, they operate faster.
2️⃣ Low Power Consumption – They consume less power
compared to general-purpose chips.
3️⃣ Smaller Size – Since only the necessary components are
included, ASICs take up less space.
4️⃣ Cost Efficiency (for mass production) – Once designed,
producing large volumes of ASICs can be more cost-effective than using general-
purpose chips
Types of ASIC
ASICs can be classified into different types based on design complexity and
reconfigurability
Full Custom ASIC
In full custom design, every transistor, logic gate, and interconnect is
designed from scratch
Processors like Intel Core i9 or Apple M1 chips are full custom ASICs,
optimized at the transistor level for maximum efficiency.
In a full-custom ASIC engineer designs all of the logic cells, circuits or
layout specifically for one ASIC. This means the designer avoids using
pretested and pre characterized cells for all or part of that design.
This might be because existing cell libraries are not fast enough, or logic
cells are not small enough or consume too much power.
Features of Full custom ASIC
High performance
Low power consumption
Optimized area utilization
Very expensive and time-consuming.
Requires expert design teams
Not flexible for modifications after fabrication
Semi Custom ASIC
Uses pre-designed standard cells or gate arrays instead of designing
everything from scratch, reducing design effort while still allowing some
customization.
Using the predesigned cells from a cell library makes the design much
easier.
There are two types of semicustom ASICs based on the type of logic cells
taken from the library and amount of customization allowed for
interconnects, they are
1. Standard cell based ASICs
2. Gate array based ASICs
Standard cell array based ASIC
A semi-custom approach where the design uses pre-designed and pre-
verified standard logic cells.
A cell based ASIC uses predesigned logic cells (AND gates , OR gates,
multiplexers etc) known as standard cells. They are stored in the form of
library. This collection is known as standard cell library.
The standard cell areas in a CBIC are built of rows of standard cells like a
wall built of brick.
The ASIC designer defines only the placement of the standard cells and
the interconnect in a CBIC.
Advantages
Shorter design cycle compared to Full Custom ASIC.
Pre-verified cells reduce design complexity.
More cost-effective than Full Custom ASIC for medium to high-volume production.
Disadvantages
Not as optimized as Full Custom ASIC.
Higher power consumption than fully custom layouts.
Limited customization at the transistor level.
Gate Array Based Semi Custom ASIC
Pre-designed silicon wafer with a fixed array of unconnected transistors and gates.
Logic functions are implemented by connecting transistors through metal
interconnections.
There are Three types of Gate array based ASIC.
1. Channeled gate arrays
2. channelless gate array
3. structured gate arrays
Channelled Gate Array
Fixed rows of unconnected logic gates with predefined routing channels between
them.
These channels contain reserved spaces for metal interconnections during the
customization stage.
Transistors are not densely packed because space is left for routing.
Channelless gate array
No predefined routing channels; instead, logic gates are placed uniformly across the
chip.
Interconnections are made in the upper metal layers, reducing wasted space.
Utilizes higher transistor density compared to channeled gate arrays.
Structured Gate array
A hybrid approach between gate arrays and standard-cell ASICs.
Contains predefined logic blocks alongside a gate array.
Custom logic is implemented using the gate array, while fixed-function blocks speed up
design.
Advantages Of Gate array Based ASIC
Pre-fabricated wafers – Reduces manufacturing lead time.
Customizable metal layers – Optimizes routing for specific applications.
Cost-effective for moderate production runs.
Faster development than standard cell and full custom ASICs.
Disadvantages of Gate array Based ASIC
Less optimized than Full Custom and Standard Cell ASICs.
Limited design flexibility – Fixed base array restricts customization.
Not suitable for very high-performance applications.
Comparison of Gate array based ASIC and Standard Cell Based ASIC
Feature Gate Array-Based ASIC Standard Cell-Based ASIC
Customization Both logic cells and metal layers are
Only metal layers are customized; customized.
base array remains fixed.
Design Flexibility Limited due to pre-defined High flexibility as custom logic cells
transistor arrays. are used.
Design Time Shorter (only metal layers are Shorter (only metal layers are
designed). designed).
Fabrication Time Faster as only metal layers are Longer because logic cells and
processed. interconnections are custom-
designed.
Performance Moderate performance due to fixed Higher performance as logic is
transistor layout. optimized for the application.
