Pre-Silicon Design Rule Evaluation

摘要

Roughly described, a method for developing a set of design rules for a fabrication process in development includes, for each of several candidate DRUTs for the fabrication process, laying our a logic cell based on the DRUT, the logic cell having at least one transistor and at least one interconnect, simulating fabrication of the logic cell according to the fabrication process and the layout, simulating behavior of the logic cell structure, including characterizing the combined behavior of both the first transistor and the first interconnect, evaluating performance of the logic cell structure in dependence upon the behavior as characterized, and recording in a database, in association with an indication of the DRUT, values indicating performance of the logic cell. The database can be used to select the best DRUT for the fabrication process.

主权项

1. A method for developing a set of design rules for a fabrication process, comprising:
for each given one of a plurality of candidate design rule sets for the fabrication process,
developing a layout of a logic cell in dependence upon the given design rule set, the logic cell having an input and an output and having at least a first transistor and at least a first interconnect connected to the first transistor,simulating fabrication of the logic cell according to the fabrication process and the layout, to derive a 3-dimensional model of the logic cell structure, the logic cell structure identifying geometry and materials composition of at least the first transistor and the first interconnect in the logic cell structure,characterizing by simulation behavior of the logic cell structure, including characterizing the combined behavior of both the first transistor and the first interconnect,evaluating performance of the logic cell structure in dependence upon the behavior as characterized, andrecording in a database, in association with an indication of the given set of design rules, a set of one or more values indicating performance of the logic cell; the database being accessible to a user for use in optimizing the design rule sets for the fabrication process.