These are the top VLSI Interview questions are often discussed at top semiconductor companies like Broadcom, MediaTek, Intel, NVIDIA, Samsung, and AMD:
CMOS & Digital Design:
- How does the threshold voltage of a MOSFET impact switching behavior?
- What are the benefits and challenges of CMOS technology scaling?
- Can you explain subthreshold conduction in MOSFETs?
- What techniques help minimize leakage power in digital circuits?
- What is the significance of the body terminal in MOSFETs?
- How does a transmission gate work, and why is it preferred in circuits?
- What is logical effort? How is it calculated?
- What do setup time and hold time mean in flip-flop timing?
- What causes clock skew, and how can it be reduced?
- Describe the principles behind dynamic logic circuits.
Timing Analysis & Physical Design
- What is the difference between IR drop and ground bounce?
- What are antenna effects, and how do you prevent them?\
- How does buffer insertion help in timing closure?
- Define slew rate. Why is it critical in STA?
- What is a false path, and how should it be handled?
- Explain multi-cycle paths with an example.
- How can hold time violations be fixed during timing analysis?
- Why do modern chips use multiple metal layers?
- What are the key considerations during floorplanning?
- What is the importance of LVS and DRC checks in physical design?
Verilog HDL & RTL Design
- How are `reg`, `wire`, and `logic` different in Verilog/SystemVerilog?
- When do we use `case`, `casex`, and `casez` in Verilog?
- Write Verilog code for an edge-triggered D flip-flop with synchronous reset.
- How do you model a finite state machine (FSM) efficiently?
- Explain blocking vs non-blocking assignments with examples.
- What is the distinction between simulation and synthesis?
- What do X and Z states represent in simulations?
- What challenges are involved in clock domain crossing (CDC)?
- How can you write modular and reusable RTL code?
- Write a Verilog testbench for a 4×1 multiplexer.
More questions will be added soon.
