Digital Microelectronic

Circuits
(361-1-3021)
Presented by:
Adam Teman

Lecture 1:
Introduction

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 1
 Before we start…

WHAT IS THIS CLASS ALL ABOUT?

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 2
 What is this class all about?

 Digital Microelectronic Circuits

» Finally, we will implement and use the theory we’ve
learned in prior courses.
» Digital Logic Systems and Introduction to Computers
taught us the theory needed to assemble digital
circuits.
» Introduction to Semi-Conductors
taught us about the physical elements
needed to make switches.
» This class will take us to the next step,
integrating the physical and logical
theory we’ve learned in prior courses.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 3
 There’s no Free Lunch

 Microelectronic design always trades-off the

following four major factors:
» Speed (Performance)
» Cost (Area)
» Power (Energy)
» Reliability (Robustness)

 Every aspect of digital design will have to

consider these trade-offs, aiming at a win-win
situation!

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 4
 What will we learn today?
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 5
 1.1
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

What, where, why, when…?

Here’s some

PRACTICAL
INFORMATION
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 6
 Practical Information
 Lecturer
» Adam Teman
– Email: [email protected]
– Office Hours: Sunday 11:00-12:00
 Teaching Assistants
» Itamar Levi
– Email: [email protected]
– Office Hours: Monday 15:00-16:00, VLSI Center (room 5)
 Lecture Hours
» Sunday, 13:00-16:00, Building 90, Room 326
 Exercise Sessions
» Monday, 08:00-09:00 Building 34, Room 007
» Monday, 09:00-10:00 Building 34, Room 103
» Monday, 16:00-17:00 Building 32, Room 306
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 7
 Practical Information

 Printing Material
» Lectures and Exercises will be published on Moodle.
» Lectures will be recorded. Annotated slides will be
published.
» Recorded Lectures, practice sessions, material from last
semester are on the web; however, these will change!

 Grading
» ~7 homework “quizzes” on the Moodle site (15%)
– Quizzes will be about Lectures and Practices
» Final Exam (85%)

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 8
 Practical Information

 Moodle Forum:
» Use the forum discuss course material and homework.
» By answering your friends’ questions and forming a
healthy discussion, your understanding will improve.
» A volunteer (and only him/her) will direct unanswered
questions towards the course staff, and we will answer
the questions on the forum.

Direct questions to the course staff via email

will not be answered!

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 9
 Bibliography
1. Rabaey J., Chandrakasan A., Borivoje N.,
“Digital Integrated Circuits: A Design Perspective, 2nd Edition”
2. Agarwal A., Lang J.,
“Foundations of Analog and Digital Electronic Circuits, 1st Edition”
3. Sedra A., Smith K.,
“Microelectronic Circuits”

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 10
 1.2
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

What are we going to learn?

Here is the

COURSE SYLLABUS
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 11
 Course Syllabus
Date Lecture # Subject
21/10 1 Introduction
28/10 2 Terminology and Design Metrics
4/11 3 The MOSFET Transistor
11/11 4 The CMOS Inverter
18/11 5 Capacitance / Driving a Load
25/11 6 CMOS Digital Logic
2/12 7 Logical Effort
9/12 No Lecture Hanukah
16/12 8 Ratioed Logic
23/12 9 Dynamic Logic
30/12 10 Pass Transistor Logic
6/1 11 Sequential Circuits
13/1 12
Digital Microelectronic Circuits
Memory
The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 12
 Some Emphasis

 This course looks easy, but experience shows

that it’s very hard!

 The fundamentals learned in this course are

critical for future VLSI courses/jobs.

 Work hard throughout the semester!

» Hard work leads to intuitive understanding of the
concepts.
» If you don’t work hard, you will not succeed in the
future VLSI courses.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 13
 1.4
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

Where did it all start…

HISTORY OF
DIGITAL CIRCUITS
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 14
 History of Digital Circuits

 The Abacus:
» The first computation device
» Invented around 2400 BCE
» Still in use today
 Napier’s Bones:
» Invented by John Napier (~1590)
» Addition, Multiplication, Logarithms

 Slide Rule:
» Introduced in 1620
» Analog Computer

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 15
 History of Digital Circuits

 Binary Logic
» Pingala discovered the Binary Numeral
System (~300 BCE India)
» Leibniz described Binary Logic
(~1650 Germany)
» Boolean Algebra was published
Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz
by George Boole in 1854
 Mechanical Calculators
» First calculator by Schickard (1623),
followed by Pascal and Leibniz.
» First mass-produced calculator by
Thomas Arithrometer Thomas (1820)

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 16
 History of Digital Circuits

 Punch Cards
» In 1725 Bouchon developed an Automatic
Loom based on holes in paper.
» In 1801, Jacquard enabled using punch cards
Jacquard Loom
to control such a loom.
» In 1822, Charles Babbage described the Difference
Engine, which is considered the first real computer
design, though it was only made in 1991 (it is still
operational at the London Science Museum).
» In 1834, Babbage described the Analytical Engine
based on punch cards and a steam engine. It was the
first general purpose programmable computer.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 17
 Hand Loom with Jacquard Machine

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 18
 Charles Babbage (1791-1871)

The Analytical Engine The Difference Engine II

(incomplete and incorrect) (made in 1991)

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 19
 A bit more Babbage…

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 20
 History of Digital Circuits

 20th Century Milestones

» 1896 - Herman Hollerith establishes the Tabulating
Machine Company, later to become IBM (1924).

Hollerith Punch Card Machine

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 21
 History of Digital Circuits

 20th Century Milestones

» 1906 – The Electronic Valve (Triode) is invented (De
Forest). This is the switch that enabled the
development of the digital computer. (Improved by
Schottky in 1919)
» 1919 – The Flip Flop was proposed (Eccles, Jordan).
» 1937 – Alan Turing publishes paper describing the
“Turing Machine” and sets the basis for computer
theory. Turing is considered “The Father of Modern
Day Computing”

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 22
 History of Digital Circuits

The Alan Turing Memorial The Enigma

Statue in Manchester German Encryption Machine that Turing helped
decipher

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 23
 History of Digital Circuits

 20th Century Milestones

» 1939 - First machine to calculate using vacuum tubes
developed.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 24
 History of Digital Circuits

UNIVAC-1 (1951)
First commercially successful electronic computer. Also, first
general purpose computer. Worked with magnetic tapes.

ENIAC (1946)
Considered the first Universal Electronic Computer. Used
18,000 electronic valves, weighed 30 Tons and consumed
25kW of power. Could do approximately 100,000 calculations
a second.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 25
 Pilot ACE (1950)
 Automatic Computing Engine

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 26
 ERNIE
 Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 27
 History of Digital Circuits

Grace Brewster Murray Hopper

The first “Bug” Inventor of the infamous Bug!

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction
 History of Digital Circuits

 Radio with first Printed Circuit Board (1942)

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 29
 History of Digital Circuits

 The Transistor Era

» 1947 – A group at Bell Labs, headed
by Shockley, invent the first transistor
to replace the inefficient vacuum tube.
» 1952 – The idea of the Integrated
Circuit was conceived by Dummer.
The first Transistor

» 1958 – The first integrated circuit

was invented by Jack Kilby of TI.
The first silicon IC was invented
by Robert Noyce of Fairchild half a
year later.
Kilby’s Integrated Circuit

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 30
 Shockley’s Nobel Prize

Bardeen, Shockley, Brattain 1948

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 31
 History of Digital Circuits

 The Transistor Era

» 1960 – First MOSFET Fabricated
» 1962 – TTL Invented
» 1963 – CMOS Invented
» 1964 – 1-inch silicon wafers introduced
» 1965 – Moore’s Law (more in a minute…)
» 1967 – Floating Gate invented
» 1970 – First commercial DRAM (1Kbit)
» 1971 – Microprocessor invented Intel 4004 (1971)
» 1978 – Intel 8086/8088 1000 transistors
1MHz operation
» 1981 – IBM PC is introduced

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 32
 History of Digital Circuits

 The Xerox Alto (1973)

» Mouse
» Graphical Display
» LAN
» WYSIWYG Editor
» Drawing Program
» Windows UI

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 33
 History of Digital Circuits

 Cray Supercomputer (1976)

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 34
 “Small” Computers
The Apple 1
Great Great Great Grandfather of the iPhone…

DEC PDP-8
The first “minicomputer”

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 35
 History of Digital Circuits

 The IBM PC 5150 (1981)

Intel 8088

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 36
 History of Digital Circuits

Pentium 1 (1993)
3.1M transistors
66MHz
264mm2 die

Pentium 4 (2000)
42M transistors
1.5GHz
224mm2 die

Quad Core (2008)

820M transistors
3GHz x 4 processors
286mm2 die

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 37
 1.5
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

And how can we discuss the history of computers and

microelectronics without taking a look at the prophetic

MOORE’S LAW
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 38
 Moore’s Law
 In 1965, Gordon Moore noted that the number of
transistors on a chip doubled every 18 to 24 months.
 He made a prediction that semiconductor technology will
double its effectiveness every 18 months
16

COMPONENTS PER INTEGRATED FUNCTION

15
14
13
LOG2 OF THE NUMBER OF
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
Electronics, April 19, 1965.
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 39
 Moore’s Law

“The complexity for minimum component costs has

increased at a rate of roughly a factor of two per year.
Certainly over the short term, this rate can be
expected to continue, if not to increase. Over the
longer term, the rate of increase is a bit more
uncertain, although there is no reason to believe it
will not remain nearly constant for at least 10 years.
That means by 1975, the number of components per
integrated circuit for minimum cost will be 65,000.”
Gordon Moore, Cramming more Components onto
Integrated Circuits, (1965).

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 40
 Moore’s Law – Transistor Count

 The more devices on

a single IC, the more
functions we can sell
for the same price.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 41
 Moore’s Law – Transistor Cost

 Moore’s Law is, at its base, an Economical law.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 42
 Moore’s Law – Die Size

Die size growth by 14% to satisfy Moore’s law

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 43
 Moore’s Law of Engineers

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 44
 Moore’s Law - Frequency

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 45
 But, there’s no Free Lunch!

Source: Intel
10000
Sun’s
Rocket Surface
Nozzle
Power Density (W/cm2)

1000
Nuclear
Reactor
100

8086 Hot Plate

10 4004 P6
8008 8085 386 Pentium®
286 486
8080
1
1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
Year
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 46
 Moore’s Law is Alive and Well

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 47
 Moore’s Law - Summary

 Moore’s Law has driven the semiconductor

industry for the last 50 years.
 The feats achieved by the microelectronics
community are unlike any other field over this
span.
 However, in order to continue Moore’s Law,
we’ve had to “play tricks” – ingeniously
manipulating physics, chemistry, and electronics.
 This course will teach you the fundamental
concepts, but they are far from the methods used
today.
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 48
 1.6
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

During our three years of EE studies, we’ve learned a lot.

To understand this class, you should now ask…

WHERE ARE WE?

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 49
 Where Are We?

 We’ve already learned about:

» Digital Logic
» Semiconductors
» Basic Analog Circuits

 This course will teach us:

» How to turn Semiconductors into Digital Logic.
» How to design and analyze the “building blocks” of a
computer.
» We will advance from the physics law abstraction into
the digital abstraction to simplify life.

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 50
 Engineering Abstraction

 What is Engineering?
» The Purposeful Use of Science.
 How do we achieve this?
» By simplifying our lives  ABSTRACTION!

Digital Comb. Clock Inst.

Lang.
Gate Logic Abst Set
Nature Physics LCA
f  A B 8086 Ass,
C,
ARM
Java
V I V  I R
+
Analog Op. Analog
4V 2mA Component
Maxwell’s - Amp Amp
2 1mA Equations Oscillator,
+
Filter
-
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 51
 The Circuit Design Playground

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 52
 Where Are We?
SYSTEM
CPU,
Digital VLSI Design,
Digital Design
VLSI Imagers

MODULE Introduction to Computers,

Digital Design
+ VLSI Imagers

GATE
Digital Microelectronic
We are here! CIRCUIT
Circuits,
Introduction to VLSI,
VLSI Design

DEVICE
G Introduction to
S D Semiconductor Devices
n+ n+

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 53
 How a chip is born…
A&A and
Specification

Logic Design &

IP Integration

Logic Verification

Physical Design

Sign-off &
Tape Out
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 54
 How is it all implemented?
Process
Development

Device
Characterization

Standard Cell Memory Analog

Design Development Design

HDL Circuit Level

Programming Layout
& Synthesis
Physical
Implementation
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 55
 1.7
1.1 Practical Information

1.2 Course Syllabus

1.3 History of Digital Circuits

1.4 Moore’s Law

1.5 Where Are We?

1.6 A Little Humor

And before we finish our introduction

and start the “Tachles”

A LITTLE HUMOR…
Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 56
 A Little Humor

 Famous Quotes in Computer History

» 1899 - "Everything that can be invented has already been
invented.", Charles H. Duell, director of the U.S. Patent Office
» 1943 - "I think there is a world market for maybe five
computers.", Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM.
» 1949 - "Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5
tons.", Popular Mechanics, forecasting the relentless march of science.
Model of a “Home Computer” forecasted for 2004
» 1957 - "I have travelled the length and breadth of this country
and talked with the best people, and I can assure you that
data processing is a fad that won't last out the year." The editor
Microchip Jewelery….
in charge of business books for Prentice Hall.
» 1968 - "But what ... is it good for?" Engineer at the Advanced
Computing Systems Division of IBM commenting on the H. Duell
Charles
microchip.
Thomas Watson

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 57
 A Little Humor

 Famous Quotes in Computer History

» 1977 - "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in
their home." Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital
Equipment Corp.
» 1980 - "DOS addresses only 1 Megabyte of RAM because we
cannot imagine any applications needing more." Microsoft on
the development of DOS.
» 1981 - "640k ought to be enough for
anybody.", Bill Gates
» 1992 - "Windows NT addresses 2 Gigabytes
of RAM which is more than any application
will ever need". Microsoft on the development of
Windows NT
Ken Olsen

Bill Gates

Digital Microelectronic Circuits The VLSI Systems Center - BGU Lecture 1: Introduction 58