Design Flow Flashcards
What is the IC design flow step #1?
Define product
Market research, prediction, feasibility study
Marketing / Sales / Engineers decide on product
What is the IC design flow step #2?
Logic design (logic designers) Use Verilog (verify logic) simulators Design synthesis & compilations, logic simulation & analysis
What is the IC design flow step #3?
Circuit design
Device (transistor)-level design, circuit simulation & analysis
What is the IC design flow step #4?
Physical design (layout) Mask pattern design and physical design verification DRC / LVS
What is the IC design flow step #5?
Post layout simulation
Logic and/or circuit simulations with extracted parasitics from layout.
LPE - Layout Parasitic Extraction
RCX - Resistance Capacitance Extraction
What is the IC design flow step #6?
Tape-out group (tooling)
post-layout data manipulations, interface with mask shops
What is the IC design flow step #7?
mask making
Mask shop, mask vendors
What is the IC design flow step #8?
fabrication
2-3 months
processing engineers
tech development engineers
What is the IC design flow step #9?
first silicon
What is the IC design flow step #10?
testing and evaluation
Wafer sorting and analysis
What is the IC design flow step #11?
packaging and prototype
packaging engineers
What is the IC design flow step #12?
final test and qualification
more stringent tests
What is the IC design flow step #13?
production
revenue starts coming
product engineers
application engineers
What does SPICE stand for?
Simulation Program for I.C. Emphasis
What do CAD engineers do?
App software support, create scripts, PCELLS
What is “back annotation”?
Importing parasitic data back into the simulator
What is “incremental tape-out”?
Taping-out just the base layers.
What is the mask format that GDS files are converted to?
“Mebes” format.
What is OPC?
Optical Proximity Correction
What does PCM stand for?
Process Control Monitor
