Layout Pattern Matching for DRC, DFM, and Yield Improvement

Layout Pattern Matching for DRC, DFM, and Yield Improvement
by Tom Dillinger on 06-01-2016 at 12:00 pm

It is truly amazing to consider the advances in microelectronic process development, using 193i photolithography. The figure below is a stark reminder of the difference between the illuminating wavelength and the final imaged geometries. This technology evolution has been enabled by continued investment in mask data generation… Read More


"Re-Inventing" Tapeout Sign-off — Applying Big Data Techniques to Electrical Analysis

"Re-Inventing" Tapeout Sign-off — Applying Big Data Techniques to Electrical Analysis
by Tom Dillinger on 05-23-2016 at 7:00 am

A common SoC design methodology in current use starts with preparation of the physical floorplan — e.g., block/pin placement, global clock domain and bus signal planning, developing the global/local power distribution (and dynamic power domain management techniques). Decoupling capacitor estimated densities and… Read More


The Emerging Importance of Parallel SPICE

The Emerging Importance of Parallel SPICE
by Tom Dillinger on 05-15-2016 at 7:00 am

SPICE simulation is the workhorse tool for custom circuit timing validation and electrical analysis. As the complexity of blocks and macros has increased in advanced process nodes — especially with post-layout extraction parasitic elements annotated to the circuit netlist — the model size and simulation throughput… Read More


Channel Operating Margin (COM) — A Standard for SI Analysis

Channel Operating Margin (COM) — A Standard for SI Analysis
by Tom Dillinger on 05-12-2016 at 12:00 pm

There’s an old adage, attributed to renowned computer scientist Andrew Tannenbaum, one that perhaps only engineers find amusing: “The nice thing about standards is that you have so many to choose from.” Nevertheless, IEEE standards arise from customer requirements in the electronics industry. Many relate… Read More


A Better Way for Analog Designers to Perform Variation Analysis

A Better Way for Analog Designers to Perform Variation Analysis
by Tom Dillinger on 04-18-2016 at 7:00 am

The impact of process variation at advanced nodes is increasing — no surprise there. In recent years, the principal design emphasis to better reflect this variation has been the adoption of two new methodologies: (1) advanced on-chip variation (AOCV, as well as POCV/LVF) for digital static timing analysis, and (2) advanced… Read More


Custom Layout Productivity Gets a Boost

Custom Layout Productivity Gets a Boost
by Tom Dillinger on 04-11-2016 at 7:00 am

In the 1970’s, when Moore’s Law was still in its infancy, Bill Lattin from Intel published a landmark paper [1]. In it he identified the need for new design tools and methods to improve layout productivity, which he defined as the drawn and verified number of transistors per day per layout designer. He said existing … Read More


Analog Design Verification — Traceability is Required

Analog Design Verification — Traceability is Required
by Tom Dillinger on 04-05-2016 at 9:45 am

Digital verification engineers have developed robust, thorough metrics for evaluating design coverage. Numerous tools are available to evaluate testbenches against RTL model descriptions — e.g., confirming that simulation regressions exhaustively exercise signal toggles, RTL statement lines, individual statement… Read More


PCB Design Requires Both Speed and Accuracy of SI/PI Analysis

PCB Design Requires Both Speed and Accuracy of SI/PI Analysis
by Tom Dillinger on 04-04-2016 at 8:00 am

The prevailing industry trends are clear: (1) PCB and die package designs are becoming more complex, across both mobile and high-performance applications; (2) communication interface performance between chips (and their related protocols) is increasingly demanding to verify; (3) signal integrity and power integrity issues… Read More


The Latest in Static Timing Analysis with Variation Modeling

The Latest in Static Timing Analysis with Variation Modeling
by Tom Dillinger on 03-30-2016 at 12:00 pm

In many ways, static timing analysis (STA) is more of an art than a science. Methodologists are faced with addressing complex phenomena that impact circuit delay — e.g., signal crosstalk, dynamic I*R supply voltage drop, temperature inversion, device aging effects, and especially (correlated and uncorrelated) process… Read More


Bridging Design Environments for Advanced Multi-Die Package Verification

Bridging Design Environments for Advanced Multi-Die Package Verification
by Tom Dillinger on 03-28-2016 at 12:00 pm

This year is shaping up to be an inflection point, when multi-die packaging technology will experience tremendous market growth. Advanced 2.5D/3D package offerings have been available for several years, utilizing a variety of technologies to serve as the package substrate, interposer material for embedding die micro-bump… Read More