Patent ID: 8806418
Filing Date: 2014-08-12
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: using a processing system, receiving an integrated circuit (IC) design; generating a first plurality of sample values including a first set of sample values for a first characteristic of the IC design based upon a first predefined probability distribution of the first characteristic and including a second set of sample values for a second characteristic of the IC design based upon a second predefined probability distribution of the second characteristic; simulating, based upon the IC design, to determine a first set of IC performance information, wherein each IC performance information of the first set represents an expected performance of an IC device having a corresponding first pair of sample values, each corresponding first pair of sample values including a corresponding sample value of the first set of sample values and of the second set of sample values; generating a second plurality of sample values including a third set of sample values for the first characteristic of the IC design based upon a third predefined probability distribution of the first characteristic of the IC design and including a fourth set of sample values for the second characteristic of the IC design based upon a fourth predefined probability distribution of the second characteristic of the IC design, wherein the third predefined probability distribution is obtained by scaling a standard deviation of the first predefined probability distribution by a scaling factor λ that is a real number greater than 1.0, and wherein the fourth predefined probability distribution is obtained by scaling a standard deviation of the second predefined probability distribution by the scaling factor λ; simulating, based on the IC design, to determine a second set of IC performance information, wherein each IC performance information of the second set represents an expected performance of an IC device having a corresponding second pair of sample values, each corresponding second pair of sample values including a corresponding sample value of the third set of sample values and of the fourth set of sample values; and determining a manufacturing characteristic of integrated circuits based on the first and second set of IC performance information.