Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for analyzing and/or designing integrated circuits using virtual transparent cells disclosed. Some embodiments comprise calculating model values for virtual transparent cells or elements of an integrated circuit design varying a transparency variable in modeling equations, and allowing replacement of the cell with a wire based upon the calculations. Varying the value of the transparency value for the calculations may allow the virtual transparent cells to be continuously modeled between a wire and a conventional version of the cell. Some embodiments may comprise a cell library with one or more modeling formulas for one or more virtual transparent cells and a response module to calculate different model values of the modeling formulas.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for analyzing and/or designing integrated circuits using virtual transparent cells disclosed. Some embodiments comprise calculating model values for virtual transparent cells or elements of an integrated circuit design varying a transparency variable in modeling equations, and allowing replacement of the cell with a wire based upon the calculations. Varying the value of the transparency value for the calculations may allow the virtual transparent cells to be continuously modeled between a wire and a conventional version of the cell. Some embodiments may comprise a cell library with one or more modeling formulas for one or more virtual transparent cells and a response module to calculate different model values of the modeling formulas.

Abstract: A 2-dimensional placement system and method minimize reliability concerns arising from electromigration and self-heat while at the same time achieving a high layout density. The 2-dimensional placement method also uses a placement space with rows that have non-uniform sizes and are overlapping. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a computerized method of creating a layout for a circuit design includes receiving a circuit design and receiving at least one layout rule based on a reliability verification constraint for the circuit design. The computerized method further includes generating a layout for the circuit design through computer automated operations wherein the layout generated satisfies the at least one layout rule based on the reliability verification constraint received for the circuit design.