Students

ELEC8870 – High Performance IC Design

2023 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Professor
Darren Bagnall
darren.bagnall@mq.edu.au
Contact via 0298509071
Room 102, 44 Waterloo Road
Wednesday during the lab, Fridays 10am to 1pm
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MEngElecEng and 30cp at 3000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
From modern telecommunications to tablet computing and from mobile handsets to the cloud, the limits of integrated circuit technology are being pushed to the limits of what is possible in terms of speed, size, and power. Beyond the IC itself, packaging concerns, both electrical and thermal, provide additional constraints in the design of the modern high performance integrated circuit. This unit will be taught from the research of both resident and visiting staff as well as from the latest research around the world.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Develop an understanding of different semiconductor technologies
  • ULO2: Develop proficiency in using standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools for IC design
  • ULO3: Perform integrated circuit (IC) design in a commercially used semiconductor technology
  • ULO4: Develop an understanding of the technical concept required for implementing various high frequency on-chip active and passive circuits
  • ULO5: Demonstrate self-learning, time-management, technical report writing, project management (individually and as a group)

General Assessment Information

To pass this unit you must:

  • Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%

If you receive special consideration for the final exam, a supplementary exam will be scheduled by the faculty during a supplementary exam period, typically about 3 to 4 weeks after the normal exam period. By making a special consideration application for the final exam you are declaring yourself available for a resit during the supplementary examination period and will not be eligible for a second special consideration approval based on pre-existing commitments. Please ensure you are familiar with the policy prior to submitting an application. Approved applicants will receive an individual notification one week prior to the exam with the exact date and time of their supplementary examination.

 

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted 

THe 3 Assignments and the 3 Reports 

Late submission will not be accepted for the Quizzes

 

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Final examination 50% No TBA
Design Presentation 15% No WEEK 12
Lab participation 5% No WEEKS 1 to 12
Assignment 15% No WEEKS 4, 8 and 10
Lab report 15% No WEEKS 4, 8 and 12

Final examination

Assessment Type 1: Examination
Indicative Time on Task 2: 49 hours
Due: TBA
Weighting: 50%

 

Final examination held in the formal exam period.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of different semiconductor technologies
  • Develop an understanding of the technical concept required for implementing various high frequency on-chip active and passive circuits
  • Demonstrate self-learning, time-management, technical report writing, project management (individually and as a group)

Design Presentation

Assessment Type 1: Presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: WEEK 12
Weighting: 15%

 

Powerpoint or other suitable format presentation on the final design task.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop proficiency in using standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools for IC design
  • Perform integrated circuit (IC) design in a commercially used semiconductor technology
  • Develop an understanding of the technical concept required for implementing various high frequency on-chip active and passive circuits
  • Demonstrate self-learning, time-management, technical report writing, project management (individually and as a group)

Lab participation

Assessment Type 1: Design Task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 0 hours
Due: WEEKS 1 to 12
Weighting: 5%

 

Active and passive circuit implementation in the practical activities. Participation workload is assumed to take place inside the schedule teaching activity.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop proficiency in using standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools for IC design
  • Perform integrated circuit (IC) design in a commercially used semiconductor technology
  • Demonstrate self-learning, time-management, technical report writing, project management (individually and as a group)

Assignment

Assessment Type 1: Problem set
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: WEEKS 4, 8 and 10
Weighting: 15%

 

Assignments based on lecture material

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop an understanding of different semiconductor technologies
  • Develop proficiency in using standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools for IC design
  • Perform integrated circuit (IC) design in a commercially used semiconductor technology
  • Develop an understanding of the technical concept required for implementing various high frequency on-chip active and passive circuits

Lab report

Assessment Type 1: Lab report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 12 hours
Due: WEEKS 4, 8 and 12
Weighting: 15%

 

Three lab reports on design works

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Develop proficiency in using standard electronic design automation (EDA) tools for IC design
  • Perform integrated circuit (IC) design in a commercially used semiconductor technology
  • Develop an understanding of the technical concept required for implementing various high frequency on-chip active and passive circuits
  • Demonstrate self-learning, time-management, technical report writing, project management (individually and as a group)

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

The unit will be delivered through information provided in iLEARN, in the weekly lecture and in the 3 hour lab sheduled each week.

Students should bring note paper, log books etc.

 

 

Methods of Communication

  • We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to ELEC8870@mq.edu.au from your university email address.

Unit Schedule

Refer to iLearn and lecture notes for the unit schedule.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

The Writing Centre

The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

The content and learning outcomes of ELEC8870 are largely unchanged from the previous deliveries (session 2 2020 and session 2 2021) (this unit was not delivered in 2022)

However, we note: 

(1) The academic team has changed since 2021

(2) In both 2020 and 2021 the delivery of the unit was affected by COVID restrictions that prevented many on-campus activities and the nature/timing of assessment activities.

Unit information based on version 2023.03 of the Handbook