Mask Layout Designers how do you explain what you do? BTW - Happy New Year!

[RLHooper]

Mask Layout Designers: How do you explain what you do?

I found some definitions from a couple ic layout books:

"IC layout design is fundamentally the art of implementing an electrical circuit
in terms of polygons and shapes, which represent transistors and connections to form the final design."
CMOS IC Layout

"We will explore how to lay out transistors by specifying rectangles indicating where dopants should be diffused, polysilicon should be grown, metal wires should be deposited, and contacts should be etched to connect all the layers."
CMOS VLSI Design

I simply just say, I draw squares that represent the circuit and tie them electrically together.
Sometime I explain that if you had a magnifying glass and looked at a chip, that is pretty much what we draw.

What do you say?

 

[Daniel Payne]

Architects design a building by drawing on a computer screen and for IC layout we draw the chip on a computer screen, although what we're drawing is a billion times smaller than a building.

 

[pcontiman]

I say..."I draw computer" chips.....and then ....wait for it.......the eye roll. Generally, that's 'nuff said.

 

[RLHooper]

I say..."I draw computer" chips.....and then ....wait for it.......the eye roll. Generally, that's 'nuff said.

that seems to be the standard response.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Staf_Verhaegen]

Mask Layout Designers: How do you explain what you do?

I'm in the chips business. No, not the ones you can eat...

 

[RLHooper]

I'm in the chips business. No, not the ones you can eat...

JR Simplot was a huge influence in the building up of Micron Tech where I worked for 26 years.
He owned a large share of stock in the company and was represented on the board meetings.
What am I getting at?
Simplot was very big into potato chips and computer chips. Just don't get the packages mixed up.

 

[MSLayout]

I usually state that I create a drawing representing schematics the engineer designs. I have to comply with rules from the fab which the design (it's about here that the glazed eyes begin
staring back at me) and then I just taper off. I've been doing layout for >20 years and no one in my family or friends could tell you what I do. Love it.