Information for designers that fabricate through MOSIS from CMOSedu.com
MOSIS customers, and anyone with questions about MOSIS, are invited to try using the new MOSIS Customer Support and Inquiry System at http://www.mosis.com/pages/support.
Information about the MOSIS Educational Program (MEP) is found here.
Frequently asked questions such as what processes are available through the MEP are found here.
Below are examples of how to fill out the forms for submitting designs (in GDS format) for fabrication through MOSIS in ON’s C5 process (500 nm, 3 metal layers, 2 poly layers, see information from ON here)
To generate a GDS file
A GDS file of your chip may be generated in the Electric CAD system by going to File -> Export -> GDS II (Stream)…
A GDS file can be read into Electric using File -> Import -> GDS II (Stream)…
A GDS file can be generated in Cadence IC61 via the CIW and File -> Export -> Stream (image)
Next, in some cases (the beta version of the NCSU Cadence IC61 setups, but not the IC51 setups), you need to save a layer map corresponding to the MOSIS GDS layers into the appropriate technology library directory (NCSU_TechLib_ami06)
An example for the C5 process is NCSU_TechLib_ami06.layermap (can only be saved, not viewed) or, as a text file so it’s viewable, here
Save (overwrite) the layer map file above (right click) into $HOME/ncsu-cdk-1.6.0.beta/lib/NCSU_TechLib_ami06
Finally, if the cell you want to fabricate is called CHIP and it’s in a library called PxC_CHIP, then here is how the Stream Out menu is setup (hit Translate to generate the stream, aka GDS, file)
The stream (GDS) file is saved in your working directory
Here is an example of how to generate a GDS file using IC51 (start, as above, in the CIW and File -> Export -> Stream).
Note that the period in the Run Directory field indicates that the GDS file will be placed in the directory where you started Cadence.
To check that you have generated the GDS file correctly using Cadence IC51, IC61, Electric, Silvaco EDA, or whatever layout tool you are using, download KLayout and compare the layers seen using this tool to the layers seen in the layout tool you are using.
To submit a design to
MOSIS
To begin login to your MOSIS account here.
Next create a new project.
Then fill out the following (for example).
In general, it’s okay to specify “Yes” to the “Fill Authorized:” question to help your chip meet the minimum
density requirements for CMP.
Next fill out the order information.
The MOSIS Educational Program (MEP) instructional account provides 5 chips per submitted design in
ON’s C5 or IBM’s 7RF processes (see: http://www.mosis.com/pages/Faqs/faq-education). All to none of the
5 chips can be packaged in a 40-pin DIP. If 4 of your designs are to be packaged then 1 should be specified
in the unpackaged (bare die) field as seen below.
After hitting the Submit button return to the MOSIS login center here and enter the design number you receive in an email
and the design password you selected above (not your MOSIS account/document password).
Then select Fabricate under Fabrication Requests
Before we can submit the GDS file for fabrication we need to download the mosis crc executable for determining the
Checksum and Count here.
In Windows Start -> Run -> Cmd to open a terminal then navigate to where you saved this executable and the binary
GDS file (e.g. save both in C:\Electric as seen below).
Then type: mosiscrc -b chiptop.gds where
“chiptop.gds” is the name of the GDS file you want to fabricate.
Notice the output is a
checksum number (first, larger number) and count (second, smaller number).
Next fill out the layout transfer method and information forms seen below.
After hitting the Submit button you will get the following. Click on the link to upload your design.
After choosing the GDS file, here chiptop.gds located in the C:\Electric directory, and uploading we get the following.
MOSIS will email you a link to a bonding diagram for the design.
Other emails will be sent after checking the design (using the checksum and count) after the design is queued for fabrication.
Some other notes.
- Do not submit chips with pixilated text or graphics that fail the DRCs. Below is an example (used as a label on a chip near a bonding pad).
- An example of a layout where pixilated text may be okay, because the chip was fabricated in an older CMOS process, is seen below.
- In a smaller IC process (e.g., < 500 nm CMOS) a problem with pixilated text/graphics has to do with chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP) and clean patterning.
- Crud from the smaller dimensions of the patterned materials can be generated that interferes with the CMP process.
- So unless you are designing in an older process the chip you submit should pass DRCs (no pictures!)
- If you are fabricating in an older process you can use LinkCAD to convert images into GDS (e.g., UNLV.gds and BSU.gds, right click to Save link as)
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