Apparatus and method of static timing analysis considering the within-die and die-to-die process variation

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for designing semiconductor integrated circuit, a path delay information producing section produces path delay information by performing a static timing analysis based on delay information of a cell and subject circuit information. A correction table producing section calculates circuit-dependent delay variation for each combination of circuit parameter values based on variation information of an element, and stores the calculated circuit-dependent delay variation in a delay correction table. A statistical path delay producing section calculates the circuit parameters for a path based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information, obtains the corresponding circuit-dependent delay variation based on the circuit-dependent delay variation correction table, and calculates and outputs statistical path delay information based on the circuit-dependent delay variation and the corresponding path delay information. Thus, it is possible to obtain a value close to an actual path delay worst value with only a little addition of calculation time.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a hardware configuration of the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit.

FIG. 3 shows a model circuit representing delay characteristics of a path circuit.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing Kp, Kp max and the Kp correction value with respect to a circuit parameter Kw.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a conventional static timing analysis apparatus.

FIG. 8 shows an output device provided in the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows an output device provided in the apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising: a path delay information producing section for producing path delay information based on delay information of a cell and subject circuit information;a correction table producing section for receiving device variation information and calculating a delay correction value for each combination of values of a group of circuit parameters based on the device variation information to thereby produce a circuit-dependent delay variation correction table in which each delay correction value is associated with the corresponding combination of values of the group of circuit parameters; anda statistical path delay producing section for calculating each of the group of circuit parameters for a path included in the path delay information produced by the delay information producing section based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information, obtaining a delay correction value for each of the calculated group of circuit parameters with reference to the circuit-dependent delay variation correction table produced by the correction table producing section, and calculating and outputting statistical path delay information based on the obtained delay correction value and the path delay information.

2. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is calculated based on a rising transition time and a falling transition time of at least each node along the path.

3. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is a ratio Kt between a sum of rising transition times of nodes along the path and a sum of falling transition times of the nodes along the path.

4. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is calculated based on a wire capacitance for each node along the path and a MOSFET gate capacitance for each node along the path.

5. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is a ratio Kw between a sum of wire capacitances for the nodes along the path and a sum of MOSFET gate capacitances for the nodes along the path.

6. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is the number of cell logic stages Ld along the path.

7. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is the number of paths for which a delay value is within a predetermined range.

8. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of transistor saturation current value.

9. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the device variation information of the transistor saturation current value includes a median value Idsn_TYP and a standard deviation σ_IN of a saturation current value of an N-type MOS transistor, a median value Idsp_TYP and a standard deviation σ_IP of a saturation current value of a P-type MOS transistor, and a correlation coefficient R_PN between the saturation current value of the N-type MOS transistor and the saturation current value of the P-type MOS transistor.

10. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of a gate terminal of a transistor.

11. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of a source or drain terminal of a transistor.

12. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of an element other than a transistor.

13. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 12, wherein the device variation information of the capacitance value of an element other than a transistor is a value derived from variation in a thickness, width or height of a metal wire.

14. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the correction table producing section calculates the delay correction value depending on the circuit parameter by using an analysis formula representing a relationship between the circuit parameter and the delay correction value.

15. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the correction table producing section calculates: a variable idsp dependent on Idsp_TYP and σ_IP;a variation variable idsn dependent on Idsn_TYP, σ_IN, R_PN and the variable idsp;variables cg1 and cg2 dependent on a capacitance variation of a gate, a source of a drain of the transistor; anda path delay Tpd dependent on the variables cw1 and cw2 dependent on variation information of a capacitor other than the transistor.

16. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein the path delay Tpd is also dependent on the ratio Kt and the ratio Kw, and is defined by an expression including the following expression: Kt(cg1+Kw·cw1)/idsp+(cg2+Kw·cw2)/idsn, or(cg1+Kw·cw1)/idsp+Kt(cg2+Kw·cw2)/idsn, orKt(Kw·cg1+cw1)/idsp+(Kw·cg2+cw2)/idsn, or(Kw·cg1+cw1)/idsp+Kt(Kw·cg2+cw2)/idsn.

17. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein a ratio Tpd_worst1/Tpd_worst2 is produced as a value of the table at least for each combination of values of the circuit parameters Kt and Kw, wherein Tpd_worst1 is obtained by multiplying a standard deviation of the path delay Tpd by a first constant value and adding a median value of the path delay Tpd to the product, and Tpd_worst2 is a value obtained by substituting the variables cg1, cw1, idsp, cg2, cw2 and idsn in the path delay expression with second to seventh constant values, respectively.

18. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the cell delay information includes at least one of a transition time of an internal node of each cell and a wire capacitance and gate capacitance of an internal node of each cell.

19. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein a transition time of an internal node of each cell is calculated based on an input waveform transition time, an output waveform transition time and a propagation delay time added to the cell.

20. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein a wire capacitance and a gate capacitance of an internal node of each cell are calculated based on a size of an output transistor of the cell.

21. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein a subject circuit is modified so that at least one of Kw, Kt and Ld is changed in such a manner that the calculated statistical path delay information is within a predetermined range.

22. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 21, wherein a change in at least one of Kw and Kt is made by changing a size of a transistor included in the path.

23. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 21, wherein a change in at least one of Kw and Kt is made by inserting a third logic element between a first logic element present along the path and a second logic element whose input is connected to an output of the first logic element.

24. The apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 23, wherein the third logic element is a buffer circuit or an inverter circuit.

25. An apparatus for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising: a transition time ratio calculating section for calculating a ratio Kt between a sum of rising transition times of nodes along a first path and a sum of falling transition times of the nodes along the first path, based on subject circuit information and path delay information;a capacitance ratio calculating section for calculating a ratio Kw between a sum of wire capacitances for the nodes along the first path and a sum of MOSFET gate capacitances for the nodes along the first path, based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information; anda statistical path delay information calculating section for calculating and outputting statistical path delay information dependent on the delay time of the first path included in the path delay information and at least one of Kt and Kw.

26. A method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising: a path delay information producing step of producing path delay information based on delay information of a cell and subject circuit information;a correction table producing step of receiving device variation information and calculating a delay correction value for each combination of values of a group of circuit parameters based on the device variation information to thereby produce a circuit-dependent delay variation correction table in which each delay correction value is associated with the corresponding combination of values of the group of circuit parameters; anda statistical path delay producing step of calculating each of the group of circuit parameters for a path included in the path delay information produced in the delay information producing step based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information, obtaining a delay correction value for each of the calculated group of circuit parameters with reference to the circuit-dependent delay variation correction table produced in the correction table producing step, and calculating and outputting statistical path delay information based on the obtained delay correction value and the path delay information.

27. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is calculated based on a rising transition time and a falling transition time of at least each node along the path.

28. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is a ratio Kt between a sum of rising transition times of nodes along the path and a sum of falling transition times of the nodes along the path.

29. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is calculated based on a wire capacitance for each node along the path and a MOSFET gate capacitance for each node along the path.

30. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is a ratio Kw between a sum of wire capacitances for the nodes along the path and a sum of MOSFET gate capacitances for the nodes along the path.

31. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is the number of cell logic stages Ld along the path.

32. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the group of circuit parameters is the number of paths for which a delay value is within a predetermined range.

33. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of transistor saturation current value.

34. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 33, wherein the device variation information of the transistor saturation current value includes a median value Idsn_TYP and a standard deviation σ_IN of a saturation current value of an N-type MOS transistor, a median value Idsp_TYP and a standard deviation σ_IP of a saturation current value of a P-type MOS transistor, and a correlation coefficient R_PN between the saturation current value of the N-type MOS transistor and the saturation current value of the P-type MOS transistor.

35. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of a gate terminal of a transistor.

36. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of a source or drain terminal of a transistor.

37. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein one of the device variation information is variation information of a capacitance value of an element other than a transistor.

38. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 37, wherein the device variation information of the capacitance value of an element other than a transistor is a value derived from variation in a thickness, width or height of a metal wire.

39. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein the correction table producing step calculates the delay correction value depending on the circuit parameter by using an analysis formula representing a relationship between the circuit parameter and the delay correction value.

40. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein the correction table producing step calculates: a variable idsp dependent on Idsp_TYP and σ_IP;a variation variable idsn dependent on Idsn_TYP, σ_IN, R_PN and the variable idsp;variables cg1 and cg2 dependent on a capacitance variation of a gate, a source of a drain of the transistor; anda path delay Tpd dependent on the variables cw1 and cw2 dependent on variation information of a capacitor other than the transistor.

41. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 40, wherein the path delay Tpd is also dependent on the ratio Kt and the ratio Kw, and is defined by an expression including the following expression: Kt(cg1+Kw·cw1)/idsp+(cg2+Kw·cw2)/idsn, or(cg1+Kw·cw1)/idsp+Kt(cg2+Kw·cw2)/idsn, orKt(Kw·cg1+cw1)/idsp+(Kw·cg2+cw2)/idsn, or(Kw·cg1+cw1)/idsp+Kt(Kw·cg2+cw2)/idsn.

42. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 40, wherein a ratio Tpd_worst1/Tpd_worst2 is produced as a value of the table at least for each combination of values of the circuit parameters Kt and Kw, wherein Tpd_worst1 is obtained by multiplying a standard deviation of the path delay Tpd by a first constant value and adding a median value of the path delay Tpd to the product, and Tpd_worst2 is a value obtained by substituting the variables cg1, cw1, idsp, cg2, cw2 and idsn in the path delay expression with second to seventh constant values, respectively.

43. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein the cell delay information includes at least one of a transition time of an internal node of each cell and a wire capacitance and gate capacitance of an internal node of each cell.

44. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein a transition time of an internal node of each cell is calculated based on an input waveform transition time, an output waveform transition time and a propagation delay time added to the cell.

45. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein a wire capacitance and a gate capacitance of an internal node of each cell are calculated based on a size of an output transistor of the cell.

46. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 26, wherein a subject circuit is modified so that at least one of Kw, Kt and Ld is changed in such a manner that the calculated statistical path delay information is within a predetermined range.

47. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 46, wherein a change in at least one of Kw and Kt is made by changing a size of a transistor included in the path.

48. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 46, wherein a change in at least one of Kw and Kt is made by inserting a third logic element between a first logic element present along the path and a second logic element whose input is connected to an output of the first logic element.

49. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 48, wherein the third logic element is a buffer circuit or an inverter circuit.

50. A method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising: a transition time ratio calculating step of calculating a ratio Kt between a sum of rising transition times of nodes along a first path and a sum of falling transition times of the nodes along the first path, based on subject circuit information and path delay information;a capacitance ratio calculating step of calculating a ratio Kw between a sum of wire capacitances for the nodes along the first path and a sum of MOSFET gate capacitances for the nodes along the first path, based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information; anda statistical path delay information calculating step of calculating and outputting statistical path delay information dependent on the delay time of the first path included in the path delay information and at least one of Kt and Kw.

51. A method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising: a path delay information producing step of producing path delay information based on delay information of a cell and subject circuit information;a correction table producing step of receiving device variation information and calculating a delay correction value for each combination of values of a group of circuit parameters based on the device variation information to thereby produce a circuit-dependent delay variation correction table in which each delay correction value is associated with the corresponding combination of values of the group of circuit parameters;a statistical path delay producing step of calculating each of the group of circuit parameters for a path included in the path delay information produced in the delay information producing step based on the subject circuit information and the path delay information, obtaining a delay correction value for each of the calculated group of circuit parameters with reference to the circuit-dependent delay variation correction table produced in the correction table producing step, and calculating and outputting statistical path delay information based on the obtained delay correction value and the path delay information; andan output step of producing a value or a graph based on the statistical path delay information and the path delay information to output the produced value or graph to an output device.

52. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 51, wherein the value or graph produced in the output step based on the statistical path delay information and the path delay information includes a first graph obtained by processing the path delay information and a second graph obtained by processing the statistical path delay information.

53. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 52, wherein in the output step, one of the first graph and the second graph is selectively output at a time to the output device according to an input from an input device.

54. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 51, wherein the output step produces a third graph including at least one of information obtained by processing at least the path delay information and information obtained by processing at least the statistical path delay information to output the third graph to the output device.

55. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 54, wherein the third graph produced in the output step further includes information obtained by processing Kt, Kw or Ld.

56. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 52, wherein the first or second graph is a histogram.

57. The method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 52, wherein the first or second graph is a scatter diagram.