Custom layout editor automates DFM

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — Claiming the first automated design for manufacturability (DFM) capability "designed for designers," Silicon Canvas announced a new set of DFM features for its Laker custom IC layout editor Wednesday (Feb. 14). The features help automate adherence to recommended foundry design rules.

According to Silicon Canvas, Laker now supports multiple rule sets, conditional rules, recommended rules, discrete gate spacing, minimum area rules, and routing jog avoidance, all without a need for scripting. Most rules are applied during automatic device generation and manual layout, as well as during placement and routing.

Many DFM tools identify "hot spots" in the layout, or predict manufacturing distortions, but Silicon Canvas' DFM support is different, said Rich Morse, director of marketing at Silicon Canvas. "Our new DFM features are unique because they address the creation of the physical layout itself," he said. "Our device generators, routers, placers and rule-driven layout features can now consider recommended DFM rules during the layout process, automatically creating DFM-friendly layout."

Recommended rules typically cover such topics as "fat metal" usage, poly end-cap enlargement, metal line-end extensions, and via doubling in yield-limited areas. Some rules have become mandatory to avoid such problems as pitch-induced critical dimension (CD) variation caused by off-axis illumination. However, said Morse, rules are difficult to implement if they're not built into the core automation.

Morse acknowledged that it's difficult to cover 100 percent of all DFM rules for all processes and foundries. "Depending on the process, we currently cover 80 percent to 100 percent of DFM rules," he said. "Even at 80 percent, customers have told us they can achieve major productivity gains and reductions in time to yield."

Meanwhile, Silicon Canvas offers integrations with third-party DFM tools from vendors including Clear Shape Technologies, Anchor Semiconductor, and Aprio.

Laker is a full-custom layout editor that serves analog, mixed-signal and custom digital designers. Silicon Canvas claims it's used by over 250 companies worldwide. Laker competes with Cadence Design Systems' Virtuoso, which added DFM features for "lithography awareness" last year.

Laker's new DFM automation features are available at no extra cost for all Laker L2 and L3 license holders.