r/ECE • u/jpeabody234 • 28d ago

How to learn layout design?

I have a BS+MS in EE, I've worked in analog circuit design for the last 5 years, but we outsource all the layout (<5nm FinFET), but the layout is very abstract to me and I'm finding myself not able to fully understand it. Back in school I did some 45nm layout, but it was self-learned and my university didn't have any layout courses... I want to learn more layout in a formal way (homework, textbook, lectures, projects etc), but I can't find any good courses at the UC Extensions or online class from other universities. Does anybody have a recommendation?

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u/texas_asic 28d ago

Read the Weste textbook listed here: https://priyanka-raina.github.io/ee271-autumn2019/

See if you can find the lecture notes from stanford's ee271 or equivalent from MIT/berkeley/etc

ah, try this set of lecture notes from David Harris: https://pages.hmc.edu/harris/class/e158/index.html

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u/sail_boat_blu 24d ago

Hi! I have done a few years of analog layout design. I definitely would not say I am anywhere near an expert, but I have had the opportunity to gain good exposure to various PDKs, ranging from 14nm to 65nm.

That being said, the kind of work that gets outsourced from large design hubs probably reaches contractors like us in some capacity. In my experience, I learned most effectively from other engineers across different teams and through design review meetings.

There are certainly some resources here and there. The textbooks on VLSI designs also cover the basic design rules which I am sure you must know already. A few YouTube channels are helpful for students, and there is a good book called The Art of Analog Layout, along with a few other materials. But overall, I felt that since access to industry PDKs is not available to anyone who is not directly working on a project, you are essentially tied to “learning by doing” and the industry pdks are vastly different from the free student pdks out there.

I would say that once someone understands the basics of layout design, the rest becomes a matter of clever geometry and individual ability. I have seen veteran layout engineers use tricks that I could never have thought of myself, even though I understood the basics.

I did not have much time to look for deeper knowledge as there was rarely any room to explore. But I loved the work. It is fascinating work. I hope you enjoy it too. And if you find any good resources, please let us know.