GLOBALFOUNDRIES has chosen Solido Design Automation’s Solido Variation Designer, which includes PVT+ and High-Sigma Monte Carlo+ packages, for its 28 nm analog/mixed-signal (AMS) reference flow.
Variation effects cause re-spins, yield loss and performance loss in nanometer circuit designs. To tackle this issue, GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ variation models in combination with Solido Variation Designer reproduce variation effects in the design flow, which in turn allow the designers to make improved designs for handling variation effects. GLOBALFOUNDRIES has selected Solido Variation Designer by utilizing its 28 nm PLL reference flow design.
Solido High-Sigma Monte Carlo+ package is quicker than the Monte Carlo analysis, verifiable, expandable to several process parameters and SPICE-accurate. PVT corners are responsible for process corner conditions such as max/min resistors, slow/quick MOS transistors and environmental variables such as bias, load, temperature and voltage.
For nanometer circuit designs, the number of probable combinations of environmental and process variables could be huge, demanding such widespread simulation, which could miss certain worst-case corners. Solido Variation Designer PVT+ package acquires benefit of variation data in models of GLOBALFOUNDRIES to offer effective PVT corner design and analysis. It offers extensive coverage of the probable worst-case PVT corner combinations by eliminating the process of simulating each combination. Speed enhancement and the recognition of design sensitivities to corner conditions are some of the advantages of Solido PVT+ package.
GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ Director of Design Enablement, Richard Trihy stated that the company is happy to work with Solido to add design methodology and variation analysis in its 28 nm AMS reference flow. GLOBALFOUNDRIES models and Solido Variation Designer combination allows execution of high-sigma design for high-output applications, he added.
Source: http://www.solidodesign.com