Modeling and analysis of manufacturing variations

TLDR

Process‑induced variations are critical in integrated circuit design, and while die‑to‑die shifts were once the main concern, the growing size of chips makes within‑die device and interconnect variations equally important, creating new challenges for modeling and design tools. The study investigates the sources and trends of process variability, the emerging challenges of within‑die variability analysis, and proposes a methodology to address these issues. The authors develop a modeling and simulation framework that captures within‑die variability by analyzing its sources and trends, enabling more accurate design and characterization.

Abstract

Process-induced variations are an important consideration in the design of integrated circuits. Until recently, it was sufficient to model die-to-die shifts in device performance, leading to the well known worst-case modeling and design methodology. However, current and near-future integrated circuits are large enough that device and interconnect parameter variations within the chip are as important as those same variations from chip to chip. This presents a new set of challenges for process modeling and characterization and for the associated design tools and methodologies. This paper examines the sources and trends of process variability, the new challenges associated with the increase in within-die variability analysis, and proposes a modeling and simulation methodology to deal with this variability.