PeakView® xLEM™ is an automated chip-level electromagnetic (EM) extraction and sign-off platform that extends traditional parasitic extraction methodologies into large-scale 3D full-wave EM extraction. xLEM™ enables designers to perform physically reliable EM sign-off and EM isolation analysis directly on complete post-LVS layouts while preserving LVS integrity across any hierarchy level. Unlike conventional manual EM workflows, xLEM™ automatically extracts, simulates, models, and back-annotates critical interconnects and passive structures into the post-LVS simulation environment.
- Seamless PDK integration: Calibre LVS and all RC tools (xRC/xAct, StarRC,QRC)
- Full-wave layout parasitic extraction
- Connectivity reliability and automated back-annotation
xLEM™ Flow
- EM layout loaded from Calibre-LVS database (SVDB) with automatic port definition and net/passive selection by names. Layout loading automatically stops at the active device layer.
- EM simulation leverages PeakView® 3D fullwave EM solver technologies.
- Advanced back-annotation automatically connects NPORT and lumped RLCk models to industry-standard parasitic extraction formats.
- EM sign-off with post-LVS circuit simulation including xLEM™ models.
xLEM™ Compliments the Traditional LPE Flow for a Comprehensive EM Model
- Accuracy & Performance: xLEM™ utilizes PeakView®’s full-wave EM simulation technology to analyze critical interconnect, and provides a complete EM model with parasitic inductive, resistive, capacitive effects and substrate losses.
- Automation and Flow Integration: Designers select nets from the schematic or layout editor then HFD prepares them for net extraction, pin insertion for simulation, model generation and back-annotation while preserving the connectivity from LVS.
- Full-Wave EM Engine: Revolutionary EM solver technology with the capacity of efficiently handling a large assortment of interconnects with hundreds of ports to generate accurate electromagnetic models.
- Customized Accuracy Tuning: PeakView®’s flexible meshing techniques easily optimize EM simulations for special-purposed cases.
- Wide Applications: As operating frequencies scale beyond conventional RF ranges, these missing EM effects can significantly impact signal integrity, isolation, and overall system reliability. PeakView® xLEM™ excels in accounting for skin effect losses, which are not considered by traditional RC extraction tools.
Leveraging PeakView®’s xLEM™ Sign-Off Flow over Manual Hybrid EM Method
- Traditional EM verification flows rely on manually isolating interconnects and passive structures as black-box EM models, requiring extensive schematic and layout redesigns, manual port connections, and incomplete layouts that fail to capture realistic current return paths and full-wave coupling effects.
- PeakView® xLEM™ replaces this fragmented methodology with a fully automated chip-level EM extraction and back-annotation flow that preserves LVS integrity across hierarchical designs while enabling physically reliable 3D full-wave EM sign-off.
Flexible Backannotation Methods
Multiple methodologies support a wide range of high-speed IC, silicon photonics, and 3DIC verification requirements. Designers can select the optimal balance between EM accuracy, simulation capacity, and circuit integration.
- xLEM™L extracts frequency-aware parasitic inductive elements directly into the post-LVS netlist while preserving LVS integrity and existing RC extraction data.
- Applications: most commonly used in RF/high-speed parasitic extraction flow (StarRC, QRC, xAct) where designers are happy with RC extraction but worried about missing inductance.
- Advantages: Both inductance extraction and backannotation are extremely efficient, and the final model friendly to transient simulations.
- xLEM™NPORT generates broadband full-wave EM models for critical interconnects and passive structures using PeakView®’s 3D EM engine.
- Applications: This method is used when the high frequency effect or fullwave modeling is critical.
- Advantages: It provides highest EM modeling accuracy based on fullwave EM solver.
Silicon Correlation
- PeakView® EM solver technology has demonstrated strong correlation to silicon measurements across advanced process nodes and high-frequency designs.
- xLEM™ enables highly reliable EM sign-off for advanced interconnects, silicon photonics, and ultra-high-speed custom silicon systems.
- The HFD™ flow has been applied to RF Reference Design Kits from TSMC, where the results have been validated to match silicon from 40 GHz to 60 GHz.
xLEM™ Supported Formats
- xLEM™ Setup
- iRCX format technology file from TSMC
- ITF format technology file from foundries
- xLEM™ Input
- Calibre LVS® clean design through SVDB database
- PEX: Calibre xRC® / Synopsis StarRC™ / Cadence® QRC results in DSPF file format
- PEX: Calibre xRC® / Synopsis StarRC™ / Cadence® QRC results in extracted view
- xLEM™ Output
- DSPF file format, backannotated by PeakView® and ready for circuit simulation
- Cadence® format (OA/CDBA) extracted view, backannotated by PeakView® and ready for circuit simulation
- Platform
- Linux 64 bit, i.e. Redhat and SUSE
- LSF, NC-based computing farm