Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation, Second Edition is a core reference text for graduate students and CAD professionals. Based on the very successful First Edition, it provides a comprehensive treatment of the principles and algorithms of VLSI physical design, presenting the concepts and algorithms in an intuitive manner. Each chapter contains 3-4 algorithms that are discussed in detail. Additional algorithms are presented in a somewhat shorter format. References to advanced algorithms are presented at the end of each chapter. Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation covers all aspects of physical design. In 1992, when the First Edition was published, the largest available microprocessor had one million transistors and was fabricated using three metal layers. Now we process with six metal layers, fabricating 15 million transistors on a chip. Designs are moving to the 500-700 MHz frequency goal. These stunning developments have significantly altered the VLSI field: over-the-cell routing and early floorplanning have come to occupy a central place in the physical design flow. This Second Edition introduces a realistic picture to the reader, exposing the concerns facing the VLSI industry, while maintaining the theoretical flavor of the First Edition. New material has been added to all chapters, new sections have been added to most chapters, and a few chapters have been completely rewritten. The textual material is supplemented and clarified by many helpful figures. Audience: An invaluable reference for professionals in layout, design automation and physical design.

Design and optimization of integrated circuits are essential to the creation of new semiconductor chips, and physical optimizations are becoming more prominent as a result of semiconductor scaling. Modern chip design has become so complex that it is largely performed by specialized software, which is frequently updated to address advances in semiconductor technologies and increased problem complexities. A user of such software needs a high-level understanding of the underlying mathematical models and algorithms. On the other hand, a developer of such software must have a keen understanding of computer science aspects, including algorithmic performance bottlenecks and how various algorithms operate and interact. "VLSI Physical Design: From Graph Partitioning to Timing Closure" introduces and compares algorithms that are used during the physical design phase of integrated-circuit design, wherein a geometric chip layout is produced starting from an abstract circuit design. The emphasis is on essential and fundamental techniques, ranging from hypergraph partitioning and circuit placement to timing closure.

The physical design flow of any project depends upon the size of the design, the technology, the number of designers, the clock frequency, and the time to do the design. As technology advances and design-styles change, physical design flows are constantly reinvented as traditional phases are removed and new ones are added to accommodate changes in technology. Handbook of Algorithms for Physical Design Automation provides a detailed overview of VLSI physical design automation, emphasizing state-of-the-art techniques, trends and improvements that have emerged during the previous decade. After a brief introduction to the modern physical design problem, basic algorithmic techniques, and partitioning, the book discusses significant advances in floorplanning representations and describes recent formulations of the floorplanning problem. The text also addresses issues of placement, net layout and optimization, routing multiple signal nets, manufacturability, physical synthesis, special nets, and designing for specialized technologies. It includes a personal perspective from Ralph Otten as he looks back on the major technical milestones in the history of physical design automation. Although several books on this topic are currently available, most are either too broad or out of date. Alternatively, proceedings and journal articles are valuable resources for researchers in this area, but the material is widely dispersed in the literature. This handbook pulls together a broad variety of perspectives on the most challenging problems in the field, and focuses on emerging problems and research results.

Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation, Third Edition covers all aspects of physical design. The book is a core reference for graduate students and CAD professionals. For students, concepts and algorithms are presented in an intuitive manner. For CAD professionals, the material presents a balance of theory and practice. An extensive bibliography is provided which is useful for finding advanced material on a topic. At the end of each chapter, exercises are provided, which range in complexity from simple to research level. Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation, Third Edition provides a comprehensive background in the principles and algorithms of VLSI physical design. The goal of this book is to serve as a basis for the development of introductory-level graduate courses in VLSI physical design automation. It provides self-contained material for teaching and learning algorithms of physical design. All algorithms which are considered basic have been included, and are presented in an intuitive manner. Yet, at the same time, enough detail is provided so that readers can actually implement the algorithms given in the text and use them. The first three chapters provide the background material, while the focus of each chapter of the rest of the book is on each phase of the physical design cycle. In addition, newer topics such as physical design automation of FPGAs and MCMs have been included. The basic purpose of the third edition is to investigate the new challenges presented by interconnect and process innovations. In 1995 when the second edition of this book was prepared, a six-layer process and 15 million transistor microprocessors were in advanced stages of design. In 1998, six metal process and 20 million transistor designs are in production. Two new chapters have been added and new material has been included in almost allother chapters. A new chapter on process innovation and its impact on physical design has been added. Another focus of the third edition is to promote use of the Internet as a resource, so wherever possible URLs have been provided for further investigation. Algorithms for VLSI Physical Design Automation, Third Edition is an important core reference work for professionals as well as an advanced level textbook for students.

&Quot;VLSI Physical Design Automation: Theory and Practice is an essential introduction for senior undergraduates, postgraduates and anyone starting work in the field of CAD for VLSI. It covers all aspects of physical design, together with such related areas as automatic cell generation, silicon compilation, layout editors and compaction. A problem-solving approach is adopted and each solution is illustrated with examples. Each topic is treated in a standard format: Problem Definition, Cost Functions and Constraints, Possible Approaches and Latest Developments."--BOOK JACKET.

Practical Problems in VLSI Physical Design Automation contains problems and solutions related to various well-known algorithms used in VLSI physical design automation. Dr. Lim believes that the best way to learn new algorithms is to walk through a small example by hand. This knowledge will greatly help understand, analyze, and improve some of the well-known algorithms. The author has designed and taught a graduate-level course on physical CAD for VLSI at Georgia Tech. Over the years he has written his homework with such a focus and has maintained typeset version of the solutions.