Design Automation and Signal Integrity

Chapter 3 discusses the enablement involving best-in-class design automation solutions - including the CAD tools environment, RF simulation algorithms, ESD CAD solutions, and signal integrity solutions for interconnect and substrate modeling. These offerings form together with the compact models, to form the design enablement for the customer. As such they are complex software engineering projects requiring very high quality and efficiency, and in the case of signal integrity the need for effective and efficient modeling usable by the design community. The chapter overviews the IBM design automation methodology, the ESD design automation offering, interconnect modeling requirements and solutions, and substrate isolation and modeling solutions.

Key points brought out in this chapter include:

• Overview of IBM's design automation methodology.

• Discussion of the design automation environment for IBM's world-class ESD offering.

• Introduction to the complex topic of interconnect modeling and extraction, including transmission line modeling and substrate interactions to interconnects.

• Discussion of issues in substrate modeling and isolation, through co-ordinated TCAD and test-site activities at IBM.