Free VLSI Design and Integrated Circuits Course
VLSI Design & Integrated Circuits
Take a free VLSI design course covering integrated circuits, CMOS logic, digital design flow, verification basics, layout concepts, RTL awareness, and semiconductor workflow foundations.
About this course
This free VLSI design course introduces the foundations of integrated circuits and chip design for learners entering electronics or semiconductor domains. You will study digital logic, CMOS concepts, gates, timing, design abstraction, verification awareness, layout thinking, and the broad flow from specification to silicon. The course keeps the focus on beginner-level VLSI concepts so the design process becomes easier to understand before advanced tools are introduced.
By connecting integrated circuit theory with practical semiconductor workflows, the course helps you see how large digital systems are planned, represented, checked, and prepared for implementation. You will understand where RTL, synthesis, verification, physical design, and testing fit in the overall lifecycle. By the end, you should be able to explain key VLSI design stages, identify common chip-design terms, and plan your next learning path in digital electronics or semiconductor engineering.
Course outline
Foundations of VLSI: From Transistors to Integrated Systems
This module will cover: VLSI; IC evolution; semiconductors; PN junctions; MOSFET structure; abstraction hierarchy; design approaches; applications; and industry environment.
MOS Transistors and the CMOS Fabrication Process
This module will cover: MOSFET operation; threshold voltage; CMOS inverters; major fabrication processes; process flows; layout design rules; and the effect of variations on yield.
Designing CMOS Combinational Logic Circuits
This module will cover: CMOS gates; logic families; pass/transmission gates; logical effort; major combinational circuits; delay and power; noise margin; and layout issues.
Sequential Circuits and Timing Analysis in VLSI
This module will cover: latches and flip-flops; clocking; setup and hold time; STA basics; clock skew; metastability; FSMs; and sequential circuits such as counters and registers.
The VLSI Design Flow: From RTL to Layout
This module will cover: RTL and synthesis; floorplanning; power planning; placement; clock trees; routing; timing closure; physical verification; extraction; and tape-out.
VLSI Verification and Design for Testability
This module will cover: verification objectives; simulation and formal verification; fault models; test concepts; scan; BIST; boundary-scan; and verification closure.
Low Power Design Techniques in VLSI
Module contents: power sources in CMOS, reduction of dynamic and leakage power, clocking/gating, multi-Vdd, DVFS, techniques in architecture, power estimation and analysis, and thermal considerations.
Advanced VLSI Systems: ASICs, FPGAs, and SoC Integration
Module contents: ASIC versus FPGA design flows, SoC architecture, IP reuse, memories, mixed-signal issues, FinFETs, 3D ICs, reliability issues, and future directions for VLSI careers.
Get access to the complete curriculum once you enroll in the course
Frequently Asked Questions
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