Timing Characterization for Semiconductor Circuit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and density of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) lead to challenges in detecting design errors and defects early, resulting in prolonged design cycle times and increased costs due to the difficulty in identifying timing violations in current design environments.
Innovation Solution
An improved timing characterization method and system that reshapes the timing parameters of standard cell libraries by moderately increasing the setup time and hold time of sequential logic cells, enhancing static timing analysis and troubleshooting while maintaining acceptable circuit speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the design complexity and device density are increased to improve circuit functionality, then the circuit capability is enhanced, but the difficulty of detecting design errors and timing violations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs timing characterization and determines setup/hold time windows for sequential cells during the library preparation stage, before actual circuit design. This preliminary characterization creates reference data that enables automated timing violation detection during design verification, making error detection feasible despite increased circuit complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces timing characterization data and automated analysis tools as intermediaries between the complex circuit design and the verification process. These tools mediate the detection of timing violations by comparing actual timing parameters against pre-established windows, enabling automated detection without requiring manual analysis of complex timing paths
2Reliability
If traditional timing analysis methods are used to verify circuit design, then design quality can be maintained, but the design cycle time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-characterizes timing parameters for all sequential cells in the standard cell library before circuit design begins. This preliminary timing characterization establishes reference windows that enable rapid automated verification during design, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual timing analysis while maintaining design quality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables automated timing verification systems to self-verify design correctness by comparing timing parameters against pre-established windows. The automated tools independently perform timing analysis and violation detection without requiring extensive manual intervention, significantly reducing design cycle time while maintaining verification quality
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: receiving a library associated with a cell; determining a plurality of candidate hold times for the cell; acquiring a plurality of candidate setup times corresponding to the plurality of candidate hold times, wherein a data delay associated with each of the candidate setup time fulfills a data delay constraint for the cell; adding the plurality of candidate setup times to the plurality of candidate hold times, respectively, to obtain a plurality of candidate time windows; and selecting a target time window having a minimal time span among the candidate time windows. At least one of the receiving, determining, acquiring, adding and selecting steps is conducted by at least one processor.