Hierarchical critical area extraction with the EYE tool

Abstract

A software tool to extract critical areas from commercial IC mask data is reported. The EYE (Edinburgh Yield Estimator) tool uses fast O(NlogN) critical area algorithms and is able to perform operations hierarchically making it suitable for use on large devices. The tool has applications in yield prediction, optimising the manufacturability of IC layout, and the generation of defect sensitivity visualisation aids in the form of fault probability maps.