Method for analyzing interconnect process variation

Abstract

A method and a corresponding system for analyzing process variation and parasitic resistance-capacitance (RC) elements in an interconnect structure of an integrated circuit (IC) are provided. First descriptions of parasitic RC elements in an interconnect structure of an IC are generated. The first descriptions describe the parasitic RC elements respectively at a typical process corner and a peripheral process corner. Sensitivity values are generated at the peripheral process corner from the first descriptions. The sensitivity values respectively quantify how sensitive the parasitic RC elements are to process variation. The sensitivity values are combined into a second description of the parasitic RC elements that describes the parasitic RC elements as a function of a process variation parameter. Simulation is performed on the second description by repeatedly simulating the second description with different values for the process variation parameter.