VLSI Design Center's Mission

The mission of the VLSI R&D Center within the E&C department at Duke University is to provide productive VLSI design resources and silicon foundry access to cross-discipline research groups. These groups require application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) to significantly advance the performance capabilities of their hardware based projects. The VLSI R&D center objectives are below:

1) To develop advanced circuit libraries based on research demand targeted to a variety of technologies including .14um .18um, .5um, 1.2um CMOS, BiCMOS, Silicon Germanium (SiGe), Gallium Arsinide (GaAs), Indium Phosphide (InP), and MEMS. The libraries will include "drop in" macro cells that include schematics, layout and test data if available. Complex analog functions such as high performance A/D and D/A data converters, PLLs, micro-power amplifiers, low noise amplifiers, radio frequency (rF) circuits can be designed and made available via these libraries. In addition to the analog functions, digital core functions such as scalable FIR/IIR digital filters, multipliers and ALUs, and static memory cells coupled with a standard cell library will be made available to these technologies. The libraries will be verified using the installed CAD software tools. Each macro cell of the library macro cells will pass all of the Design Rule Checks (DRC) and Logic to Physical (LVS) checks. All of the libraries will be made available to students and other research areas once approvals from the sponsored research groups are received.

2) To seek grant funding for silicon device development, device fabrication at foundries and device testing at Duke University. The Primary Investigators who are employed by this center will pursue government and corporate funding for design projects. Collaborations with other faculty outside the VLSI R&D center at Duke University and institutions will be encouraged.

3) To initiate, plan and coordinate a cohesive VLSI design CAD tool strategy. This strategy will expand the existing DSIL lab CAD software capabilities. Most of this effort would involve improving the existing full-custom CAD flow by installing vendor specific software for targeted design tools. CAD improvements for a digital synthesis with place and route, VLSI power analysis and power distribution need to be put in place. rF simulation capability and modeling will also be addressed. The CAD hardware platforms using SUN workstations will be migrated to high performance Linux based PCs. With these improvements to our existing CAD software tools and hardware platforms, high-performance circuit design research and design can be a given at Duke University.

4) To initiate, plan and coordinate, and obtain funding to support a VLSI test area to include specialized mixed-signal equipment for high performance analog and digital characterization that includes micro probe station, more advance function generators and digitizers for 10-12 bit accuracy and rF function bandwidth, 20-bit power supply generation, Lab View based VXI cage function generators and logic analyzers. This VLSI test area will also include a printed circuit board (PCB) design component to allow students and research groups to design and build a PCB for their test needs.

5) To foster closer university relationships with local RTP corporations who actively participate and engage on campus with sponsored VLSI research. Setting up corporate sponsorship for VLSI development is extremely important for this center. During good economic times, universities are unable to supply the demand for graduating circuit design engineers needed for the semiconductor industries. Having a VLSI design focus that is partially funded by corporate donations will foster student projects and student employment with these corporate sponsors.