Basics of Physical Design
📘 Basics of Physical Design Physical Design is the process of converting the synthesized netlist (from RTL) into a layout that can be manufactured on silicon. This stage starts after logic synthesis and ends with GDSII generation. 🔹 RTL to GDSII Flow Overview Logic Synthesis → Netlist generation Floorplanning → Die/core planning, power grid setup Placement → Standard cell placement and legalization Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) → Distribution of clock with minimal skew Routing → Global + detailed routing of signals Timing Closure → Fix setup/hold, IR drop, noise Signoff → DRC, LVS, ERC checks before tapeout 🔹 Key Constraints Constraint Description Timing Meet setup and hold requirements across all paths. Area Optimize utilization to reduce die size. Power Manage leakage, dynamic power, and IR drop. 🔹 Inte...