Guiding design actions for complex failure modes

A computer usable program product comprising a computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for guiding design actions for complex failure modes in an integrated circuit (IC) design, the computer usable code comprising:

• computer usable code for receiving a probability of failure estimate of a circuit according to the IC design, the probability being determined using a simulation;
• computer usable code for computing, in an application executing using a processor, a sensitivity of the probability of failure to a variable associated with a component in the circuit, wherein the sensitivity is determined by an estimation without the simulation;
• and
• computer usable code for depicting the sensitivity relative to the component in the IC design such that the sensitivity is associated with the component and a visual relationship between the component and the sensitivity of the probability of failure to the variable associated with the component is usable for adjusting a characteristic of the component to reduce the probability of failure of the circuit.

A data processing system for guiding design actions for complex failure modes in an integrated circuit (IC) design, the data processing system comprising:

• a storage device including a storage medium, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code;
• and
• a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code, and wherein the computer usable program code comprises:
• computer usable code for receiving a probability of failure estimate of a circuit according to the IC design, the probability being determined using a simulation;
• computer usable code for computing, in an application executing using a processor, a sensitivity of the probability of failure to a variable associated with a component in the circuit, wherein the sensitivity is determined by an estimation without the simulation;
• and
• computer usable code for depicting the sensitivity relative to the component in the IC design such that the sensitivity is associated with the component and a visual relationship between the component and the sensitivity of the probability of failure to the variable associated with the component is usable for adjusting a characteristic of the component to reduce the probability of failure of the circuit.