RTL TO GDS

Article-2
Designing
Vs
Fabrication

Semiconductor
Industry

Written By-
 Introduction
In the VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) industry, creating a
chip involves two main phases: Designing and Fabrication.

Designing
Designing is the initial phase where the concept and functionality
of the chip are developed. It involves several steps:
• Specification: Defining what the chip is supposed to do.
• RTL (Register Transfer Level) Design: Using hardware
description languages (HDLs) like VHDL or Verilog to
describe the chip's functionality.
• Verification: Ensuring the design works as intended using
simulation tools.
• Synthesis: Converting the RTL design into a gate-level
netlist, which represents the circuit in terms of logic gates.
• Place and Route (P&R): Physically placing the gates and
routing the connections on the chip layout.
Example: Designing a microprocessor involves specifying its
instruction set, creating RTL designs for each component (like the
ALU, registers, and control unit), verifying the designs through
simulations, synthesizing them into a netlist, and finally placing
and routing the components to create a layout.
 Fabrication
Fabrication is the process of turning the design into a physical
chip. It involves:
• Photolithography: Transferring the chip layout onto a silicon
wafer using light exposure.
• Etching: Removing unwanted material from the wafer.
• Doping: Adding impurities to the silicon to change its
electrical properties.
• Metallization: Adding metal layers to form electrical
connections.
Example: Once a microprocessor's design is complete and
verified, it is sent to a foundry. The foundry uses photolithography
to transfer the design onto silicon wafers, etches away unwanted
material, dopes the silicon to create transistors, and adds metal
layers to form connections.
Key Differences
• Nature of Work:
1. Designing is a digital process involving software tools,
2. while fabrication is a physical process involving
manufacturing equipment.
• Tools Used:
1. Designers use EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools like
Cadence, Synopsys, and Mentor Graphics.
2. Fabrication requires machinery for lithography, etching,
doping, and metallization.
• Outcome:
1. The outcome of designing is a set of files and blueprints
describing the chip.
 2. The outcome of fabrication is the physical chip itself.
• Skills Required:
1. Designing requires knowledge of HDL, digital logic design,
and verification methods.
2. Fabrication requires knowledge of semiconductor physics,
material science, and manufacturing processes.
Conclusion
Designing and fabrication are two distinct but equally important
phases in the VLSI process. Designing translates a concept into a
detailed plan, while fabrication turns that plan into a tangible
product. Understanding both phases helps in appreciating the
complexity and precision required to create modern electronic
devices.
THANK YOU !

The VLSI Voyager