MOS VLSI Circuit Design Lecture Review

Flashcards created for key concepts and terminology related to MOS VLSI Circuit Design covered in the lecture notes.

Fabrication Process

The process that links fabrication, circuit design, and chip performance, requiring designers to understand fabrication to optimize designs.

Conductors

Materials that allow the flow of electrical current; examples include copper and aluminum.

Insulators

Materials that do not conduct electricity; examples include glass and diamond.

Semiconductors

Materials with conductivity between conductors and insulators; silicon is the most popular semiconductor material.

Dopants

Impurities added to semiconductor materials to alter their electrical properties; can create n-type or p-type semiconductors.

n-type

Semiconductor created by doping silicon with Group V elements, leading to extra electrons.

p-type

Semiconductor created by doping silicon with Group III elements, leading to holes in the lattice.

Photolithography

A process used to transfer patterns onto semiconductor wafers through light exposure.

Etching

The process of removing layers from the wafer surface during manufacturing, typically using wet or dry methods.

Metallization

The process of adding metal layers to connect various components in a semiconductor device.

Device Isolation

Techniques used to electrically isolate neighboring transistors on a chip surface.

CMOS

Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor; a technology used to create integrated circuits.

Oxide Growth

The process of growing a silicon dioxide layer on silicon which acts as an insulator.

Field Oxide

A thick oxide layer used to isolate active areas of a semiconductor device.

Layout Design Rules

Guidelines to achieve high yield and efficient use of silicon area in circuit design.

Silicon on Insulator (SOI)

A technology where transistor structures are built on an insulating material, reducing parasitic capacitances.

Fabrication Process

The process that links fabrication, circuit design, and chip performance, requiring designers to understand fabrication to optimize designs.

Conductors

Materials that allow the flow of electrical current; examples include copper and aluminum.

Insulators

Materials that do not conduct electricity; examples include glass and diamond.

Semiconductors

Materials with conductivity between conductors and insulators; silicon is the most popular semiconductor material.

Dopants

Impurities added to semiconductor materials to alter their electrical properties; can create n-type or p-type semiconductors.

n-type

Semiconductor created by doping silicon with Group V elements, leading to extra electrons.

p-type

Semiconductor created by doping silicon with Group III elements, leading to holes in the lattice.

Photolithography

A process used to transfer patterns onto semiconductor wafers through light exposure.

Etching

The process of removing layers from the wafer surface during manufacturing, typically using wet or dry methods.

Metallization

The process of adding metal layers to connect various components in a semiconductor device.

Device Isolation

Techniques used to electrically isolate neighboring transistors on a chip surface.

CMOS

Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor; a technology used to create integrated circuits.

Oxide Growth

The process of growing a silicon dioxide layer on silicon which acts as an insulator.

Field Oxide

A thick oxide layer used to isolate active areas of a semiconductor device.

Layout Design Rules

Guidelines to achieve high yield and efficient use of silicon area in circuit design.

Silicon on Insulator (SOI)

A technology where transistor structures are built on an insulating material, reducing parasitic capacitances.

Resistivity

A material property that quantifies how strongly a material resists electrical current. Units are \Omega \cdot \text{meters}.

Sheet Resistivity

The resistance of a square of material of uniform thickness. Units are \Omega/\text{square}.

Formula for Sheet Resistivity

Sheet resistivity = resistivity (\Omega \cdot \text{meters}) / wire thickness or height.

Formula for Resistance of a Wire

R = \text{sheet resistivity} \cdot \frac{L}{W}, where L is the length and W is the width of the wire.

Formula for Capacitance of a Wire (per unit length)

If given capacitance per unit length (C{\text{unit length}}), the total capacitance of a wire is C = C{\text{unit length}} \cdot L, where L is the length of the wire.

Formula for Capacitance of a Wire (per unit area)

If given capacitance per unit area (C{\text{unit area}}), the total capacitance of a wire is C = C{\text{unit area}} \cdot \text{Area}, where Area is the surface area of the wire.