Introducing Chip Design Using Speed Of Light

We present a novel didactical concept for undergraduate teaching of microelectronics based on an experiment using a CMOS cyclic pulse-shrinking time-to-digital-converter (TDC) in order to directly measure the speed of light. With emphasis on the design of a TDC for didactical purposes we use this concept in the core courses for chip design on transistor level. It starts with demonstration experiments in the physics course and in the electronic devices course in order to boost enthusiasm for microelectronics. In the context of our research on road safety we demonstrate the relevance of the field. A SPICE course and an introductory course on chip design at transistor level follow, including project-based learning, i.e. design, simulation and layout of TDC components. Within a laboratory project on electronic devices after fabrication of a chip the students are offered to characterize their own designs or to develop a microcontroller circuitry to use it. We present the integration of our concept into the syllabus of microelectronics education at the University of Applied Sciences Aschaffenburg, its operational learning objectives and the achieved learning outcomes including active learning and CDIO design-build experience. Evaluation of the courses shows that the acceptance of the didactical concept is above 90%. The speed of light experiment is ranked first by our students.