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.