Freezing and Unfreezing Pcell Instances

For Pcell editing, all geometric updates are performed through the Pcell parameters. Also, stretch handles provide you with a graphical way to update Pcell geometries. However, these graphical updates are also internally managed through Pcell parameters. For user-defined Pcells, there may be a situation when the desired Pcell editing cannot be performed by the supported Pcell parameters. In such cases, you can use the freeze and unfreeze Pcells options. The freeze and unfreeze commands enable you to perform Pcell editing that is not supported by the Pcell parameters.

The freeze Pcell feature enables you to convert a Pcell instance to a non-Pcell instance of a new master created on the disk. Similar to any other instance, once you freeze the Pcell instance, you can use the Edit In Place command to perform geometric updates to the design master.

The unfreeze Pcell feature enables you to convert the frozen non-Pcell instance to its original Pcell instance.

You can use either of the following ways to freeze and unfreeze Pcells:

• Use SKILL functions:
  • Use the leFreezeInst function to convert a Pcell instance to a non-Pcell instance of a new master created on the disk. This function preserves the geometry, connectivity, and cross-probing with schematic information of the instance.
  • Use the leUnfreezeInst function to convert the frozen non-Pcell instance to its original Pcell instance. Any editing that has been performed on the non-Pcell instance is not preserved.
• Use the Freeze Pcell and Unfreeze Pcell shortcut menu commands to freeze and unfreeze a Pcell instance.
  Use the Freeze Pcell Instance form to specify the library, cell, and view of the non-Pcell instance of the new master created on the disk. Alternatively, you can use the supressFreezePcellUI environment variable to freeze a Pcell instance without displaying the Freeze Pcell Instance form.

Related Topics

Freeze Pcell Instance Form

reuseExistingFrozenMaster