VLSI Design
VLSI Design involves the design and implementation of circuits and systems using analog and digital building blocks. A student would chose this technical area if he/she were interested in designing chips at leading companies (Intel, AMD, IBM, Motorola, Silicon Labs, etc.) for applications such as computing, telecommunications, and signal processing. A student who is exposed to topics in VLSI Design will be well position to design state-of-the-art chips.
Courses
Students must complete two of the following three courses
- EE 338L Analog Integrated Circuit Design (EE 438 and EE 339)
- EE 360R Computer-Aided Integrated Circuit Design (EE 316, EE 438, and EE 339)
- EE 360S Digital Integrated Circuit Design (EE 438 and EE 339)
at least one course from the following list:
EE 338L Analog Integrated Circuit Design (EE 438 and EE 339)
EE 440 Microelectronics Fabrication Techniques (EE 438 and EE 339; and credit or registration for EE 333T)
EE 360C Algorithms (EE 322C, and M 325K or PHL 313K)
EE 360M Digital Systems Design Using VHDL (EE 316 and EE 319K)
EE 360N Computer Architecture (EE 316 and EE 319K
EE 360R Computer-Aided Integrated Circuit Design (EE 316, EE 438, and EE 339)
EE 360S Digital Integrated Circuit Design (EE 438 and EE 339)
FAQs
Which courses in the core curriculum (i.e., required basic sequence and major sequence courses) might indicate whether this is a good technical area for the student?
What are the key courses in this technical area?
Computer-Aided Integrated Circuit Design, EE 360R, and Analog Integrated Circuit Design, EE 338L, are good representatives course for this technical area.
What are the immediate and long-term employment opportunities for students who have some exposure to this technical area?
Very good. Even with the recession, companies are hiring in the chip designers, particularly analog designers.
How important is a graduate degree (MS or PhD) in this area?
Very important. Companies feel that the knowledge necessary to be a good designer can be obtained only through further study, and an M.S. degree is the minimum needed for an engineer to be able to design independently or lead a design team. A Ph.D. opens up jobs as professors, researchers in industry laboratories, or senior product designers.
This information provided by Dr. Jacob Abraham, a professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Abraham holds a Cockrell Family Regents Chair in Engineering and is director of the Computer Engineering Research Center at UT-Austin.
Faculty Advisors for Basic and Conditional Major Students
The faculty advisors listed below can meet with Basic Sequence and Conditional Major Sequence Students to discuss topics such as:
- Educational opportunities within ECE
- Course planning to meet a student's educational goals
- Short-term and long-term career planning
Students should either meet with the faculty during their office hours or send them an e-mail to make an appointment. Students in Major Sequence should discuss this matters with their assigned faculty advisor.