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IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Fundamentals

Critical Path Selection for Deep Sub-Micron Delay Test and Timing Validation

Jing-Jia LIOU, Li-C. WANG, Angela KRSTIĆ, Kwang-Ting (Tim) CHENG

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Summary :

Critical path selection is an indispensable step for AC delay test and timing validation. Traditionally, this step relies on the construction of a set of worse-case paths based upon discrete timing models. However, the assumption of discrete timing models can be invalidated by timing defects and process variation in the deep sub-micron domain, which are often continuous in nature. As a result, critical paths defined in a traditional timing analysis approach may not be truly critical in reality. In this paper, we propose using a statistical delay evaluation framework for estimating the quality of a path set. Based upon the new framework, we demonstrate how the traditional definition of a critical path set may deviate from the true critical path set in the deep sub-micron domain. To remedy the problem, we discuss improvements to the existing path selection strategies by including new objectives. We then compare statistical approaches with traditional approaches based upon experimental analysis of both defect-free and defect-injected cases.

Publication
IEICE TRANSACTIONS on Fundamentals Vol.E86-A No.12 pp.3038-3048
Publication Date
2003/12/01
Publicized
Online ISSN
DOI
Type of Manuscript
Special Section PAPER (Special Section on VLSI Design and CAD Algorithms)
Category
Timing Verification and Test Generation

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