Patent ID: 8001493
Filing Date: 2011-08-16
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-performed method for characterizing a design of a memory cell, comprising: pre-selecting subsets of circuit parameters of memory cell circuit elements, wherein the subsets correspond to a plurality of operational performance variables describing performance of the memory cell, wherein the subsets are pre-selected according to an expectation that first sensitivities of the operational performance variables to changes in the circuit parameters within their corresponding subsets are greater than second sensitivities of the performance variables with respect to changes in other circuit parameters that are not included in their corresponding subsets; determining values of statistical descriptors, including at least mean values, for the associated circuit parameters for simulation by a simulation program within a computer system; statistically simulating, by the computer program, the operational performance variables using the values of the statistical descriptors; repeating the statistically simulating, while systematically varying the circuit parameters in the corresponding subsets by adjusting their associated mean values and while maintaining the mean values associated with the circuit parameters that are not included within the subsets at fixed values across the multiple repetitions of the statistically simulating until the circuit parameters have been varied across corresponding predetermined ranges; computing the first sensitivities of the operational performance variables to the systematic variations of the mean values of the memory cell circuit parameters within their corresponding subsets from results of the statistically simulating by computing measures of partial derivatives of variations of the corresponding operational performance variables to the variations of the mean values of the memory cell circuit parameters; and storing the computed sensitivities in a memory of the computer system.