A novel analog layout synthesis tool

Abstract

This work presents a layout synthesis tool for analog integrated circuits called Aladin. The layout generation is based on relatively complex sub-circuits rather than non-optimal single devices. A flexible module generator environment is developed for designers to write and maintain technology and application independent module generators for sub-circuits. A two-stage placement technique is proposed, which dramatically improves the placement accuracy without compromising the efficiency compared with the one-stage placement. The analog module routing consists of two phases including global routing and detailed routing. The minimum-Steiner-tree based global routing can be integrated into the placement procedure improve the routability of placement solutions. The compaction based constructive detailed routing finally realizes the layout of the whole circuit. The benefit of Aladin providing layouts comparable to expert manual ones is demonstrated with several existing tools.