Event Detail
Title: Approaching Yield in the Nanometer Age the Framework for an Extensible DFM Methodology - Presented by Mentor. / Chartered / Sierra / ARM Ltd
Type: HOT
Track: DFM and the Manufacturing Interface
Day:
Wednesday
Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Room: 11A
Abstract: As we dive deeper into the nanometer space, we must rethink the way we design. Tools, techniques, and methods that once worked without fail cannot hold up at the 65 and 45 nm depths, making it more challenging than ever to achieve yield.Not only are more DRC rules required, but the rules are becoming much more complex in light of more manufacturing issues. Yet advanced DRC is still not enough. We must redefine the sign-off process itself to include a spectrum of new methods that assess design quality. This means that the fabless model increases in importance where foundry information must flow freely so more of the responsibility for yield can fall on the shoulders of the designer.Therefore, in the nanometer age, sign-off must include not only fundamental, rule-based physical verification and parasitic extraction but also a set of automated technologies that help improve yield by enhancing design itself. DFM solutions must deliver these automated technologies to the designer in a practical and easy to use way. This includes new ways to visualize and prioritize the data produced by the analytical tools. It also requires that existing tools expand their architectures to provide yield characterization and enhancement capabilities. Finally, the most successful DFM methodologies in the nanometer age will apply these new capabilities throughout the design flow — not just at the point of sign-off. This tutorial will go into detail on these technical challenges and solutions within both the business and historical context of the IC design and manufacturing process. It will show the importance of the fabless model as part of a more holistic DFM methodology and describe what the new tools should look like.
