High Performance Electronic Design Education - from Technology towards High Frequency Chip Sets

This paper presents a novel concept for educating future nano- and microelectronic engineers and IC-designers. An educational model for the full spectrum of the microelectronics value chain is presented, as well as the successful implementation of this model in the authors’ curriculum. Main intention of this model is that students develop their own integrated circuits (ICs) based on a SiGe-BiCMOS technology for mm-wave applications, simulate functionality of the complex ICs by dedicated software tools, get an insight of their production and conclude their work in a final verification and characterization of the ICs. Finally, this educational model serves the way from basic knowledge to application in the rapidly growing business of micro- and nanoelectronics.