RC corner,這里的RC指gate跟network的寄生參數,寄生參數抽取工具根據電路的物理信息,抽取出電路的電阻電容值,再以寄生參數文件輸入給STA工具,常見的寄生參數文件格式為SPEF。
ICer都知道在集成電路中是多層走線的,專業術語叫metal layer,不同工藝有不同層metal layer,任何兩層metal layer間由介電材料隔離,『走線』通過過孔(VIA)連接。Width跟Spacing是衡量繞線的兩條最重要的物理設計規則,它們隨着工藝的進步逐步減小。 介電材料、繞線材料、線間距、線寬及線的厚度這些物理特性決定了network的RC值。
Network電容:
-
耦合電容:Coupling capacitance=e*T/S
-
表面電容:Surface capcitance=e*W/H
-
邊緣電容:Fringe capcitance
決定容值的因素:
-
介電常數:e
-
線寬:W
-
線厚:T
-
線間距:S
-
介電材料的厚度:H
隨着工藝進步,W, S, T 逐代遞減,表面電容跟隨減小,耦合電容隨之增加,耦合電容在總電容中占比增加,當線厚 T 一定時為了減少耦合電容要么增加線間距要么減小介電常數。通常為了減小噪聲敏感信號線(如clock net)上的耦合電容,在物理實現時會人為增加對應信號的線寬及線間距,俗稱NDR。要減小介電常數需要從材料入手,從 .18開始引入low K介電材料。
Network電阻:
R=r/W*T, r為電阻率,除了跟線寬 W 和線厚 T 相關之外,還跟溫度相關,隨着溫度的上升而增大。
由上面的分析可知,Network的單位電容和單位電阻是不可能同時最大或同時最小的。有了這些鋪墊,來看一下不同工藝結點是如何定義RC corner的。
90nm 之前,Cell delay占主導,Network電容主要是對地電容,STA只需要兩個RC corner即可:
-
Cbest(Cmin): 電容最小電阻最大
-
Cworst(Cmax):電容最大電阻最小
90nm 之后,netdelay的比重越來越大,而且network的耦合電容不可忽略,所以又增加了兩個RC corner:
-
RCbest(XTALK corner): 耦合電容最大,(對地電容*電阻)最小
-
RCworst(Delay corner): 耦合電容最小,(對地電容*電阻)最大
至此總共有兩個需要setup timing sign-off的RC corner,有四個需要hold timing sign-off的RC corner:
-
Setup time sign-off 的RC corner是: Cworst / RCworst
-
Hold time sign-off 的RC corner是: Cbest / RCbest / Cworst / RCworst
C-best:
-
It hasminimum capacitance. So also known as Cmin corner.
-
InterconnectResistance is larger than the Typical corner.
-
Thiscorner results in smallest delay for paths with short nets and can be used formin-path-analysis.
C-worst:
-
Refers tocorners which results maximum Capacitance. So also known as Cmax corner.
-
Interconnectresistance is smaller than at typical corner.
-
Thiscorners results in largest delay for paths with shorts nets and can be used formax-path-analysis.
RC-best:
-
Refers tothe corners which minimize interconnect RC product. So also known as RC-mincorner.
-
Typicallycorresponds to smaller etch which increases the trace width. This results insmallest resistance but corresponds to larger than typical capacitance.
-
Corner hassmallest path delay for paths with long interconnects and can be used formin-path-analysis.
RC-worst:
-
Refers tothe corners which maximize interconnect RC product. So also known as RC-maxcorner.
-
Typicallycorresponds to larger etch which reduces the trace width. This results inlargest resistance but corresponds to smaller than typical capacitance.
-
Corner haslargest path delay for paths with long interconnects and can be used formax-path-analysis.
引入的DPT(Double Patterning Technology)之后,在同一層layer上要做兩次mask,兩次mask之間的偏差,會導致線間距變化,從而影響耦合電容值,需要將這一因素考慮到RC corner中,所以DPT 的RC corner是:Cworst_CCworst, RCworst_CCworst, Cbest_CCbest, RCbest_CCbest.
其中:
-
Setup timesign-off 的RC corner是: Cworst_CCworst / RCworst_CCworst
-
Hold timesign-off 的RC corner是: Cbest_CCbest / RCbest_CCbest / Cworst_CCworst /RCworst_CCworst
除以上這些corner外,還有一個corner叫Typical corner,對應於DPT的是Ctypical_CCworst, Ctypical_CCbest,這些corner不用於timing sign-off。