GDS and LEF/DEF each came about to support data exchange in different types of design flows, custom layout and place & route respectively. GDS (or stream format) was first created in the late 1970s to support the first generation of custom IC layout tools, such as Calma’s GDSII system. Of course, the GDS format has been updated… Read More
This builds on a couple of topics I have covered for quite a while from an analysis point of view – integrity and reliability. The power distribution network and some other networks like clock trees are particularly susceptible to both IR-drop and electromigration (EM) problems. The first can lead to intermittent timing failures,… Read More
To describe the latest methodology for the addition of Design for Manufacturability fill shapes to design layout data, it’s appropriate to borrow a song title from Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A Changin’. The new technical requirements are best summarized as: “The goal is now to add as much fill as possible, which (ideally) looks… Read More
