TN 423: VLSI CIRCUITS

Lecture 6b

CMOS IC DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

 Outline
✓ To know what is meant by stick diagram.
✓ To understand the capabilities and limitations
of stick diagram.
✓ To learn how to draw stick diagrams for a
given MOS circuit.

Ω Outcome:
✓ At the end of this section the students will be
able draw the stick diagram for simple MOS
circuits
 Stick Diagrams
Ω Stick diagrams are a means of capturing
topography and layer information using
simple diagrams.
Ω They help to plan your layout quickly
Ω Stick diagrams convey layer information
through colour codes (or monochrome
encoding).
Ω Acts as an interface between symbolic circuit
and the actual layout.
 Stick Diagrams

❖Does show all components/vias.

❖It shows relative placement of components.
❖Goes one step closer to the layout
❖Helps plan the layout and routing

A stick diagram is a cartoon of a layout.

 Stick Diagrams

▪ Does not show

• Exact placement of components
• Transistor sizes
• Wire lengths, wire widths, tub boundaries.
• Any other low level details such as parasites
 Stick Diagrams – Some rules
Rule 1
When two or more ‘sticks’ of the same type cross
or touch each other that represents electrical
contact.
 Stick Diagrams – Some rules
Rule 2
When two or more ‘sticks’ of different types cross
or touch each other there is no electrical contact.
(If electrical contact is needed we have to show the connection
explicitly).
 Stick Diagrams – Some rules
Rule 3
When polysilicon crosses N or P diffusion , an
NMOS or PMOS transistor is formed.
✓ Polysilicon is drawn on top of diffusion.
✓ Diffusion must be drawn connecting the source and
the drain.

Note: If a contact is shown then it is not a transistor.

 Stick Diagrams – Some rules
Rule 4
✓ In CMOS a demarcation line is drawn to avoid
touching of p-diff with n-diff.
✓ All pMOS must lie on one side of the line and
✓ all nMOS will have to be on the other side.
How to draw Stick Diagrams
How to draw Stick Diagrams
How to draw Stick Diagrams

Ngeze, LV VLSI Circuits

 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Ω The general rules for drawing stick diagrams are:
1. Replace the source and drain of p-type transistors with
yellow sticks (remember "p is yellow")
2. Replace the source and drain of n-type transistors with
green sticks
3. Replace the gates of all transistors with red sticks
(they should form a '+' with the yellow/green sticks)
4. Power sources are replaced with blue sticks
5. For short interconnects to gates use red sticks
6. For all other interconnects use the various metal layers
as appropriate
7. Use black dots or rectangles to show
interconnections among the layers
Ngeze, LV VLSI Circuits
 Stick Diagrams
Ω Example 1: Draw a stick diagram for an nMOS
transistor
N+

N+

14
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Example 2:
Draw a stick diagram of a CMOS inverter
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Ω Apply steps 1 and 2 to color all of the
sources/drains of the transistors
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Ω Apply step 3 which colors the gates of the
transistors:
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Ω Finally, add the metal in blue and clean some
stuff up:
 Example 2
Example 3: Draw a stick diagram of a NAND gate
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Example 4: Draw a stick diagram of a NOR gate
A
OUT
B

NOR Gate
How to draw Stick Diagrams
Power

A Out

Ground
 How to draw Stick Diagrams
Ω Stick diagram

Ngeze, LV VLSI Circuits

 Stick Diagrams
Ω Homework
1. Draw the stick diagram for two input CMOS NAND
gate.
2. Draw the stick diagram for two input NAND gate
using NMOS Logic.
3. Draw the stick diagram for 2:1 MUX using
a) Pass transistors
b) Transmission gates.
4. Draw a stick diagram of the following function