Very Large Scale Integration

(VLSI) Design

Assoc. Professor/ Mohamed Saber

Dep. Of Electronics & Communications Engineering, Delta University

Lecture 2
24/2/2024
 Chapter 1: Introduction to VLSI

1.7 Classification of ICs

1.7 Classification of ICs

 In general, ICs can be classified into 4 categories:

1- Classification based on circuits function (application).

2- Classification based on circuits fabrication method.

3- Classification based on circuit transistor type.

4- Classification based on transistor count.

1.7 Classification of ICs

1- Based on circuit function (Application)

a) Analog.

b) Digital.

c) Mixed.
1.7 Classification of ICs 1- Based on circuit function (Application)

a) Analog Integrated Circuits

 The ICs that operate over a continuous range of signal are called as Analog ICs.

 Examples

RF ICs OPAMP
 1.7 Classification of ICs 1- Based on circuit function (Application)

b) Digital Integrated Circuits

 Digital ICs are designed by using multiple number of digital logic gates, multiplexers, flip flops and other
electronic components of circuits.
 There are different types of digital ICs or types of digital integrated circuits, such as programmable ICs, memory
chips, logic ICs, power management ICs and interface ICs.

logic ICs
 1.7 Classification of ICs 1- Based on circuit function (Application)
c) Mixed Integrated Circuits
 The integrated circuits that are obtained by the combination of analog and digital ICs on a single chip are
called as Mixed ICs.
 These ICs functions as Digital to Analog converters, Analog to Digital converters (D/A and A/D converters) and
clock/timing ICs.

 The circuit depicted in the above figure is an example of mixed integrated circuit which is a photograph of the 8 to
18 GHz self healing radar receiver
1.7 Classification of ICs

2- Based on fabrication

a) Monolithic.

b) Film.

c) Hybrid.
1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication

a) Monolithic
A monolithic IC is a small electronic circuit including both active and passive components and their interconnections
are being manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.
1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication

 Advantages of monolithic IC:  Disadvantages of monolithic IC:

1- Low cost. 1- Weak isolation.

2- High reliability. 2- Limited range of passive components.

3- Circuit design is not flexible.
1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication

b) Film
• Film components are made of either conductive or nonconductive material that is deposited
in desired pattern on a ceramic or glass substrate.

• Film can only be used as passive circuit components, such as resistors and capacitors.
Transistors and/or diodes are added as a discrete components to complete the circuit.
1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication

c) Hybrid
• Hybrid IC technology is the combination of monolithic circuits and film technology.

• The active components are monolithic transistors or diodes.

• The passive components are film components.

• Wiring or metallized pattern provides connections between chips.

1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication

 Advantages of hybrid IC:

1- Have better performance than monolithic.

 Disadvantages of hybrid IC:

1- Too expensive for mass production.

1.7 Classification of ICs 2- Based on fabrication
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

a) Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

b) Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor (MOSFET)
c) Bipolar Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (BICMOS)
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

a) Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT)

1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

b) Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor(MOSFET)

• MOSFET is widely used nowadays in electronic equipment, e.g. mobile phone,

computer, medical electronic equipment, etc,

• Examples of MOS technologies are:

 PMOS.
 NMOS.
 CMOS.
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

pmos

nmos
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

pmos

nmos
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

Why does CMOS consume low power than NMOS?

 CMOS logic dissipates less power than NMOS logic circuits because CMOS dissipates power only when
switching ("dynamic power").
 NMOS logic dissipates power whenever the transistor is on, because there is a current path from Vdd to Vss
through the load resistor and the n-type network.

pmos
pmos nmos
nmos
1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

Bipolar Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (BICMOS)

• BICMOS combines BJT and CMOS on the same chip to generate :

 High Speed  Low power dissipation.

1.7 Classification of ICs 3- Based on transistor type.

MOS Transistor Advantages Disadvantages

Type
PMOS 1) Low fabrication cost. 1) Low circuit performance (slow).
2) Simple fabrication method. This is because the hole current mobility is two times
slower than electron.
NMOS 1) Smaller size compared to PMOS. 1) Fabrication process is more difficult compared to PMOS.

2) High circuit performance.

CMOS 1) Low power dissipation. 1) Larger size compared to PMOS and NMOS
BICMOS 1) High circuit performance (high 1) Larger chip size.
speed).
2) Complex fabrication process.
2) Low power dissipation.
3) High fabrication cost.
1.7 Classification of ICs 4- Based on transistor count

Year Technology No. of Transistors Applications

1947-1950 Transistor 1 -
1951-1960 Discrete component 1 FET, Diode
1961-1966 Small scale integration(SSI) 10 Logic gates, Flip-flop, Op-Amp
1967-1971 Medium scale integration(MSI) 100-10 00 Counter, Multiplexer, Adder, 4-bit
microprocessor
1972-1980 Large scale integration(LSI) 10 00-20 000 ROM, RAM, 8 bit-Microprocessor
1981-1990 Very large scale integration(VLSI) 20 000-1 000 000 16 -32 bits Microprocessor
1990-2000 Ultra large scale integration(ULSI) 1 000 000- 10 000 000 Graphic & special purpose Microprocessor
2000- Nowadays Giant scale integration(GSI) > 10 000 000 Pentium- Dual core Microprocessor
Embedded system, system on chip
 Sheet 2

1. How to Classify ICs ?

2. Classify ICs according to application ?

3. Classify ICs according to transistors count ?

4. Compare between different types of ICs fabrication ?

5. Compare between different types of transistors ?