Fast Techniques for Integrated Circuit Design

This book is a result of many years in active design work in the semiconductor industry. I started my career as a theoretical physicist working on dense matter theory and electromagnetic fields in an astrophysical environment. After a few years my interest turned toward integrated circuit design, where there were also electromagnetic fields, and I have been working in this field ever since. It is a rich environment for the study of nature and mathematics and I am thrilled to be a part of it. As a theoretical physicist one always tries to get a handle on experiments and observations by doing simple math- ematical modeling, and in my stint as a postdoc in the theoretical physics group at Caltech in the 1990s I was part of an Order of Magnitude Physics, 103c class that took this idea to town. The students were asked to estimate things such as the amount of rubber dumped into the air from cars on LA’s freeways and how long a grass straw would grow in a week with a given precipitation and sunlight. The class was taught by Professor Peter Goldreich and Professor Sterl Phinney, and it opened my eyes to the power of estimation. In my career I have always tried to understand things by first estimating the impact of a certain effect and then verifying it. This analysis method has been a great help for me personally and the people I have been lucky enough to tutor. I have also encountered many other engineers and academic professionals who are very good at following these same principles. This book is an attempt to bring this way of thinking about design in general and circuit design in particular to a broader audience. I refer to the analysis method as estimation analysis, but many people use the term hand calculations, which I find to be rather misleading. Simply put, we consider complex problems in a way that do not require exact full solutions. The book will show that this approach can be taken for almost any problem, be it circuit analysis, high frequency phenomena, sampling concepts or jitter, to name a few. The scope of the book is from simple circuit theory, familiar to most engineers, to high frequency theory with a particular focus on integrated circuit applications, to systems such as data converters and phase-locked loops (PLLs). The applications are intentionally fairly broad, to illustrate the power of the techniques. What is different in this book compared with other similar ones is a strict physical approach where all situations are modeled carefully, often from first principles, followed by useful solutions and illustrative relationships after some algebra. Once such a model is established one can use it as a starting point for simulations where the simulator is used to fine-tune the design. Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 10 1.2 Principles......Page 12 1.3 Integrated Circuit Applications......Page 14 2.2 Single Transistor Gain Stages......Page 15 2.3 Two Transistor Stages......Page 29 2.5 Exercises......Page 40 2.6 References......Page 41 3.2 Five Transistor Amplifier......Page 42 3.3 Cascode Stage Amplification Using Active Feedback......Page 44 3.4 Comparator Circuit......Page 45 3.5 Cascaded Amplifier Stages......Page 55 3.7 Exercises......Page 59 3.8 References......Page 60 4.1 Introduction......Page 61 4.2 Maxwell’s Equations......Page 62 4.3 Capacitance......Page 77 4.4 Inductance......Page 83 4.5 Various High Frequency Phenomena......Page 96 4.6 Summary......Page 108 4.7 Exercises......Page 110 4.8 References......Page 111 5.1 Introduction......Page 112 5.2 Connection to PCB Designs......Page 113 5.3 Recent Progress in the Literature on Signal Integrity On-Chip......Page 114 5.4 Transmission Line Theory......Page 116 5.5 S-Parameters......Page 120 5.6 Capacitors in Integrated Circuits......Page 130 5.7 Inductors in Integrated Circuits......Page 133 5.8 Design Examples......Page 151 5.10 Exercises......Page 158 5.11 References......Page 159 6.2 Basic Simulator Principles......Page 162 6.3 Long Wavelength Simulators......Page 163 6.4 Method of Moments......Page 170 6.7 References......Page 174 7.1 Introduction......Page 176 7.2 Jitter and Phase Noise......Page 177 7.3 Phase-Locked Loops......Page 182 7.4 Voltage Controlled Oscillators......Page 194 7.5 Analog-to-Digital Converters......Page 206 7.7 Exercises......Page 242 7.8 References......Page 243 Appendix A Basic Transistor and Technology Model......Page 245 Appendix B Useful Mathematical Relationships......Page 250 Index......Page 253 Do you want to deepen your understanding of complex systems and design integrated circuits more quickly? Learn how with this step-by-step guide that shows, from first principles, how to employ estimation techniques to analyze and solve complex problems in IC design using a simplified modeling approach. Applications are richly illustrated using real-world examples from across IC design, from simple circuit theory, to the electromagnetic effects and high frequency design, and systems such as data converters and phase-locked loops. Basic concepts like inductance and capacitance are related to one other and other RF phenomena inside a modern chip, enhancing understanding without the need for simulators. Use the easy-to-follow models presented to start designing your own products, from inductors and amplifiers to more complex systems. Whether you are an early-career professional or researcher, graduate student, or established IC engineer looking to reduce your reliance on commercial software packages, this is essential reading "This book is a result of many years in active design work in the semiconductor industry. I started my career as a theoretical physicist working on dense matter theory and electromagnetic fields in an astrophysical environment. After a few years my interest turned towards integrated circuit design, where there were also electromagnetic fields, and I have been working in this field ever since. It is such a rich environment for the study of nature and mathematics and I am thrilled to be a part of it"-- Provided by publisher Learn how to use estimation techniques to solve integrated circuit (IC) design problems, accelerate the design process, and enhance understanding of complex systems with this step-by-step guide. Using numerous real-world application examples, it is ideal for both early-career and established professionals and researchers, and graduate students, working in IC design. General guidelines in estimation analysis in integrated circuits -- Basic amplifier stages -- Higher level amplifier stages -- Electromagnetism--fundamentals -- Electromagnetism--circuit applications -- Electromagnetic field simulators -- System aspects Learn How To Use Estimation Techniques To Solve Real-world Ic Design Problems And Accelerate Design Processes With This Practical Guide.