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Do we need to keep spacing between macro if it doesn t have pins facing each other.(
expectation was to justify our answer)
In the flow why macros were placed only at the bottom
How do we Qualify floorplan
Before starting placement what we do?
Congestion and solution
Checks after placement
Qualifying placement
Before starting cts what we need to do (analyze the quality of placement)
Inputs to CTS
What we analyze after CTS
How we can tell CTS is build properly
Clock path (why do we set transition limit) If library has max tran limit of 1ns
and you are getting 900ps as transition value, can you take it further (No as c
lock tree has a chain of buffer we will see min pulse width violation clock absorpt
ion )
What you did in routing
Steps in routing
Have you run caliber (inputs to DRC and LVS)
List some DRC s and LVS issues
timing problem to calculate setup and hold slack
explain vth ( on what it depends )
explain latchup( how do you reduce )
why are fillers used
what are end cap cells ?
what are decap cells ?
Power planning, EM violation - he expected more :-)
Do we place anything b/w Macros?
How do you estimate die size?
How do you calculate Aspect Ratio?
How you place macros? For my exp, 10-15 Macros was not sufficient. He was expect
ing 100/150+ M
Do you know test mode? How do you insert scan chains? How it is done?
Do you know about set_false_path, clock_groups, mutually_exclusive, asynchronous
, case_analysis?
Case 1: there is a 2:1 mux. set_case_analysis is set to 0 .Case 2: there is another 2:1
mux. set_disable_timing is set on B->Y.What is the difference? Explain w.r.t ti
ming arcs.
What is the difference b/w Exclude pin and Ignore Pin?
Command to spread the cells.
During Placement if more cells are added(utilization increases) by the tool, wha
t could be the reason?
How setup/hold analysis are done on CGCs?
Why ENDCAP and WELL TAP are added before Placement only?
During FloorPlan, if IO info is not given, then how will you proceed? Say, you c
ant ask the manager(he too doesn't know) nor you can assume and add.
Let's say after Placement there is setup violation. What will you do? How will y
ou analyze? How will you validate the violation?
Why power stripes routed in the top metal layers?
Why do you use alternate routing approach HVH/VHV (Horizontal-Vertical-Horizonta
l/Vertical-Horizontal-Vertical)?
What are several factors to improve propagation delay of standard cell?
How do you compute net delay (interconnect delay) / decode RC values present in
tech file?
What are various ways of timing optimization in synthesis tools?
What would you do in order not to use certain cells from the library?
How delays are characterized using WLM (Wire Load Model)?
What are various techniques to resolve congestion/noise?
Let s say there enough routing resources available, timing is fine, can you increase
clock buffers in clock network? If so will there be any impact on other paramet
ers?
How do you optimize skew/insertion delays in CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis)?
What are pros/cons of latch/FF (Flip Flop)?
How you go about fixing timing violations for latch- latch paths?
As an engineer, let s say your manager comes to you and asks for next project die si
ze estimation/projection, giving data on RTL size, performance requirements. How
do you goabout the figuring out and come up with die size considering physical
aspects?
How will you design inserting voltage island scheme between macro pins crossing
core and are at different power wells? What is the optimal resource solution?
What are various formal verification issues you faced and how did you resolve?
How do you calculate maximum frequency given setup, hold, clock and clock skew?
What are effects of meta-stability?
What are the challenges you faced in place and route, FV (Formal Verification),
ECO(Engineering Change Order) areas?
How long the design cycle for your designs?
What part are your areas of interest in physical design?
Explain ECO (Engineering Change Order) methodology.
Explain CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis) flow.
What kind of routing issues you faced?
How does STA (Static Timing Analysis) in OCV (On Chip Variation) conditions done
? How do you set OCV (On Chip Variation) in IC compiler? How is timing correlati
on done before and after place and route?
If there are too many pins of the logic cells in one place within core, what kin
d of issues would you face and how will you resolve?
Define hash/ @array in perl.
Using TCL (Tool Command Language, Tickle) how do you set variables?
What is ICC (IC Compiler) command for setting derate factor/ command to perform
physical synthesis?
What are nano route options for search and repair?
What were your design skew/insertion delay targets?
How is IR drop analysis done? What are various statistics available in reports?
Explain pin density/ cell density issues, hotspots?
How will you relate routing grid with manufacturing grid and judge if the routin
g grid is set correctly?
What is the command for setting multi cycle path?
If hold violation exists in design, is it OK to sign off design? If not, why?
How are timing constraints developed?
Explain timing closure flow/methodology/issues/fixes.
Explain SDF (Standard Delay Format) back annotation/ SPEF (Standard Parasitic Ex
change Format) timing correlation flow.
Given a timing path in multi-mode multi-corner, how is STA (Static Timing Analys
is) performed in order to meet timing in both modes and corners, how are PVT (Pr
ocess-Voltage-Temperature)/derate factors decided and set in the Primetime flow?
With respect to clock gate, what are various issues you faced at various stages
in the physical design flow?
What are synthesis strategies to optimize timing?
Explain ECO (Engineering Change Order) implementation flow. Given post routed da
tabase and functional fixes, how will you take it to implement ECO (EngineeringC
hange Order) and what physical and functional checks you need to perform?
In building the timing constraints, do you need to constrain all IO (Input-Outpu
t) ports?
Can a single port have multi-clocked? How do you set delays for such ports?
How is scan DEF (Design Exchange Format) generated?
What is purpose of lock up latch in scan chain?
How do you set inter clock uncertainty?
In DC (Design Compiler), how do you constrain clocks, IO (Input-Output) ports, m
axcap,max tran?
What are differences in clock constraints from pre CTS (Clock Tree Synthesis) to
post
How the width of metal and number of straps calculated for power and ground?
What is negative slack ? How it affects timing?
What is track assignment?
What is grided and gridless routing?
What is a macro and standard cell?
What is congestion?
Whether congestion is related to placement or routing?
What are clock trees?
What are clock tree types?
Which layer is used for clock routing and why?
What is cloning and buffering?
What are placement blockages?
How slow and fast transition at inputs effect timing for gates?
What is antenna effect?
What are DFM issues?
What is .lib, LEF, DEF, .tf?
What is the difference between synthesis and simulation?
What is metal density, metal slotting rule?
What is OPC, PSM?
Why clock is not synthesized in DC?
What are high-Vt and low-Vt cells?
What corner cells contains?
What is the difference between core filler cells and metal fillers?
How to decide number of pads in chip level design?
What is tie-high and tie-low cells and where it is used
What is LEF?
What is DEF?
what is techfile?
what is .tf?
what is .lib?
what is .db file?
What are the steps involved in designing an optimal pad ring?
What are the steps that you have done in the design flow?
What are the issues in floor plan?
How can you estimate area of block?
How much aspect ratio should be kept (or have you kept) and what is the utilizat
ion?
How to calculate core ring and stripe widths?
What if hot spot found in some area of block? How you tackle this?
After adding stripes also if you have hot spot what to do?
What is threshold voltage? How it affect timing?
What is content of lib, lef, sdc?
What is meant my 9 track, 12 track standard cells?
What is scan chain? What if scan chain not detached and reordered? Is it compuls
ory?
What is setup and hold? Why there are ? What if setup and hold violates?
In a circuit, for reg to reg path ...Tclktoq is 50 ps, Tcombo 50ps, Tsetup 50ps,
tskew is 100ps. Then what is the maximum operating frequency?
How R and C values are affecting time?
How ohm (R), fared (C) is related to second (T)?
What is transition? What if transition time is more?
What is difference between normal buffer and clock buffer?
What is antenna effect? How it is avoided?
What is ESD?
What is cross talk? How can you avoid?
How double spacing will avoid cross talk?
What is difference between HFN synthesis and CTS?
What is hold problem? How can you avoid it?
For an iteration we have 0.5ns of insertion delay and 0.1 skew and for other ite
ration 0.29ns insertion delay and 0.25 skew for the same circuit then which one