Dynamic and adaptive timing sensitivity during static timing analysis using look-up table

A method for performing a static timing analysis used in integrated circuit chip design, said method comprising:

• creating a look-up table of previously determined timing value sensitivity with respect to characteristics of physical features of portions of integrated circuit designs and storing said look-up table in a memory accessible by a computerized device;
• receiving an integrated circuit design into said computerized device;
• performing an analysis of said integrated circuit design to identify characteristics of physical features of portions of said integrated circuit design, using said computerized device;
• and
• determining sensitivities of timing values of different portions, respectively, of said integrated circuit design to manufacturing process variables, voltage variables, and temperature variables (PVT variables), using said computerized device, wherein, for each portion of said integrated circuit design, a sensitivity of a timing value is determined by:
• evaluating, by said computerized device, relationships between said characteristics of physical features of said portion of said integrated circuit design to generate an indicator value;
• determining whether said indicator value is outside or within a table usage filter value range;
• when said indicator value is within said table usage filter value range, calculating, by said computerized device, a calculated sensitivity value for said sensitivity of said timing value to said PVT variables;
• and
• when said indicator value is within said table usage filter range, looking up a previously determined sensitivity value for said sensitivity of said timing value to said PVT variables from said look-up table, wherein using said look-up table reduces a runtime and memory requirements for said static timing analysis while maintaining accuracy.

A computer program product for performing an analysis, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the program instructions being executable by a computerized device to cause the computerized device to perform a method for performing a static timing analysis used in integrated circuit chip design, the method comprising:

• creating a look-up table of previously determined timing value sensitivity with respect to characteristics of physical features of portions of integrated circuit designs and storing said look-up table in a memory accessible by said computerized device;
• receiving an integrated circuit design into said computerized device;
• performing an analysis of said integrated circuit design to identify characteristics of physical features of portions of said integrated circuit design, using said computerized device;
• and
• determining sensitivities of timing values of different portions, respectively, of said integrated circuit design to manufacturing process variables, voltage variables, and temperature variables (PVT variables), using said computerized device, wherein, for each of portion of said integrated circuit design, a sensitivity of a timing value is determined by:
• evaluating relationships between said characteristics of physical features of said portion of said integrated circuit design to generate an indicator value;
• determining whether said indicator value is outside or within a table usage filter value range;
• when said indicator value is outside said table usage filter value range, calculating a calculated sensitivity value for said sensitivity of said timing value to said PVT variables;
• and
• when said indicator value is within said table usage filter range, looking up a previously determined sensitivity value for said sensitivity of said timing value to said PVT variables from said look-up table, wherein using said look-up table reduces a runtime and memory requirements for said static timing analysis while maintaining accuracy.