Patent addresses fundamental principles for cell variation characterization

LITTLETON, MA — March 21, 2016— CLK Design Automation Inc today announced that it has been awarded U.S. Patent 9245071 for Database Based Timing Variation Analysis. The patent covers CLK Design Automation’s core technology for its variance database and Variance FX™ application.

"The award of this patent demonstrates our technology leadership position for variation characterization," said Isadore Katz, President and CEO of CLK Design Automation. "This patent covers the fundamentals of creating a variation database that enables multiple capabilities from adjusting AOCV and SBOCV derates relative to a specific design to generation of multiple output formats from AOCV to LVF from a single variation characterization run."

CLKDA’s Variance FX™ is the leading commercial solution for generating timing derates for use with static timing analysis and physical IC design. Variance FX has made derate table characterization practical and effective. Variance FX™ can generate a SPICE accurate table for 1000 cells in a few hours per corner, where other solutions require weeks to generate tables for a few simple cells.    

At the core of Variance FX™ is the variation database. Variance FX characterizes every load and slew for every arc in every cell and stores it in the variation database. From this variation database, Variance FX can then generate AOCV/SBOCV tables, customize those tables to a specific design or per a user formula, and generate other formats such as LVF. The database allows users to analyze cell variation across voltages, and to apply visualization techniques such as heat maps. The newly awarded patent covers this innovative database approach to variation characterization, and analysis.

About CLK Design Automation
CLK Design Automation is the market and technology leader in timing variation analysis and high accuracy timing solutions for nanometer semiconductor designs. FX is the first transistor model and simulator specifically engineered for digital variance and delay analysis. FX is in production at the most advanced IC geometries at 20nm, 16nm, 14nm, and 10nm with all of the leading foundries.