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AI Digital Integrated Circuits (Fall 2025)

This course provides an in-depth introduction to digital integrated circuit (IC) design with a focus on AI-oriented hardware. Students will learn fundamental principles of CMOS technology, including device operation, gate-level design, and timing concepts, before progressing to advanced topics such as synthesis, layout, power optimization, and post-layout simulation. Through lectures and hands-on EDA tool practice, students will gain the ability to design, optimize, and evaluate digital circuits at both the logic and physical implementation levels. The final project will allow students to integrate these skills by implementing a digital system block suitable for AI applications. Tuesday in-person classes will cover the concepts on digital ICs and thursday recorded classes will mainly handlw how to use EDA tools.

Announcements

Class Time

Tuesday, 10:30 AM-12:00 PM (Room C481-1, Engineering Bldg.)
Thursday, 9:00-10:30 AM (Recorded)

Office Hour

Wednesday 3:00-4:00 PM, or by appointment (Room C383-1, Engineering Bldg.)

Syllabus

Week Overview Lecture Contents Remark
1 Introduction Digital IC Introduction and Design Methodology
2 CMOS Concept I CMOS Basic and Synthesis I
3 CMOS Concept II Manufacturing and Synthesis II
4 CMOS Concept III CMOS Layout and Timing Assignment 1
5 Delay Concept I Setup Time and Static Timing Analysis (STA)
6 Chuseok No Class
7 Delay Concept II Hold Time and Post-Synthesis Simulation Assignment 2
8 Midterm Exam
9 AI Hardware Review I AI Model Operation and Floorplan
10 AI Hardware Review II AI Hardware Architecture and Placement Assignment 3
11 Physical Design Interconnect and Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS)
12 Power I Power/Energy and Routing I
13 Power II Low Power Design and Routing II Assignment 4
14 Memory I Memroy Design and RC Extraction
15 Memory II Memory Test and Post-Layout Simulation
16 Final Exam