Reliability analysis of integrated circuits

A tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium having stored therein instructions for causing a data processing unit including a processor and a memory to execute the steps of:

• obtaining a circuit data file in the form of a connectivity network with appended parasitic information;
• simulating circuit performance, based on said connectivity network with said appended parasitic information, to obtain results including simulated currents for discretized representations of metallic conductive paths;
• obtaining contextual representations of said metallic conductive paths from said discretized representations;
• and
• performing reliability analysis on said contextual representations of said metallic conductive paths;
• wherein:
• said contextual representations comprise representations of said metallic conductive paths as substantially integral entities with substantially accurate dimensions and geometries, upon which said reliability analysis can be conducted;
• said discretized representations comprise representations of said metallic conductive paths as discrete elements;
• and
• said appended parasitic information comprises at least one of parasitic resistances and parasitic capacitances of said metallic conductive paths.

An apparatus for designing an integrated circuit comprising a data processing unit having a processor and a memory and being operative to:

• obtain a circuit data file in the form of a connectivity network with appended parasitic information;
• simulate circuit performance, based on said connectivity network with said appended parasitic information, to obtain results including simulated currents for discretized representations of metallic conductive paths;
• obtain contextual representations of said metallic conductive paths from said discretized representations;
• and
• perform reliability analysis on said contextual representations of said metallic conductive paths;
• wherein:
• said contextual representations comprise representations of said metallic conductive paths as substantially integral entities with substantially accurate dimensions and geometries, upon which said reliability analysis can be conducted;
• said discretized representations comprise representations of said metallic conductive paths as discrete elements;
• and
• said appended parasitic information comprises at least one of parasitic resistances and parasitic capacitances of said metallic conductive paths.