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Compact Models for Integrated Circuit Design
4. Design-for-reliability, enabling designers to predict and optimize
circuit performance
5. Improving design efficiency using compact models instead of measured data from billions of transistors with different dimensions
operating under different voltages that are used in an IC chip
1.4 Compact Model Usage
Compact models are an integral part of circuit analysis in EDA environment.
Typically, the analytical equations of the target compact model (e.g., BSIM4)
are fitted to the device characteristics of an IC technology obtained under
different biasing conditions and extract device model parameters. These
model parameters are used to generate a technology-specific device model
library. Similarly, compact model parameters for passive elements of a circuit are extracted from the respective model formulations. Thus, a model
library includes compact models for active and passive elements describing
the behavior of these elements in VLSI circuits. This model library is used
as the input file along with the input circuit description, called the netlist,
for circuit simulation using a circuit CAD tool [27] as shown in Figure 1.2.
A netlist describes the detailed description of a circuit performance under
the target biasing conditions.
Figure 1.2 shows a circuit netlist and compact model library as the input
to circuit CAD and the output is the simulation results including circuit
speed (delays), logic levels, circuit performance variability, and SRAM
yield.
Circuit netlist
Circuit performance
Delays
Logic levels
Variability
SRAM yield
Compact models
Input
Output
Circuit CAD
Circuit simulation
Input file for circuit
analysis
Device model library
Corner models
Interconnect model library
FIGURE 1.2
Usage of compact models in a circuit CAD: compact models describing the performance of
circuit elements are used as the input to circuit CAD along with the description of the VLSI
circuit for computer analysis of circuit performance; circuit CAD is a circuit simulation tool for
computer analysis of VLSI circuits in EDA environment.
Compact Models for Integrated Circuit Design
4. Design-for-reliability, enabling designers to predict and optimize
circuit performance
5. Improving design efficiency using compact models instead of measured data from billions of transistors with different dimensions
operating under different voltages that are used in an IC chip
1.4 Compact Model Usage
Compact models are an integral part of circuit analysis in EDA environment.
Typically, the analytical equations of the target compact model (e.g., BSIM4)
are fitted to the device characteristics of an IC technology obtained under
different biasing conditions and extract device model parameters. These
model parameters are used to generate a technology-specific device model
library. Similarly, compact model parameters for passive elements of a circuit are extracted from the respective model formulations. Thus, a model
library includes compact models for active and passive elements describing
the behavior of these elements in VLSI circuits. This model library is used
as the input file along with the input circuit description, called the netlist,
for circuit simulation using a circuit CAD tool [27] as shown in Figure 1.2.
A netlist describes the detailed description of a circuit performance under
the target biasing conditions.
Figure 1.2 shows a circuit netlist and compact model library as the input
to circuit CAD and the output is the simulation results including circuit
speed (delays), logic levels, circuit performance variability, and SRAM
yield.
Circuit netlist
Circuit performance
Delays
Logic levels
Variability
SRAM yield
Compact models
Input
Output
Circuit CAD
Circuit simulation
Input file for circuit
analysis
Device model library
Corner models
Interconnect model library
FIGURE 1.2
Usage of compact models in a circuit CAD: compact models describing the performance of
circuit elements are used as the input to circuit CAD along with the description of the VLSI
circuit for computer analysis of circuit performance; circuit CAD is a circuit simulation tool for
computer analysis of VLSI circuits in EDA environment.