Microprocessor chip timing analysis using extraction of simulated silicon-calibrated contours

Toshiaki Yanagihara; Takeshi Hamamoto; Koya Sato; Atsushi Okamura; Toshiyuki Matsunaga; Naohiro Kobayashi; Tatsuya Maekawa; Nishath Verghese; Jac Condella; Philippe Hurat

doi:10.1117/12.773013

4 March 2008 Microprocessor chip timing analysis using extraction of simulated silicon-calibrated contours

Toshiaki Yanagihara, Takeshi Hamamoto, Koya Sato, Atsushi Okamura, Toshiyuki Matsunaga, Naohiro Kobayashi, Tatsuya Maekawa, Nishath Verghese, Jac Condella, Philippe Hurat

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 6925, Design for Manufacturability through Design-Process Integration II; 69250O (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.773013
Event: SPIE Advanced Lithography, 2008, San Jose, California, United States

Abstract

With increasing chip sizes and shrinking device dimensions, on-chip semiconductor process variation can no longer be ignored in the design and signoff static timing analysis of integrated circuits. An important parameter affecting CMOS technologies is the gate length (L_gate) of a transistor. In modern technologies, significant spatial intra-chip variability of transistor gate lengths, which is systematic as opposed to random, can lead to relatively large variations in circuit path delays. Spatial variations in L_gate affect circuit timing properties, which can lead to timing errors and performance loss. To maximize performance and process utilization in microprocessor designs, we have developed and validated a timing analysis methodology based on accurate silicon contour prediction from drawn layout and contour-based extraction of our designs. This allows for signoff timing without unnecessarily large margins, thereby reducing chip area and maximizing performance while ensuring chip functionality, improved process utilization and yield. In this paper, we describe the chip timing methodology, its validation and implementation in microprocessor design.

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Toshiaki Yanagihara, Takeshi Hamamoto, Koya Sato, Atsushi Okamura, Toshiyuki Matsunaga, Naohiro Kobayashi, Tatsuya Maekawa, Nishath Verghese, Jac Condella, and Philippe Hurat "Microprocessor chip timing analysis using extraction of simulated silicon-calibrated contours", Proc. SPIE 6925, Design for Manufacturability through Design-Process Integration II, 69250O (4 March 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.773013

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