1.) How do you determine Die (core) area given total chip area 8um x 12 um?

Hard blockages 25%, IO area = 6%, macro area = 30%. Come up with the aspect ratio of this design?

Total area of Die=96 um^2 IO area=5.76um^2 Core area=Die area-IO area =96-5.76 =90.24um^2 Total IO area=5.76 IO area per side=5.76/4=1.44 IO area on top side=12X0.12=1.44 IO area on left side=8X0.18=1.44 Height of the IOs on top and bottom based on the area per side=0.18um Height of the IOs on left and right based on the area per side=0.12um Height of core=8-0.18=7.82 um Width of core=12-0.12=11.88 um Aspect ratio of core=7.82/11.88=0.658 Or Total area of the core=90.24um^2=9.49X9.49um Aspect ratio=9.49/9.49=1

2.) What constraints you are going to take care at floor plan stage? Placement blockages Routing blockages Orientation of standard cell and macros Utilization Aspect Ratio Offset to IO boundary IO placement order and offset Placement Guide, fence and region

3.) Insert well taps cells (process guideline pitch =15un) from library in staggered manner? If well tap not there use BUF 1. In the library there are no well tap cells, so I have used TBUFX1 instead of well tap cell. It has been inserted in the core with a pitch of 15 micro meters. You can insert this by using GUI option as well as command mode.

4.) Create halos of 2.5un on all memories? Merge halos where ever required. The halos are created for all the macros where ever its required. For some macros the halos created only on top & right side and for other macros its created bottom & right side. The halos are merged where the two macros are coming closer to each other, in that location no need provide halos for two macros. The screen shot has been attached for merging of halos,

5.) Why soft, hard, partial blockages are used? Define a partial blockage around one of the memory and try to place 10 BUF1 into it? The hard blockage used where you dont want to place any standard cell in that area. It wont allow standard cell to be placed during placement and optimization stage. The soft blockage used only the tool will add some standard cell during optimization stage and not during placement stage. The partial blockage used to give percentage of that area (blockage area) allowed placing standard cell during placement stage. If you give partial blockage as 40%, the tool will allow only 40 % of the blockage area to be used or cells are placed in 40% of the area of the blockage. The remaining 60% of the area will be free.

6.) Create routing channel b/w any two macros? Show with the right calculation of channel length? There are two macros sitting adjacent to each other. Those macros are MEM2_128X32 and MEM2_128X32. Number of pins in Macro (MEM2_128X32): 148 Number of pins in top side: 134 Number of pins in right side: 14 Number of pins in Macro (MEM2_128X32):148 Number of pins in top side: 134 Number of pins in right side: 14 The first macro pins are oriented towards the core. So pins of first macro you dont need to consider while calculating channel between two macros. For the second macro also 134 pins are only comes in between two macros, so for channel calculation you consider this 134 pins only. The remaining 14 pins of this macro will come other side of the macro (comes core side not in-between two macros), it wont count for channel length calculation. The length of channel between two macros should able to route 134 pins. Number of routing layers available for routing the macro pins: 6 The metal layers 2 to 7 you can use it for signal routing, metal 8 & 9 used for power routing and metal 1 is used for power rail routing. You can use 6 metal layers for routing of pins of the macro in the channel. You need to route these pins of macro through horizontal and not in vertical, you are having routing blockage over the macros in vertical. So only consider horizontal routing pitch of metals. Routing pitch of METAL3: 0.2 Routing pitch of METAL5: 0.2 Routing pitch of METAL7: 0.2 Horizontal routing layers available: 3 Channel length: (134 * 0.2)/3 =26.4/3 = 8.8 micro meter So you can take channel length as 9 micro meters.

7.) Report congestion and what % of congestion you see and which layer is higher?