A semiconductor or silicon chip is a physical product designed to manage and control the flow of current in electronic devices and equipment. Semiconductors are the foundational elements of modern computing and are responsible for powering nearly every electronic device we use on a day-to-day basis. Their rapid growth in performance and integration density resulted in the birth or exponential growth of new industries such as 5G communication and artificial intelligence (AI).

This microcredential will build on the skills and experience developed through the completion of the microcredential Semiconductor Business Processes, Integrated Circuit Processes and Devices, and Integrated Circuit Packaging, developing deeper theoretical and practical skills in a suite of software and packages at the digital integrated circuit synthesis and implementation phase of semiconductor design.

This microcredential is the third in a series of three courses that covers the three phases of semiconductor design (system, logical and physical), digital design verification and digital implementation. The courses develop skills in hardware description language (HDL) coding principles and practices and includes applications using Cadence electronic design automation tools.