CMOS: Circuit Design, Layout, and Simulation by R. Jacob Baker<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/CMOS-Circuit-Simulation-Microelectronic-Systems/dp/1119481511/" rel="nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/CMOS-Circuit-Simulation-Microelectron...</a><p>I'd looks like there have been many revisions. I've got the first edition from 1998 which covers LASI, a small layout tool for integrated circuits. Seems like it is still a thing: <a href="https://cmosedu.com/" rel="nofollow">https://cmosedu.com/</a>
First get a cheap FPGA and learn verilog. Also I just googled it and Khan academy has a digital logic course.<p>Once he can build a functional ALU in verilog then have him do bigger projects. Digital logic books have lots of projects in them.<p>Then there is a fork: 1) go deeper down the logic synthesis route, 2) go into semiconductors, manufacturing, 3) computer architecture and operating systems.<p>it’s a choose your own adventure book
I saw this awhile back, don't know anymore:
<a href="https://www.zerotoasiccourse.com/" rel="nofollow">https://www.zerotoasiccourse.com/</a><p>How about having a family photomask tapeout? I wonder if anyone makes scanner software for old masks.
Google have a foss prouction flow for 130nm<p><a href="https://github.com/google/skywater-pdk?tab=readme-ov-file">https://github.com/google/skywater-pdk?tab=readme-ov-file</a><p>You have to know a lot before you can know what you're looking at.