The structured curriculum for semiconductor & VLSI engineers.
Master the full digital design flow from writing your first Verilog module to signing off timing at the foundry level. 15 learning paths, 7 academy tracks, 55 interview questions, and hands-on signoff labs. No paywalls, no login required.
Silicon Implementation
The RTL to GDSII Flow
Every digital chip passes through nine discrete stages. Select any stage to inspect the technical objective and associated EDA tooling.
RTL Specification
Describe hardware logic cycle-by-cycle in synthesizable Verilog or SystemVerilog.
Curriculum Map
15 Career-Focused Learning Paths
Organized into three distinct milestones. Follow the sequential path or target specific domains.
Foundations
Core digital logic, hardware description, and protocol fundamentals.
Backend & Signoff
RTL-to-GDSII physical implementation, timing closure, and manufacturability.
Tools & Career
Industry EDA scripting, Linux automation, and interview preparation.
Debug real design violations from actual EDA reports.
Textbooks teach ideal timing equations. Real engineering happens when a post-CTS setup slack fails by −143 ps across 18 logic levels or hold margins collapse across temperature corners.
# Critical path analysis: reg_124/CLK → reg_892/D
Startpoint: reg_124 (rising edge-triggered flip-flop)
Endpoint: reg_892 (rising edge-triggered flip-flop)
Path Group: core_clock_clk
Diagnosis: High logic depth on adder tree combined with unbalanced clock latency. Resolved by pipeline stage insertion and cell resizing (+12 ps slack met).
Interview Readiness
Test Your Engineering Reasoning
55 real interview questions covering physical design, synthesis, clock domain crossing, and signoff timing.
“Your design passes timing cleanly before CTS. After CTS, setup slack is violated by −87 ps on a non-default clock group. How do you isolate and debug this?”
Practical Guides
Curated Semiconductor Guides
In-depth technical references and study plans to bridge academic theory and silicon design.
OpenLane RTL-to-GDSII Guide
Step-by-step complete tapeout walkthrough using OpenLane on the SkyWater 130nm PDK. From Verilog to GDSII.
VLSI Career Roadmap
8-week structured study roadmap for freshers and electronics graduates targeting physical design and RTL verification roles.
Semiconductor Resume Guide
Project description formulas, essential EDA tool keywords, and formatting standards that pass ATS filters.
Platform Methodology
Built for engineers, by an engineer.
SiliconPath was created to provide the structured, hands-on VLSI learning resource that was missing in university and online courses.
100% Free Forever
No paywalls, subscriptions, premium tiers, or required accounts. Every module, assessment, and question is open to all engineers.
Industry EDA Tool Alignment
Instruction explicitly references standard tool commands (Synopsys PrimeTime, Cadence Innovus, Mentor Calibre) alongside open-source OpenROAD and OpenLane.
Real Signoff Scenarios
Practice questions and lab cases are drawn directly from real tapeout reviews, timing reports, and physical verification signoff dilemmas.
Ready to master silicon design?
Choose a path, review EDA reports, and practice technical interview questions at your own pace.