Book illuminates IC layout and design for novices
By Bill Schweber -- EDN, January 10, 2002
ICs are at the heart of our industry, and all EEs know the principles and practices of their design, layout, and fabrication, right? Maybe not. If you have wanted to understand how a schematic translates to physical layout, take a look at IC Layout Basics: A Practical Guide by Christopher and Judy Saint. This readable, nonacademic-style book (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-138625-4) won't transform you instantly into a world-class IC designer, and that is not its intention. It does help you grasp the design and fabrication steps for both CMOS and bipolar design and provides sufficient technical detail to allow you to follow discussion of sheet resistance, wells, active- and passive-device design and fabrication, local- and global-layout considerations, tricks and traps, and more. The 300-pg, $65 book presumes little or no electronics knowledge; it even explains what a capacitor is. However, it quickly moves into complex areas with clear writing style and drawings. If you want to enter IC design or at least get a glimpse into the mind of an IC designer, this book will help.
