Introduction

Nanoscale circuit design is at the forefront of modern electronics, enabling the development of ultra-high-performance, low-power, and highly integrated devices. As semiconductor technology scales down to the nanometer regime, new challenges arise, including quantum effects, increased leakage currents, variability, and reliability concerns.

This training course provides a comprehensive understanding of nanoscale circuit design principles, covering key topics such as device physics at the nanoscale, advanced CMOS design techniques, emerging transistor technologies (FinFETs, TFETs, CNFETs), and novel materials (2D materials, nanowires). Participants will explore cutting-edge methodologies for optimizing power, performance, and area (PPA) while addressing reliability and manufacturability challenges.

Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Understand the fundamental principles of nanoscale semiconductor devices and circuits.
2. Analyze the impact of device scaling on circuit behavior and performance.
3. Design and optimize CMOS circuits at sub-10nm nodes, including FinFET and GAAFET technologies.
4. Explore emerging transistor technologies and materials beyond traditional silicon.
5. Address power consumption, variability, and reliability challenges in nanoscale circuits.
6. Learn advanced simulation and modeling techniques for nanoscale circuit analysis.
7. Apply nanoscale design principles to applications such as AI hardware, IoT devices, and high-speed processors.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Circuit Design Engineers working on advanced CMOS and beyond-CMOS technologies.
• VLSI and Semiconductor Professionals designing nanoscale integrated circuits.
• Nanotechnology Researchers exploring novel materials and devices for next-generation electronics.
• Graduate Students and Academics in microelectronics, nanotechnology, and semiconductor physics.
• Hardware Architects and System Designers interested in low-power and high-performance computing.

Course Outline

Day 1: Fundamentals of Nanoscale Electronics

Session 1: Scaling Trends and Challenges

• Evolution of Moore’s Law and the shift to nanoscale technologies.
• Short-channel effects and their impact on transistor behavior.
• Power, performance, and area (PPA) trade-offs in nanoscale circuits.

Session 2: Device Physics at the Nanoscale

• Quantum mechanical effects in nanoscale transistors.
• Tunneling, leakage currents, and threshold voltage variations.
• Carrier transport in ultra-small devices.

Session 3: Introduction to Advanced CMOS Technologies

• Sub-10nm CMOS technology nodes: FinFETs, GAAFETs, and nanosheets.
• Process technology advancements for nanoscale fabrication.
• Design constraints and opportunities at advanced nodes.

Hands-On Workshop: Simulation of short-channel effects in a 5nm CMOS transistor.

Day 2: Advanced Nanoscale Circuit Design Techniques

Session 1: Low-Power and High-Performance Design Strategies

• Dynamic and static power reduction techniques.
• Multi-threshold voltage (Multi-Vt) and power gating strategies.
• Adaptive voltage scaling (AVS) and dynamic frequency scaling (DFS).

Session 2: Variability and Reliability in Nanoscale Circuits

• Process variations and their impact on circuit performance.
• Aging effects: Bias temperature instability (BTI) and hot carrier injection (HCI).
• Soft errors and mitigation techniques in nanoscale circuits.

Session 3: Advanced Logic and Memory Circuits

• Design of high-speed logic gates at nanoscale dimensions.
• SRAM and DRAM challenges at sub-10nm nodes.
• Non-volatile memory technologies (RRAM, MRAM, FeRAM) for nanoscale applications.

Hands-On Workshop: Implementing and optimizing a nanoscale logic circuit for low power and high performance.

Day 3: Emerging Transistor Technologies and Materials

Session 1: Beyond CMOS – The Future of Transistors

• FinFETs vs. Tunnel FETs (TFETs) vs. Carbon Nanotube FETs (CNFETs).
• 2D materials (Graphene, MoS₂) for future electronics.
• Vertical nanowire transistors and stacked nanosheets.

Session 2: Nanophotonics and Optical Interconnects

• Limitations of electrical interconnects at nanoscale dimensions.
• Optical computing and silicon photonics for high-speed communication.
• Photonic integrated circuits and their role in nanoscale electronics.

Session 3: Quantum Computing and Nanoscale Devices

• Basics of quantum circuits and qubit implementation.
• Quantum dot transistors and single-electron devices.
• Potential of nanoscale electronics in neuromorphic and AI hardware.

Hands-On Workshop: Simulating the behavior of emerging transistor technologies using industry-standard tools.

Day 4: Nanoscale Analog, RF, and Mixed-Signal Circuit Design

Session 1: Challenges in Nanoscale Analog and RF Circuits

• Impact of process variations on analog circuit performance.
• Noise, mismatch, and signal integrity issues.
• Design techniques for low-noise amplifiers and high-frequency circuits.

Session 2: Nanoscale Mixed-Signal and Sensor Interfaces

• Design of ADCs, DACs, and sensor interface circuits.
• High-speed SerDes and data converters in nanoscale nodes.
• Low-power sensor readout circuits for IoT applications.

Session 3: 3D Integration and Heterogeneous Systems

• Monolithic vs. through-silicon-via (TSV) 3D integration.
• Heterogeneous integration of CMOS, MEMS, and photonics.
• Thermal management challenges in 3D-stacked nanoscale circuits.

Hands-On Workshop: Design and simulation of a nanoscale mixed-signal circuit.

Day 5: Future Trends and Industrial Applications of Nanoscale Circuit Design

Session 1: AI Hardware and Nanoscale Computing

• Nanoscale accelerators for AI and machine learning.
• In-memory computing for edge AI and IoT.
• Low-power neuromorphic circuits using nanoscale devices.

Session 2: Reliability and Security in Nanoscale ICs

• Hardware security concerns: Side-channel attacks and countermeasures.
• Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) for secure authentication.
• Fault tolerance techniques for nanoscale circuits.

Session 3: The Future of Semiconductor Scaling

• Beyond Moore’s Law: 3D integration, chiplets, and advanced packaging.
• Flexible and bio-integrated electronics at the nanoscale.
• The role of AI and machine learning in circuit design automation.

Final Project Presentation: Participants will present a nanoscale circuit design project, focusing on optimization strategies and emerging technologies.

Final Assessment & Certification

• Knowledge Check: A final assessment covering key topics from the course.
• Project Presentation: Participants will showcase their nanoscale circuit design concepts.
• Certification: A certificate of completion will be awarded upon successful participation.