报告题目：Introduction to a Highly-efficient and Reliable Open-source Memory Compiler

沙龙时间：2022年11月16日（周三）

上午10：00

沙龙地点：学科2号楼 S201

腾讯会议：518-207-663

主持人：董云泉

报告人简介：

耿超，男，云南人。2015毕业于重庆大学通信工程学院集成电路设计与集成系统专业，获工学学士学位。随后赴日本留学，2020年毕业于北九州市立大学情报工学研究科VLSI设计与计算机系统研究室，获工学博士学位。毕业至今，在北九州市立大学中武研究室担任特任研究员，从事数模混合集成电路的设计研究。作为主研之一，两次参与中武繁寿教授领导的日本文部科学省项目，另外参与松下大阪先端研究院、新日本无线、Logic Researh等和研究室的连携项目，具有多次CMOS集成电路的流片经验。目前的研究兴趣是SRAM 设计，版图自动化设计，以及面向神经网络的模拟感知机。

报告摘要：

Modern IC designs pay more and more attention to Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) circuit as it plays a significant role in optimizing system performance. Specifically, for the System-on-Chip (SoC), Application-specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), and microprocessor, SRAM is a critical component embedded with the systems that affects drastically the overall area and power as well as speed. In the past decades, several memory-oriented commercial tools have emerged to customize the SRAM design. However, these tools have the following limitations: 1) They serve as the black box to users without knowing the details; 2) they lack flexibility as users cannot modify the configuration of the base cells; 3) they are dependent of technology process and thus the portability over other processes are poor. For the academic researchers involved in memory related projects, most importantly, licensing issue is a great obstacle due to the expensive cost. Although several non-commercial tools are also available, they either generate only simple memory structures, or provide no public releases for methodologies and design flows. Aiming to overcome the above limitations, Guthaus et al. developed an open-source memory compiler, OpenRAM, in 2016, to meet a variety of requirements for the sizes, configurations, and technologies in SRAM design. In our research projects, we have used OpenRAM to design our SRAMs and benefited from the high-efficiency and reliability of the tool. This academic report presents a detailed flow from simulation to chip measurement for SRAM design by OpenRAM, and challenges in the flow. Inspired by OpenRAM, this academic report also describes an idea of developing a compiler for other circuits, such as current-steering DAC, based on OpenRAM framework and python code.