Realistic worst-case circuit simulation system and method

Abstract

A system and method of simulating operation of an integrated circuit. First, circuit characteristics of circuit components are measured, and a set of circuit simulation model parameters are generated for each measured circuit component. Then, the operation of predefined circuit primitives is simulated using each of the generated sets of circuit simulation model parameters. The circuit primitives include the measured circuit components. The simulated operations are then analyzed to select ones of the simulated operations that are worst, best and nominal with respect to a specified circuit performance parameter and to extract model parameters corresponding to the worst case, best case and nominal case sets of circuit simulation model parameters from the generated sets of circuit simulation model parameters. Each extracted set of circuit simulation model parameters comprises one of the generated sets of circuit simulation model parameters. Then a target circuit is simulated using each of the worst case, best case and nominal case sets of circuit simulation model parameters so as to generate data representing the target circuits under worst case, best case and nominal case manufacturing conditions.