Study on Advanced Environment for VLSI System Design Education in Universities

为了建立一个支持日本大学先进的VLSI系统设计教育和研究环境的VLSI芯片实施服务，我们进行了一个模拟多项目芯片设计和制造服务系统的试点项目，以确定该系统用户和芯片代工厂遇到的任何技术和经济问题。在试点项目中，NTT Electronics Technology, inc .承担了芯片代工厂和多项目芯片经纪人的角色。1994年，八所大学向NEL提交了Verilog网表描述中的LSI设计数据，以实现0.5微米CMOS门阵列技术。1995年，来自11所大学的14个研究小组提交了流数据格式的完整定制设计，将其实现为具有0.8微米模拟CMOS技术的单个多项目芯片。在与1994年实验相同的条件下，还进行了另一次门阵列实现的制作实验。在门阵列实现和全定制LSI实现的设计和制造过程中，确定了许多必须解决的问题。为了实现VLSI设计教育的先进环境，已经认识到需要进一步讨论的问题包括：与CAD供应商的合作，CAD工具的维护，与铸造厂的合作，技术更新，设计库，网络环境，教育计划，员工培训，宣传等。

With the aim of establishing a VLSI chip implementation service which supports an advanced environment of VLSI system disign education and research in Japanese universities, we conducted a pilot project to simulate multi-project-chip design and fabrication service system in order to identify any technical and economical problems encountered by the users of this system and chip foundries. In the pilot project, NTT Electronics Technology, Inc.has undertaken to play the role of the chip foundry and the multiproject chip broker.In 1994, eight universities submitted LSI design data in Verilog netlist description to NEL to implement them with a 0.5 micron CMOS gate array technology.In 1995,14 research groups from 11 universities submitted full custom designs in the stream data format to implement them as a single multi-project chip with a 0.8 microm analog CMOS technology. Another fabrication experiment with the gate array implementation was also done under the same condition as the 1994 experiment.Many problems which must be solved were indentified during the design and fabrication process for both the gate array implementation and the full custom LSI implementation. The issues which have been recognized to require further discussions towards the realization of an advanced environment for VLSI design education include ; cooperation with CAD vendors, maintenance of CAD tools, cooperation with foundries, technology update, design library, network environment, education program, staff training, publicity, and others.