Large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when the semiconductor complex and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device. Prior to the introduction of VLSI technology most ICs had a limited set of functions that they could perform. An electronic circuit may consist of a CPU, ROM, RAM and other glue logic. VLSI allows IC designers to add all this on a single chip.
Large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when the semiconductor complex and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device.
Prior to the introduction of VLSI technology, most ICs had a limited set of functions that they could perform. An electronic circuit may consist of a CPU, ROM, RAM and other glue logic. VLSI allows IC designers to add all this on a single chip.
The electronics industry has achieved phenomenal growth in recent decades, mainly due to rapid advances in large-scale integration technologies and systems design applications. With the advent of large-scale integration designs (VLSI), the number of integrated circuit (IC) applications in high-performance computing, controls, telecommunications, image processing and video and consumer electronics has grown at a very high rate Quick.
Today's state-of-the-art technologies, such as high resolution and low bit rate video and cellular communications, provide end users with a marvelous amount of applications, processing power and portability. This trend is expected to grow rapidly, with very important implications in VLSI design and systems design.
VLSI Design Flow
The design flow of the VLSI IC circuits is shown in the following figure. The different levels of design are numbered and the blocks show processes in the design flow.
The specifications come first, abstractly describe the functionality, interface and architecture of the digital IC circuit to be designed.
The behavior description is created to analyze the design in terms of functionality, performance, compliance with given standards and other specifications.
The description of RTL is made using HDLs. This RTL description is simulated to test functionality. From here we need the help of EDA tools.
The RTL description then becomes a gate-level netlist using logical synthesis tools. A gatelevel netlist is a description of the circuit in terms of gates and connections between them, which are made in such a way that they meet the specifications of time, power and area.
Finally, a physical layout is made, which will be verified and then sent to the manufacturing.