Create Technology File
The Virtuoso technology database is provided by the foundry (for IC fabrics) or the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) for package fabrics. Typically, the technology rules provided by OSAT houses are in the form of manuals that must be transcribed to Virtuoso technology file constructs that are subsequently loaded into Virtuoso.
The Virtuoso technology model has been extended and adapted to cover new constructs that are specific to the packaging world. Examples of the packaging concepts that are captured in the Virtuoso technology file are:
- An attribute stating that the corresponding technology represents a package fabric. This attribute is used heavily in Virtuoso to provide specialized operations for package layouts.
- The layer cross-section of the packaging substrate. Unlike IC fabrics, it is important for the cross section to include detailed electrical and physical information for both the conducting and dielectric layers. This information is used by the 3D extractor to accurately present the mesh that needs to be solved to create realistic S-Parameter models that can be integrated with the rest of the system for realistic simulation.
- The physical constraints define the spacing, width, and clearance rules between different objects in the layout. Unlike IC fabrics where spacing rules are provided for a specific layer, in package fabrics different spacing rules might apply for different types of objects on the same layer. A mitigating factor is that unlike IC fabrics, where a constraint can be a complicated 3D table, a package fabric has scalar values.
- The Boolean operations describing the relationship between voiding layers and conducting layers to create the effective conducting shapes. Unlike IC fabrics where a shape on a layer associated with a trim operation splits a single shape into different conducting sub-shapes, the package fabric uses the trim operation to etch away portions of a dynamic shape that could cause an electrical short with another shape.
- Unlike IC fabrics where via definitions include metal shapes and cut shapes that represent the signal propagation from one layer to another, package fabric vias are typically represented with a mechanically drilled hole where there is an implicit assumption of conductivity through the range of layers covered by the via.
- The specification of 3D bond wire profiles that are used in a bond wire-based attachment of dies. This is unique to package fabrics.
*WARNING* (OA-37002): Cannot set SIP Design type, because fabric type 'unspecified' of the attached technology database is not 'package', 'board' or 'module'.
The technology file must be created manually if the alternative is not available. A sample technology file is provided in the appendix of the Interoperability document (to be provided).
Related Topics
Constructs in the Technology File
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