ENGINEERING THE IMPOSSIBLE
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THE COURSE

The Silicon Syllabus

A planned sequence of 60 short lessons, from semiconductor fundamentals to manufacturing, the global industry and practical chip design. Designed to be approachable without an engineering background.

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60PLANNED LESSONS
FOUR CONNECTED PARTS
01
Understand the chip
20
02
The industry and the race
17
03
Quantum
7
04
India and your career
16

FUNDAMENTALS → INDUSTRY → QUANTUM → DESIGN

64 of 64 shown

PART 1 · DAYS 1–20

Understand the chip

What is inside one, how it works, and how it is made.

Foundations

  1. 01Semiconductors and the Global EconomyRequest an update
  2. 02Inside a Chip: Transistors at the NanoscaleAlso: How Small Is a Nanometre?Request an update

How Chips Work

  1. 03What Is a Semiconductor?Also: Doping: N-Type and P-TypeRequest an update
  2. 04The PN Junction: A One-Way StreetAlso: The Transistor, Part by PartRequest an update
  3. 05How a Transistor SwitchesAlso: From Switch to Logic GateRequest an update
  4. 06How a Chip Adds 1 + 1Also: Moore’s LawRequest an update
  5. 07Process Nodes: What the Names Really MeanAlso: Planar, FinFET, Gate-All-AroundRequest an update

How a Chip Is Made

  1. 08From Sand to SiliconAlso: Growing the Crystal, Slicing the WaferRequest an update
  2. 09The CleanroomAlso: Photolithography: Printing With LightRequest an update
  3. 10Etching and DepositionAlso: Interconnect LayersRequest an update
  4. 11Testing and Cutting the WaferAlso: Chip PackagingRequest an update
  5. 12Sand to Chip: The Full JourneyAlso: Yield and Manufacturing EconomicsRequest an update

Inside Your Devices

  1. 13Inside a CPUAlso: Reading a CPU FloorplanRequest an update
  2. 14Fetch, Decode, ExecuteAlso: Clock SignalsRequest an update
  3. 15Inside a RAM StickAlso: How DRAM Stores a BitRequest an update
  4. 16Inside a Graphics CardAlso: CPU vs GPURequest an update
  5. 17Why AI Runs on GPUsAlso: Chiplet ArchitectureRequest an update
  6. 18The Smartphone System-on-ChipAlso: The Camera SensorRequest an update

Storage

  1. 19What’s Inside a Memory Card?Also: Floating-Gate and Charge-Trap MemoryRequest an update
  2. 203D NAND: Stacked Memory CellsAlso: SLC, MLC, TLC, QLCRequest an update

PART 2 · DAYS 21–37

The industry and the race

The supply chain, manufacturing capabilities and semiconductor geopolitics.

The Chip Industry

  1. 21The Global Semiconductor Supply ChainRequest an update
  2. 22Lithography Equipment and Its Role in ManufacturingRequest an update
  3. 23Taiwan’s Role in Advanced Chip ManufacturingRequest an update
  4. 24Fabless, Foundry, IDM: The 3 Business ModelsRequest an update
  5. 25High-Bandwidth Memory for AI SystemsRequest an update

The Chip War

  1. 26US–China Semiconductor Policy: Key DevelopmentsRequest an update
  2. 27Export Controls and the Semiconductor Supply ChainRequest an update
  3. 28The H200 Case: Technology, Trade and PolicyRequest an update
  4. 29Huawei Ascend and Distributed AI ComputingRequest an update
  5. 30Advanced Manufacturing with DUV LithographyRequest an update
  6. 31Constraints and Efficiency in AI ComputingRequest an update
  7. 32Critical Materials and Semiconductor Supply ChainsRequest an update
  8. 33Enforcement Challenges: Cross-Border Chips and Cloud AccessRequest an update
  9. 34Mature-Node Chips and Strategic SupplyRequest an update

Tech Frontier

  1. 35Advanced Process NodesAlso: Backside Power DeliveryRequest an update
  2. 36CoWoS and Advanced Packaging CapacityRequest an update
  3. 37Why Google, Amazon and Alibaba Build Their Own AI ChipsRequest an update

PART 3 · DAYS 38–44

Quantum

Quantum hardware, computing principles and how to evaluate the evidence.

Quantum

  1. 38What Is a Qubit? (Bit vs Qubit)Request an update
  2. 39EntanglementAlso: Will Quantum Replace Your Laptop?Request an update
  3. 40Build Your First Quantum Circuit, Free, in Your BrowserRequest an update
  4. 41Dilution RefrigeratorsAlso: Cooling Superconducting Quantum ChipsRequest an update
  5. 42Inside a Quantum ChipAlso: Logical Qubits and Error CorrectionRequest an update
  6. 43Q-Day: When Could Quantum Break Your Encryption?Also: Post-Quantum CryptographyRequest an update
  7. 44Evaluating Quantum Computing ClaimsRequest an update

PART 4 · DAYS 45–60

India and your career

India’s semiconductor ecosystem and a practical path into chip design.

India

  1. 45India’s National Quantum MissionRequest an update
  2. 46India’s Semiconductor InitiativesAlso: Policy and Project ProgressRequest an update
  3. 47Dholera: A Case Study in Fab DevelopmentRequest an update
  4. 48OSAT: Assembly, Packaging and Test in IndiaRequest an update
  5. 49India’s Role in Chip Design and Intellectual PropertyRequest an update

Skills Track

  1. 50From Software Engineering to Chip Design: A Learning RoadmapRequest an update
  2. 51Logic Gates, Hands-On: Build Them in a Free SimulatorRequest an update
  3. 52Your First Verilog ModuleRequest an update
  4. 53Testbenches: How Engineers Prove a Chip WorksRequest an update
  5. 54Flip-Flops and Clocks: Build a CounterRequest an update
  6. 55Mini-Project: Design a Traffic-Light ControllerRequest an update
  7. 56From Code to Gates: Synthesis ExplainedRequest an update
  8. 57FPGA: Run Your Design on Real HardwareRequest an update
  9. 58Put Your Design on a Real Chip: Shared Student Tape-OutsRequest an update
  10. 59Building a Chip-Design PortfolioRequest an update

Finale

  1. 60Course Review: Technology, Industry and Supply-Chain RiskRequest an update

BONUS · OUTSIDE THE 60 DAYS

Extra depth

Not needed to finish the course. Watch them when the topic grabs you.

  1. +Inside an SSDAlso: How Hard Disk Drives Store DataRequest an update
  2. +China’s EUV Research: Evaluating the EvidenceRequest an update
  3. +US–China Semiconductor Capabilities: A Comparative FrameworkRequest an update
  4. +From Gates to Layout: How a Design Becomes a Chip DrawingRequest an update