Synopsys, Inc.
Layout-aware test pattern generation and fault detection

Abstract:

Methods and apparatuses to assign faults to nets in an integrated circuit (IC) are described. Each net comprises a drive pin, a set of load pins, and a fan-out structure that electrically couples the drive pin to the set of load pins. During operation, a fan-out structure of a net can be partitioned into a set of non-overlapping subnets and a set of branch nodes, wherein each branch node electrically couples three or more non-overlapping subnets. Next, each branch node can be represented by using a subnet primitive, wherein each subnet primitive comprises three or more pins that are electrically coupled to non-overlapping subnets that are electrically coupled by the branch node. A fault can then be assigned to a pin of a subnet primitive that is electrically coupled to a non-overlapping subnet, thereby modeling the fault in the non-overlapping subnet.