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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - EEL6430
Tracking Number - 4993

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Current Status: SCNS Liaison Notified of Graduate Council Approval - 2016-05-20
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: Elective for EE. Replace Sel Topics To GC. Acct # MIA. LO need rev. Emailed 3/11/16. Emailed again 5/8/16; response deadline 5/13/16 or it may have to resubmit for fall. Appd 5/20/16 To Sys 5/20/16. To SCNS after 5/27/16. Desc. Too long. Upd 9/30. Resubm


Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2014-03-24
  2. Department: Electrical Engineering
  3. College: EN
  4. Budget Account Number: 210600
  5. Contact Person: Jessica Procko
  6. Phone: 8139746318
  7. Email: jprocko@usf.edu
  8. Prefix: EEL
  9. Number: 6430
  10. Full Title: MMIC Design
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: C - Class Lecture (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?:
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 0
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): MMIC Design
  19. Course Online?: C - Face-to-face (0% online)
  20. Percentage Online: 0
  21. Grading Option: R - Regular
  22. Prerequisites: EEL 6427
  23. Corequisites:
  24. Course Description: Presents the design theory, technology, and applications of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and briefly introduces design theory and concept for radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs).

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Replacing Selected Topics with Permanent number; already listed in program
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? There is a pretty high demand for this course among graduate students from several different departments. Typically, there are 20-30 graduate students enrolled in this course every fall semester. The training of this course not only expose the graduate students to basic concepts of the MEMS and microsystem technologies, but also offers them a pretty solid foundation that would strongly benefits their ongoing and future MS/PhD research projects.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? Yes, 3 or more times
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Terminal Degree required. Aside from the basic concept of MMIC technologies, the instructor should be competent to offer hand-on advices on how to properly design and layout MMIC circuits and carry out hand calculated design and simulation of the MMIC’s using simulation software.
  29. Objectives: Presents the design theory, technology, and applications of monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) and briefly introduces design theory and concept for radio frequency integrated circuits (RFICs). Through a series of lectures, homeworks and CAD projects, the students will develop understanding of the processing, design, IC layout and performance issues for MMICs. A balance is sought between theoretical understanding and hands-on application of CAD programs for designing a variety of practical microwave circuits, such as low noise amplifiers, step attenuators, power aplifiers, broadband feedback amplifiers and distributed amplifiers. The emphasis is on GaAs based implementations, but Silicon-based RFIC’s will also be considered and briefly discussed. Selected student term project MMIC designs and layouts based on Qorvo’s GaAs IC design kits may be fabricated.
  30. Learning Outcomes: students will be able to:

    1. Apply the fundamental theory and conduct modern computer aided design (CAD) assisted monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) design.

    2. Thoroughly understand the basic design theories and confidently carries out hands-on application of CAD program for design and simulation of practical microwave circuits.

    3. Particularly develop very strong knowledge and experience in designing MMIC circuits by using GaAs based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs).

    4. Design and layout fairly complicated MMIC circuit functional blocks such as broad band feedback amplifier, distributed amplifier and so on, by carrying out CAD design homeworks based on foundry IC design kits from Qorvo.

    5. Understand how to carry out industrial standard MMIC design cycle including concept design review, schematic circuit design review, and final tape-out ready layout design review.

    6. Perform and finalize the MMIC design procedure by conducting layout versus schematic (LVS) and Design Rule Checking (DRC) assessment.

    7. Evaluate the MMIC design by comparing achieved performance with the original design specifications, such as amplifier gain, noise figure, 1dB gain compression, input/output reflection coefficients, etc.

  31. Major Topics: Major topics covered include active devices, design of various types of single and multiple-stage amplifiers, control circuits, and MMIC design principles. Graduate students will work on a realistic MMIC design project utilizing GaAs foundry rules provided by an industrial foundry. Selected designs may be fabricated.
  32. Textbooks: Course-Pac from Pro-Copy & Reserve Materials at Library

    Web-Based Materials: As posted on course website and/or available from IEEE Xplore

  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: All the lecture slides and additional reading materials will be posted through the course website. The course does not need other purchases (e.g. lab supplies, instruments, etc.)
  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: Course Requirement Grading Categories and Policy

    Homework/CAD Assign. 40 pts or 20%

    Quizzes 20 pts or 10 %

    Exam 1 40 pts or 20 %

    Project(s) 100 pts. or 50%

    Total Pts. 200pts =100%

  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests: This course is going to have bi-weekly homework assignments throughout the semester. There will be a mid-term exam and a final exam. In addition, the students need to work on a MMIC design project by designing practical circuits and getting them ready for tape-out. Selected designs may be fabricated by at MMIC foundry.
  36. Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting – Policy for Graduate Students: For structured courses, 6000 and above, the College/Campus Dean will set the first-day class attendance requirement. Check with the College for specific information. This policy is not applicable to courses in the following categories: Educational Outreach, Open University (TV), FEEDS Program, Community Experiential Learning (CEL), Cooperative Education Training, and courses that do not have regularly scheduled meeting days/times (such as, directed reading/research or study, individual research, thesis, dissertation, internship, practica, etc.). Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses in these categories by the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,

    http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)

    Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)

    In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

  37. Policy on Make-up Work:
  38. Program This Course Supports: Electrical Engineering MSEE/PhD
  39. Course Concurrence Information:


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.