Will Cell Generation Displace Standard Cells?

Standard cells are now a mainstay of the ASIC industry. They are characterized by a well understood library of cells, each of which has a fixed geometry and, in particular, fixed transistor sizes. Their advantages include ease of use, and predictability, and reasonably efficient use of silicon area. They normally require longer processing time than gate-array or sea-of-gates techniques because more fabrication steps are required, but in return provide higher levels of integration because of improved flexibility in placement and routing.