An efficient delay metric on RC interconnects under saturated ramp inputs

Abstract

This paper presents a simple and fast delay metric RC-class interconnects under step and saturated ramp inputs. The proposed RC delay metric under step input, called MECM(Modified ECM), provides a reasonable accuracy without using circuit moments. The next RC delay metric under saturated ramp inputs, called FDM(Fast Delay Metric), can estimate delay times at an arbitrary node using a simple closed-form expression and is extended from MECM easily. As compared with similar techniques proposed in previous researches, it is shown that the FDM technique involves much lower computational complexity for a similar accuracy. As the number of circuit nodes increases, there will be a significant difference in estimation times of RC delay between the previous techniques based on two circuit moments and the FDM which do not depend on circuit moments.