VLSI Physical Design

Automating the layout

Physical design turns a logical netlist into a placed and routed layout. This course follows that path, from the design styles that determine what the tools must do to the algorithms that carry out each step.

• Design styles and the automation of physical design
• Partitioning a circuit into manageable blocks
• Floorplanning and the algorithms behind it
• Pin assignment and multi-part placement
• Grid routing

A strong fit for students who want to understand what the place-and-route tools are doing underneath.

Where it leads

The sequence moves from structure to placement to wiring, so it doubles as a checklist of the decisions a physical designer makes before a chip is taped out.