Layout Analysis and Verification

The focus of most chapters of this book is on circuit synthesis- creation or improvement of the layout of an integrated circuit. In contrast, the present chapter is concerned with layout analysis-recovering properties that the chip would have if it were manufactured as specified by a given layout. The continually increasing size of chips (measured in either area or number of transistors), and the waste involved in fabricating chips that do not work make layout analysis an important part of physical design automation.