Patent ID: 7970590

Claim:
A method for modeling fabrication process parameter variation for circuit timing analysis of a resistance/capacitance (“RC”) circuit in an electronic design automation tool for integrated circuit design, the method comprising: receiving, at one or more computer systems hosting the electronic design automation tool, a plurality of resistance variation parameter values characteristic of variation in resistance values associated with the RC circuit due to a fabrication process, each resistance variation parameter value associated with at least one resistor of the RC circuit; receiving, at the one or more computer systems, a plurality of capacitance variation parameter values characteristic of variation in capacitance values associated with the RC circuit due to the fabrication process, each capacitance variation parameter value associated with at least one capacitor of the RC circuit; calculating, with one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a sum of products, wherein each product in the sum of products includes a resistance value multiplied by an associated resistance variation component multiplied by a downstream capacitance multiplied by an associated capacitance variation component, wherein the resistance value includes a resistance for each resistor in each path of the RC circuit, wherein the associated resistance variation component includes for each resistor a resistance variation parameter value associated with the resistor, wherein the downstream capacitance is associated with capacitors between each resistor and a ground, and wherein the associated capacitance variation component includes the capacitance variation parameter value associated with each of the capacitors between each resistor and ground; determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, a circuit delay value based on the calculated sum of products; and storing formation associated with the circuit delay value in a storage device associated with the one or more computer systems.