Introduction to

CMOS VLSI
Design

Lecture 0: Introduction
Credits: David Harris
Harvey Mudd College
(Material taken/adapted from
Harris lecture notes)

Outline
Course Information
Logistics
Grading
Syllabus
Course Overview
Introduction to VLSI
MOS transistors
CMOS logic gates
Fabrication process: overview
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 2

Course Information (1)

Time and Place
Tue/Thu 3:30-4:45pm, SN325
Instructor
Montek Singh
montek@cs.unc.edu (not singh@cs!)
SN 245, 962-1832
Office hours: walk in most afternoons
Course Web Page
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~montek

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 3

Course Information (2)

Prerequisites
Computer organization (COMP120), and digital
logic (COMP160, PHYS102), or equivalent
I assume you know the following topics
Boolean algebra, logic gates, etc.
Undergraduate physics: Ohms law, resistors,
capacitors, etc.
Undergraduate math: calculus

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 4

Course Information (3)

Textbook
Weste and Harris.
CMOS VLSI Design
(3rd edition)
Addison Wesley
ISBN: 0-321-14901-7
Available at
amazon.com.

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 5

Course Information (4)

Grading
40% major project
25% minor project (in lieu of mid-term exam)
25% assignments
10% class participation

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 6

Course Information (5)

Topics
Introduction to CMOS circuits
MOS transistor theory, processing technology
CMOS circuit and logic design
System design methods
High-level languages for VLSI design
Case studies, CAD tools, etc.

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 7

Introduction
Integrated circuits: many transistors on one chip.
Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI): very many
Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
Fast, cheap, low power transistors
Today: How to build your own simple CMOS chip
CMOS transistors
Building logic gates from transistors
Transistor layout and fabrication
Rest of the course: How to build a good CMOS chip

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 8

Silicon Lattice
Transistors are built on a silicon substrate
Silicon is a Group IV material
Forms crystal lattice with bonds to four neighbors
Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 9

Dopants

Silicon is a semiconductor
Pure silicon has no free carriers and conducts poorly
Adding dopants increases the conductivity
Group V: extra electron (n-type)
Group III: missing electron, called hole (p-type)
Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

As

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

Si

+
-

CMOS VLSI Design

Si
Si
Si

0: Introduction
Slide 10

p-n Junctions
A junction between p-type and n-type semiconductor
forms a diode.
Current flows only in one direction

p-type

n-type

anode

cathode

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 11

nMOS Transistor
Four terminals: gate, source, drain, body
Gate oxide body stack looks like a capacitor
Gate and body are conductors
SiO2 (oxide) is a very good insulator
Called metal oxide semiconductor (MOS)
Source
Gate
Drain
capacitor
Polysilicon
Even though gate is
SiO2
no longer made of metal
n+

n+
p

CMOS VLSI Design

bulk Si

0: Introduction
Slide 12

nMOS Operation
Body is commonly tied to ground (0 V)
When the gate is at a low voltage:
P-type body is at low voltage
Source-body and drain-body diodes are OFF
No current flows, transistor is OFF
Source

Gate

Drain
Polysilicon
SiO2

n+

n+
p

bulk Si

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 13

nMOS Operation Cont.

When the gate is at a high voltage:
Positive charge on gate of MOS capacitor
Negative charge attracted to body
Inverts a channel under gate to n-type
Now current can flow through n-type silicon from
source through channel to drain, transistor is ON
Source

Gate

Drain
Polysilicon
SiO2

n+

n+
p

bulk Si

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 14

pMOS Transistor
Similar, but doping and voltages reversed
Body tied to high voltage (VDD)
Gate low: transistor ON
Gate high: transistor OFF
Bubble indicates inverted behavior
Source

Gate

Drain

Polysilicon
SiO2

p+

p+
n

CMOS VLSI Design

bulk Si

0: Introduction
Slide 15

Power Supply Voltage

GND = 0 V
In 1980s, VDD = 5V
VDD has decreased in modern processes
High VDD would damage modern tiny transistors
Lower VDD saves power
VDD = 3.3, 2.5, 1.8, 1.5, 1.2, 1.0,

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 16

Transistors as Switches
We can view MOS transistors as electrically
controlled switches
Voltage at gate controls path from source to drain
d
nMOS

pMOS

g=0

g=1

d
OFF

ON

OFF

ON
s

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 17

CMOS Inverter
A

VDD

0
1

A
A

GND
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 18

CMOS Inverter
A

VDD

0
1

OFF

A=1

Y=0

ON
A

GND
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 19

CMOS Inverter
A

VDD
ON
A=0

Y=1

OFF
A

GND
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 20

CMOS NAND Gate

A

Y
A
B

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 21

CMOS NAND Gate

A

ON
A=0
B=0

CMOS VLSI Design

ON
Y=1
OFF
OFF

0: Introduction
Slide 22

CMOS NAND Gate

A

OFF
A=0
B=1

CMOS VLSI Design

ON
Y=1
OFF
ON

0: Introduction
Slide 23

CMOS NAND Gate

A

ON
A=1
B=0

CMOS VLSI Design

OFF
Y=1
ON
OFF

0: Introduction
Slide 24

CMOS NAND Gate

A

OFF
A=1
B=1

CMOS VLSI Design

OFF
Y=0
ON
ON

0: Introduction
Slide 25

CMOS NOR Gate

A

A
B
Y

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 26

3-input NAND Gate

Y pulls low if ALL inputs are 1
Y pulls high if ANY input is 0

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 27

3-input NAND Gate

Y pulls low if ALL inputs are 1
Y pulls high if ANY input is 0

A
B
C
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 28

CMOS Fabrication
CMOS transistors are fabricated on silicon wafer
Lithography process similar to printing press
On each step, different materials are deposited or
etched
Easiest to understand by viewing both top and
cross-section of wafer in a simplified manufacturing
process

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 29

Inverter Cross-section
Typically use p-type substrate for nMOS transistors
Requires n-well for body of pMOS transistors
A
GND

VDD

SiO2
n+ diffusion

n+

n+

p substrate
nMOS transistor

p+

p+
n well

p+ diffusion
polysilicon
metal1

pMOS transistor

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 30

Well and Substrate Taps

Substrate must be tied to GND and n-well to VDD
Metal to lightly-doped semiconductor forms poor
connection (used for Schottky Diode)
Use heavily doped well and substrate contacts / taps
A
GND

VDD

p+

n+

n+

p+

p+

n+

n well

p substrate
substrate tap

well tap

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 31

Inverter Mask Set

Transistors and wires are defined by masks
Cross-section taken along dashed line

GND

VDD
nMOS transistor

pMOS transistor
well tap

substrate tap

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 32

Detailed Mask Views

Six masks
n-well
Polysilicon
n+ diffusion
p+ diffusion
Contact
Metal

n well

Polysilicon

n+ Diffusion

p+ Diffusion

Contact

Metal

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 33

Fabrication Steps
Start with blank wafer
Build inverter from the bottom up
First step will be to form the n-well
Cover wafer with protective layer of SiO2 (oxide)
Remove layer where n-well should be built
Implant or diffuse n dopants into exposed wafer
Strip off SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 34

Oxidation
Grow SiO2 on top of Si wafer
900 1200 C with H2O or O2 in oxidation furnace

SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 35

Photoresist
Spin on photoresist
Photoresist is a light-sensitive organic polymer
Softens where exposed to light

Photoresist
SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 36

Lithography
Expose photoresist through n-well mask
Strip off exposed photoresist

Photoresist
SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 37

Etch
Etch oxide with hydrofluoric acid (HF)
Seeps through skin and eats bone; nasty stuff!!!
Only attacks oxide where resist has been exposed

Photoresist
SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 38

Strip Photoresist
Strip off remaining photoresist
Use mixture of acids called piranah etch
Necessary so resist doesnt melt in next step

SiO2

p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 39

n-well
n-well is formed with diffusion or ion implantation
Diffusion
Place wafer in furnace with arsenic gas
Heat until As atoms diffuse into exposed Si
Ion Implanatation
Blast wafer with beam of As ions
Ions blocked by SiO2, only enter exposed Si
SiO2
n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 40

Strip Oxide
Strip off the remaining oxide using HF
Back to bare wafer with n-well
Subsequent steps involve similar series of steps

n well
p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 41

Polysilicon
Deposit very thin layer of gate oxide
< 20 (6-7 atomic layers)
Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of silicon layer
Place wafer in furnace with Silane gas (SiH4)
Forms many small crystals called polysilicon
Heavily doped to be good conductor
Polysilicon
Thin gate oxide

p substrate

n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 42

Polysilicon Patterning
Use same lithography process to pattern polysilicon

Polysilicon

Polysilicon
Thin gate oxide

p substrate

n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 43

N-diffusion
Use oxide and masking to expose where n+ dopants
should be diffused or implanted
N-diffusion forms nMOS source, drain, and n-well
contact

p substrate

n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 44

N-diffusion (cont.)
Pattern oxide and form n+ regions

n+ Diffusion

n well
p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 45

N-diffusion (cont.)
Historically dopants were diffused
Usually ion implantation today
But regions are still called diffusion

n+

n+
p substrate

n+
n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 46

N-diffusion (cont.)
Strip off oxide to complete patterning step

n+

n+
p substrate

n+
n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 47

P-Diffusion
Similar set of steps form p+ diffusion regions for
pMOS source and drain and substrate contact

p+ Diffusion

p+

n+

n+
p substrate

p+

p+

n+

n well

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 48

Contacts
Now we need to wire together the devices
Cover chip with thick field oxide
Etch oxide where contact cuts are needed

Contact

Thick field oxide

p+

n+

n+

p+

p+

n+

n well
p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 49

Metalization
Sputter on aluminum over whole wafer
Pattern to remove excess metal, leaving wires

Metal

Metal
Thick field oxide
p+

n+

n+

p+

p+

n+

n well
p substrate

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 50

Layout
Chips are specified with set of masks
Minimum dimensions of masks determine transistor
size (and hence speed, cost, and power)
Feature size f = distance between source and drain
Set by minimum width of polysilicon
Feature size improves 30% every 3 years or so
Normalize for feature size when describing design
rules
Express rules in terms of = f/2
E.g. = 0.3 m in 0.6 m process
CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 51

Simplified Design Rules

Conservative rules to get you started

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 52

Inverter Layout
Transistor dimensions specified as Width / Length
Minimum size is 4 / 2sometimes called 1 unit
In f = 0.6 m process, this is 1.2 m wide, 0.6 m
long

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 53

Summary

MOS Transistors are stack of gate, oxide, silicon

Can be viewed as electrically controlled switches
Build logic gates out of switches
Draw masks to specify layout of transistors

Now you know everything necessary to start

designing schematics and layout for a simple chip!

CMOS VLSI Design

0: Introduction
Slide 54