Patent Document ID: 7797657
Application ID: 11679831
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A computerized method of decreasing processing time in multi-corner static timing analysis, the method comprising: determining an n number of dependent parameters (P i ) for timing analysis, wherein the n number of dependent parameters (P i ) define a process space {P 1 , P 2 ,. .. P n } including an n number of process sub-spaces each including parameters P i→n ; organizing the n number of dependent parameters (P i ) in a decreasing parameter order from a first parameter P 1 having a largest variability of timing to a last parameter P n having a smallest variability on timing; assigning a corresponding slack cutoff (c i ) {c 1 , c 2 ,. .. c n } for each parameter of the n number of parameters, wherein each corresponding slack cutoff c i represents an estimated maximum slack change between a starting corner for the process space {P 1 , P 2 ,. .. P n } a and any other corner in a corresponding process sub-space {P i→n }; and performing, by using a computer, a multi-corner timing analysis by utilizing the decreasing parameter order to output an indication of timing verification for one or more paths of an integrated circuit design, wherein said performing a multi-corner timing analysis includes: comparing each starting corner slack to slack cutoff c 1 to determine any paths having a starting corner slack that fails the slack cutoff c 1 ; analyzing one or more remaining paths of the paths that fail the previous slack cutoff comparison by varying the next parameter P i in the parameter order, starting with P 1 , to each of its corner parameter values while holding any other unvaried parameter at its starting corner parameter value and holding any previously varied parameter at a corner parameter value that produced its corresponding worst slack value, said analyzing including: determining a worst slack value for each of the one or more remaining paths; comparing each worst slack value corresponding to varying P i with slack cutoff c i+1 ; and determining any paths that have a worst slack value corresponding to varying P i that fails the slack cutoff c i+1 ; and repeating said analyzing step for each parameter P i until no paths fail a slack cutoff comparison and/or said varying of P n−1 is performed.