VLSI Design Laboratory

Iowa State University has been involved in teaching and research in the VLSI area for about 15 years. At the present time, there is a substantial in both teachng and research in the areas of Analog and Mixed-Signal Design and VLSI CAD. At the current time there are about 40 graduate students working in the area split between the M.S. and Ph.D. programs.

There is considerable student participation at both the undergraduate level and graduate level in classes supporting the VLSI area. In addition to offering these classes to on-campus students, several are available for remote delivery to off-campus students. We generally offer a senior level elective course on analog and digital VLSI design (EE 434) that draws about 80 students each year. We offer two follow-on senior elective courses as well. One focuses on analog and mixed-signal integrated circuit design (EE 435) and the other concentrates on digital VLSI design (EE 465). Each fall we offer a graduate level linear integrated circuit design course (EE 501) with an annual on-campus enrollment of between 15 and 25 students. In alternate years we also offer graduate level courses in integrated filter design (EE 508), data converter design (EE 505), high speed communication circuits (EE 507), rf circuit design (EE 510), synthesis and optimization of digital circuits (CpE 564), design of VLSI systems (CpE 566), and CAD algorithms for VLSI design (CpE 567).

There are excellent physical facilities for both instructional and research activities. Much of the design is done in the VLSI CAD laboratory or at workstations distributed throughout the department. The Carver Laboratory supported, in part, by a grant from the R. J. Carver Trust, provides a good environment for testing analog and mixed-signal circuits. There is also a microwave circuits laboratory that supports both instruction and research activities.

A major emphasis in both the undergraduate and graduate program is placed upon practical issues associated with the design of useful integrated circuits and on verifying concepts through experimental characterization of circuits designed by students in the laboratory. Fabrication of integrated circuits is typically available through the MOSIS program or through special arrangements with program sponsors including National Semiconductor, LSI Logic and Texas Instruments.

Faculty members associated with the VLSI program are professors Robert Weber, Randy Geiger, DeGang Chen and Chris Chu.

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