How do you ensure IC layout compatibility and portability across different technologies and foundries?

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If you are an integrated circuit (IC) designer, you know how challenging it is to create layouts that can work across different technologies and foundries. You have to deal with different design rules, process variations, device models, and fabrication standards. How can you ensure that your IC layout is compatible and portable, without compromising performance, reliability, and cost? In this article, we will share some best practices for IC layout and verification, based on the experience of experts in the field.

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Anuj Gupta

Layout Manager @Apple || SRAM Architect | PPA Specialist || Ex-GF | Ex-ARM | Ex-IBM | Ex-ST || eNVM | 5nm | 3nm | 2nm

1 Use standard cell libraries

One of the most effective ways to ensure IC layout compatibility and portability is to use standard cell libraries provided by the foundry or a third-party vendor. Standard cell libraries are collections of pre-designed and pre-characterized logic cells that offer several advantages, such as being optimized for the target technology and process, following the design rules and specifications of the foundry, being compatible with various design tools and formats, and being scalable and customizable. This ensures high performance and low power consumption, reduces the risk of errors and violations, enables smooth integration and verification, and allows you to adjust the size, shape, and function of the cells according to your needs.

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RONY THOMAS

SoC Design Verification Engineer at Intel Corporation | IEEE Volunteer | Chair of Industry Relations, IEEE Kerala Section
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Standard Cell libraries also comes with predefined power and timing characteristics which will also help ease the process of power analysis and timing analysis when a design is ported from one technology to other or when a design has to be ported to a different process technology.

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2 Use parameterized cells and generators

Parameterized cells (PCells) and generators are dynamic layout elements that can be modified by changing certain parameters, such as width, length, spacing, or orientation. These elements are useful for creating complex and repetitive structures like transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, or interconnects. Utilizing PCells and generators offer several benefits: they can adapt to different technologies and processes by adjusting the parameters according to the design rules and specifications of the target foundry; they can simplify the layout design and verification by automating the creation and placement of the structures; and they can improve the layout quality and efficiency by reducing manual effort and human errors while enhancing uniformity and compactness of the structures.

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3 Use design for manufacturability techniques

To ensure IC layout compatibility and portability, design for manufacturability (DFM) techniques can be used. These methods and tools aim to improve the manufacturability and yield of the ICs, taking into account the physical limitations and variations of the fabrication process. Examples of DFM techniques include using dummy fill and metal fill to balance the density and planarity of the layout, employing lithography-friendly layout patterns and shapes to avoid resolution and alignment issues, running layout-dependent effects (LDE) analysis and correction to account for the impact of the surrounding environment on device performance, and utilizing design rule checking (DRC) and layout versus schematic (LVS) tools to verify compliance with design rules.

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4 Use layout migration and optimization tools

A fourth way to ensure IC layout compatibility and portability is to utilize layout migration and optimization tools. These software applications can help transfer and adapt an existing layout to a different technology or process, or improve current layout for better performance or lower cost. Some of their functions include converting the layout format and data to match the target foundry or tool requirements, scaling and adjusting the layout dimensions and parameters, modifying and replacing the layout structures and cells, and analyzing and verifying the layout quality and performance. All these steps are necessary to ensure interoperability, compatibility, optimize area, power, speed, or noise of the circuit, enhance functionality, reliability, or yield of the circuit, as well as report any issues or improvements.

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5 Use layout verification and testing methods

To ensure IC layout compatibility and portability, you can use layout verification and testing methods. These procedures and techniques help to validate and evaluate the layout design before and after fabrication, ensuring it meets expectations and requirements. For example, parasitic extraction and simulation tools can be used to extract and model the parasitic elements of the layout, such as resistance or noise. Electrical rule checking (ERC) and design for test (DFT) tools can be used to check the electrical integrity of the layout. Post-layout verification and testing tools can be used to compare the layout results with actual measurements from fabricated ICs, such as timing or power.

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Luigi C. Filho
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Para ter um design que consiga se migrar facilmente de uma tecnologia para outra é ter um ambiente bem maduro e bem estruturado para quando houver mudan?as você facilmente conseguir testar e analisar o layout.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Anuj Gupta

Layout Manager @Apple || SRAM Architect | PPA Specialist || Ex-GF | Ex-ARM | Ex-IBM | Ex-ST || eNVM | 5nm | 3nm | 2nm
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Design re-use is a very important tool in keep the design cost and time low. The designs get ported and migrated for reuse very often across the industry. My recommendation for the designers is to make the design porting friendly. Plan upfront your execution, expecting there will be a design that would use this as a starting point or reference. One example for that is to have the right hierarchies, even for layout only objects. Know your porting/migration tools. Is this well aligned to the pcells? Are synchronous clones groups, and groups of groups handled well?

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How do you ensure IC layout compatibility and portability across different technologies and foundries?

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1 Use standard cell libraries

2 Use parameterized cells and generators

3 Use design for manufacturability techniques

4 Use layout migration and optimization tools

5 Use layout verification and testing methods

6 Here’s what else to consider

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