Verification and Packaging of Digital Integrated Circuits
In Fall 2025, the Digital Integrated Circuits class completed a tapeout of their IC designs. In March 2025, the chips will return from TSMC to Notre Dame for bringup, the critical, hands-on process after fabricating silicon chips. The bringup process involves testing prototype boards (PCBs) with the new chips to verify basic hardware functions, debug initial failures, and get enough working features for software teams to build upon, often starting with visual checks, power application, and moving to low-level firmware and operating system tests, which can take weeks or months for complex systems.
During the first half of the semester, you will learn about the theory and art of Verification and then when the chips arrive, we will bring them up. We will work with the Center for Education of Microchip Designs and Validation Engineers from Apple on this project.
The most common concern listed by semiconductor employers is that graduates have a limited understanding of verification and bringup principles. By bringing up and packaging these chips, you will gain invaluable experience desired by industry.