Padring
We need to make sure we can package the IC after the wafer has been diced into individual dies.
A common way of packaging ICs is to connect them to a leadframe by bonding tiny wires between the leads of the leadframe and the pads on the die.
The big bond pads around the outside of the IC often include ESD protection diodes, Input/Output drivers and so on.
This picture shows raven, an IC from Efabless. You can see around the edge there are the big bond pads and the power and ground lines. This structure is called a padring.
The padring used in the Google shuttle is included in Caravel.
Course feedback
After a long wait, I finally got the chance to take the Zero to ASIC Analog Course, and it’s fantastic! The comprehensive curriculum covers everything from schematic capture to GDS file generation, offering a deep understanding of the entire design process, along with plenty of debugging opportunities. I highly recommend that every Analog Design Engineer acquire these skills to become a full-stack developer in this complex yet fascinating field.
Vishal Bingi (analog course)