Methods and mechanisms for extracting and reducing capacitor elements

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer accessible medium having stored thereupon a set of stored instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

• providing a user interface for selecting a mode of execution that comprises a first mode of execution or a second mode of extraction for extracting capacitance from a layout record, wherein
• the first mode of extraction provides greater accuracy than the second mode, and
• the second mode provides better efficiency than the first mode;
• and
• determining a capacitor element by imposing a voltage on a conductor to determine a total charge on or a capacitance value of the conductor based at least in part upon whether virtual metal fill is used for the mode of extraction, in which the virtual metal fill accounts for an electrical effect of an actual conductor in the layout record without including one or more shapes corresponding to the virtual metal fill in the layout record;
• imposing voltages on a plurality of conductors in the layout record and determining a total charge for each of the plurality of conductors, wherein the first mode of extraction is selected;
• and
• extracting the capacitance from the layout record based at least in part on the mode of extraction that has been selected.

A system for extracting capacitance from a layout record, comprising:

• at least one processor that is to:
• select a mode of extraction for extracting capacitance from a layout record, the mode of extraction comprises a first mode of extraction or a second mode of extraction, wherein
• the first mode of extraction provides greater accuracy than the second mode, and
• the second mode provides better efficiency than the first mode;
• and
• determine a capacitor element by imposing a voltage on a conductor to determine a total charge on or a capacitance value of the conductor based at least in part upon whether virtual metal fill is used for the mode of extraction, in which the virtual metal fill accounts for an electrical effect of an actual conductor in the layout record without including one or more shapes corresponding to the virtual metal fill in the layout record;
• imposing voltages on a plurality of conductors in the layout record and determining a total charge for each of the plurality of conductors, wherein the first mode of extraction is selected;
• and
• extracting the capacitance from the layout record based at least in part on the mode of extraction that has been selected.