maxViaArrayClusterSize

spacings(
(maxViaArrayClusterSize tx_layer
 'horizontal | 'vertical
 'mergeSpacing f_mergeSpacing
 {'clusterSpacing f_clusterSpacing
  |'clusterSpacingRange g_clusterSpacingRange
  ['lengthRange g_lengthRange ['checkLengthOfAnyArray]]
  ['clusterAny | 'clusterHorizontal | 'clusterVertical
   ['neighborDistanceRange g_neighborDistanceRange
             ['maxFacingEdgeNeighbors g_NumNeighbors
               ['checkEachSideNeighborsSeparately]
             ]
          ]
      ]
  ['prl f_prl]
 }
 ['layer g_layer ['colorMasks (mask1 mask2 ... maskn)]]
 ['enclosingLayer   tx_enclosingLayer
  ['enclosureValue  f_enclosureValue]
 ]
 ['clusterLength f_clusterLength]
 ['exceptExactAligned]
 ['sameMask]
 ['minNumCutsInArray x_minNumCutsInArray]
 ['maxNumCutsInArray x_maxNumCutsInArray]
 ['minClusterSize x_clusterSize]
 x_numViaArrays 
)

) ;spacings

(Virtuoso Advanced Node for Layout Only) Specifies the maximum number of via arrays that are allowed in a cluster.

The following example shows three vertically aligned and merged via arrays in a cluster.

Values

tx_layer

The layer on which the constraint is applied.

Type: String (layer and purpose names) or Integer (layer number)

x_numViaArrays

The maximum number of via arrays that are allowed in a cluster.

Parameters

`'horizontal \| 'vertical`
	The direction in which the vias should be merged into arrays. Type: Boolean
`'mergeSpacing` f_mergeSpacing
	Vias that are spaced at less than or equal to this value and are exactly aligned are considered for merging into arrays.
`'clusterSpacing` f_clusterSpacing
	Via arrays that are spaced at less than this value are considered for clustering.
`'clusterSpacingRange` g_clusterSpacingRange
	Shapes in this spacing range are considered for clusters. This parameter is an alternative to the `clusterSpacing` parameter.
`'lengthRange` g_lengthRange `['checkLengthOfAnyArray]`
	Specified with `clusterSpacingRange`. Only shapes in this range are considered. It is measured in the merge direction. If `checkLengthOfAnyArray` is also specified, the constraint applies if the length of any one of the via arrays is within g_lengthRange.
`'clusterAny \|'clusterHorizontal \| 'clusterVertical`
	Specified with `clusterSpacingRange`. It specifies the direction in which cluster distance should be measured. It can have one of these values: `clusterAny` (default), `clusterHorizontal`, or `clusterVertical`. Type: Boolean
`'neighborDistanceRange` g_neighborDistanceRange
	Specified when the cluster direction is specified as `clusterHorizontal` or `clusterVertical`. Neighbors are considered within this range in a direction orthogonal to the cluster direction.
`'maxFacingEdgeNeighbors` g_NumNeighbors
	Specified with `neighborDistanceRange` to indicate the maximum number of facing edge neighbors within the specified `neighborDistanceRange` for a cluster.
`'checkEachSideNeighborsSeparately`
	Specified with `maxFacingEdgeNeighbors` to indicate that neighbors on each side must be checked.
`'prl` f_prl	Specified with `clusterSpacingRange`. The constraint will be applicable only if all shapes in the cluster have parallel run length within this range.
`'sameMask`	The constraint applies only between vias on the same mask. Type: Boolean
`'layer` g_layer `['colorMasks (`mask1 mask2 `…` maskn`)]`
	The constraint applies only for cuts on the specified layer. The via can be either intersecting or enclosed within the metal. If the `colorMasks` parameter is also specified, the constraint applies selectively to cuts on the specified color masks. Masks are specified using integer values starting from `1` representing `mask1`.
`'enclosingLayer` tx_enclosingLayer
	(Virtuoso Layout Suite EXL and higher tiers) The constraint applies for the metal layer for which enclosures are checked on all sides of the via.
`'enclosureValue` f_enclosureValue
	(Virtuoso Layout Suite EXL and higher tiers) The constraint applies when enclosure of vias on the layer specified in the `enclosingLayer` parameter in any direction is less than this value.
`'clusterLength` f_clusterLength
	The constraint applies only if the length of the cluster is greater than this value.
`'exceptExactAligned`
	The constraint applies only if the merged vias are not exactly aligned. Type: Boolean
`'minNumCutsInArray` x_minNumCutsInArray
	The constraint applies only if at least one array in the cluster has at least this number of cuts.
`'maxNumCutsInArray` x_maxNumCutsInArray
	The constraint shows a violation if any array in the cluster has more than this number of cuts.
`'minClusterSize` x_clusterSize
	The constraint applies only when the number of via arrays in a cluster is more than or equal to this value.

Examples

Example 1: maxViaArrayClusterSize with numViaArrays and minNumCutsInArray

Consider the following constraint:

spacings(
    ( maxViaArrayClusterSize "Via1"
     'vertical   
  'mergeSpacing 0.11   
  'clusterSpacing 0.21 
  'exceptExactAligned   
  'sameMask 
  'minNumCutsInArray 4
  2
 )
) ;spacings

A couple of sample scenarios follow:

Example 2: maxViaArrayClusterSize with clusterSpacingRange

Vertically aligned vias that are within 0.02 are merged. Merged vias that are at least 0.1 in length and at a distance of less than 0.05 in the horizontal direction are considered as clustered. The constraint is met if there are no more than 2 merged vias in the cluster.

Example 3: maxViaArrayClusterSize with neighborDistanceRange and maxFacingEdgeNeighbors

The maximum cluster size is 3, and it can have a maximum of 4 neighbors.

Example 4: maxViaArrayClusterSize with neighborDistanceRange, maxFacingEdgeNeighbors, and checkEachSideNeighborsSeparately

The maximum cluster size is 4, and it can have a maximum of 3 neighbors on each side.

Example 5: maxViaArrayClusterSize with checkLengthOfAnyArray

Consider the following constraints in an AND group. The via spacing is short-to-short in the first case and long-to-short or long-to-long in the second case.

Example 6: maxViaArrayClusterSize with layer and colorMasks

The maximum cluster size is 4. The constraint applies only for cuts on layer Metal2 that are on colorMask 2.

Example 7: maxViaArrayClusterSize with clusterLength

The maximum cluster size is 3, and it can have a maximum of 4 neighbors.

Example 8: maxViaArrayClusterSize with maxNumCutsInArray and minClusterSize

The constraint is met if there are no more than 3 merged vias in the cluster. In both scenarios, the constraint applies because at least one array in the cluster has more than 1 cut but fails because the number of via arrays in the cluster is more than 2.

Return to top

Virtuoso Technology Data Constraints ReferenceProduct Version IC23.1, November 2023