Built for IC Engineers
- New hires and early-career IC engineers (0–3 years) at Canadian semiconductor companies
- Final-year MSc/PhD students seeking IC design job readiness
- Industry professionals seeking structured front-end design upskilling
Course Overview
This back-end digital IC design course focuses on the physical implementation flow used in ASIC development. Participants will gain practical exposure to floorplanning, power planning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, and signoff methodologies using industry-standard implementation tools.
Developed with input from Canadian semiconductor employers and the Industry Training Advisory Group (ITAG).
Prerequisites
- Basic digital logic & computer architecture
- Introductory HDL familiarity (beneficial)
- No prior EDA experience required[
What You Will Learn
- Understand the complete ASIC back-end implementation flow from netlist to GDSII
- Perform floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, and routing tasks
- Interpret static timing analysis reports and apply timing closure techniques
- Run DRC/LVS physical verification and equivalence checks
- Contribute to physical design and implementation activities within digital IC teams
Topics Covered
- ASIC physical implementation flow overview
- Floorplanning and macro placement strategies
- IO planning and power distribution networks
- Standard cell placement and optimization
- Clock tree synthesis and clock distribution
- Signal routing and congestion analysis
- Static timing analysis and timing closure
- Physical verification: DRC/LVS and equivalence checking
By the End of the Online Course, You’ll Be Able To:
- Execute an end-to-end ASIC physical implementation flow from netlist to GDSII
- Apply floorplanning, placement, and clock tree synthesis in a professional EDA environment
- Analyze and close timing using static timing analysis (STA) tools
- Run DRC, LVS, and equivalence checks to achieve physical signoff
- Contribute to physical design and back-end implementation activities within digital IC teams
Equipment Requirements
- Windows, macOS, or Linux laptop
- Stable high-speed internet connection
- Modern web browser: Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or Safari
- VPN / SSH / Remote Desktop / VNC access, if required
- 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended
- Power adapter for full-day training
