Master of Technology
in Microelectronics and Semiconductors

Programme Starting in August 2025

The global semiconductor industry is growing rapidly, due to advancements in nano-scale IC fabrication/process technologies and new requirements for SoC (System-on Chip) and ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) chips for growing application areas driven by research in AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality), 5G, IoT (Internet of Things), Edge Computing, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Machine Learning. With over 1,00,000 VLSI design engineers, India is home to around 20 per cent of the world's semiconductor design workforce. As per a reports by the ESSCI (Electronics Sector Skills Council of India) and IESA (India Electronics and Semiconductor Association), India is home to over 200 semiconductor design and embedded software companies and therefore it is an opportunity, presenting itself. Riding on a projected industry growth rate (CAGR) of 10.1 per cent as estimated by the ESSCI, the semiconductor ecosystem across India is expected to employ around 3 lakh people by 2025-26.

Gujarat itself has several prominent VLSI design service companies, such as Eximius Design (a subsidiary of Wipro), eInfochips (a subsidiary of Fortune 500 company Arrow Electronics USA), PerfectVIPs, Pronesis Technologies, and Eteros Technologies. India is currently a hotspot for fabless VLSI design, and several semiconductor industries are planning to set-up fabrication units in the Smart Industrial City of Dholera in Gujarat, which will further bring new design centres in Gujarat. Hence, the demand for VLSI design engineers will continue to increase. The Semicon India 2023 conference held in Gandhinagar furthered the progress made in Indian semiconductor design and manufacturing, reflecting the vision to nurture a thriving domestic ecosystem making India a key player in the global semiconductor value chain.

Deloitte estimates that the global semiconductor workforce, that stood at over 2 million direct employees in 2021, will need to grow by more than 1 million by 2030, adding more than 1 lakh workers annually.

Ahmedabad University’s new programme, MTech in Semiconductor and VLSI Design caters to this requirement of world-class engineers in India and globally who can shape the future of the semiconductor industry.

Features of the Programme

The MTech in Semiconductor and VLSI Design Programme focuses on VLSI design techniques and technology based on industry-standard Electronics Design Automation (EDA) tools. The program covers the foundations of semiconductor-based Integrated Circuits (IC) devices and IC fabrication/process technology using Technology Computer Aided Design (TCAD) tools. The program delves into the principles and techniques for digital and analog CMOS VLSI design and verification, building an understanding of the complete VLSI design flow (semi-custom and full-custom flows) using EDA tools, and expertise for developing general-purpose processor ICs or application-specific ICs, for real-world applications and industry.

On completion of the Programme, our Semiconductor and VLSI Design Engineering graduates will be:

• Exposed to various EDA tools, various levels of VLSI design abstractions, flows, circuit design techniques, high-performance VLSI subsystems, general-purpose microprocessor architectures, and application-specific architectures.
• Trained at all levels from the physical level of semiconductor-based IC devices and layout to the system level of IC-based application development.
• Gain expertise across most of the typical VLSI design flow steps, such as semiconductor device modelling and simulation, circuit-level and RTL design, verification and testing, and (layout-level) physical design.
• Understand prototyping (design, simulate, implement, and test complex digital systems) using FPGAs (reconfigurable platforms).
• Will have worked on a year-long industry project or a year-long thesis, and will have simultaneously explored their sub-areas of interest through hands-on projects though graduate seminars.

Career Pathways

The MTech in Microelectronics and Semiconductors Programme lays the foundation for career opportunities in the VLSI design sector of the semiconductor industry and research labs. Some roles for VLSI design engineers could be:

• RTL Design Engineer
• ASIC Verification Engineer
• FPGA Design Engineer
• Design Verification Engineer
• Physical Design Engineer
• SoC Design Engineer
• DFT Engineer
• Logic Design Engineer
• Analog Design Engineer, and more.

Students can also opt for a PhD after completing this Programme. Apart from this, the Semiconductor and VLSI Design industry presents a massive opportunity in entrepreneurship, such as setting up a fabless manufacturing unit. Ahmedabad University’s startup incubation centre, VentureStudio, nurtures and promotes young entrepreneurs.