Skip to Main Content
white paper

Analyzing EM/IR in IC design layouts to ensure reliability and performance

Two diagrams, first one shows hillocks and voids forming in interconnect, and second one is a circuit diagram showing three instances of parasitic resistance between a supply pin and a cell causing IR drop.
EM and IR drop are two critical design issues that can affect the performance and reliability of IC designs. Understanding the causes of EM and IR drop, and how to modify designs to minimize their impact, is essential to delivering IC designs whose manufactured performance and product reliability match the design intent. To complete these tasks efficiently, with confidence in the results, design teams need EDA tools that can quickly and accurately perform parasitic extraction and EM/IR analysis to enable them to analyze and optimize their designs to minimize EM and IR drop effects while still meeting tapeout schedules.

Solving electromigration and IR drop issues in IC design layouts is critical to ensure IC performance and reliability

Electrical reliability is fundamentally different from mechanical reliability. Because ICs don’t have moving parts, their reliability is mainly determined by external factors such as electrostatic discharge, electromigration, and variations in voltage and temperature. By understanding the root causes of critical issues like electromigration and IR drop, designers can apply this knowledge to fix and optimize IC layouts to reduce or eliminate their effects in the manufactured product. EDA tools that perform the requisite design analysis and provide accurate data in a timely manner can help design teams achieve their circuit performance and reliability goals while maintaining or accelerating time to market.

Share