Timing Optimization Through Clock Skew Scheduling

History of the Book The last three decades have witnessed an explosive development in integrated circuit fabrication technologies. The complexities of cur­ rent CMOS circuits are reaching beyond the 100 nanometer feature size and multi-hundred million transistors per integrated circuit. To fully exploit this technological potential, circuit designers use sophisticated Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools. While supporting the talents of innumerable microelectronics engineers, these CAD tools have become the enabling factor responsible for the successful design and implemen­ tation of thousands of high performance, large scale integrated circuits. This research monograph originated from a body of doctoral disserta­ tion research completed by the first author at the University of Rochester from 1994 to 1999 while under the supervision of Prof. Eby G. Friedman. This research focuses on issues in the design of the clock distribution net­ work in large scale, high performance digital synchronous circuits and particularly, on algorithms for non-zero clock skew scheduling. During the development of this research, it has become clear that incorporating timing issues into the successful integrated circuit design process is of fundamental importance, particularly in that advanced theoretical de­ velopments in this area have been slow to reach the designers' desktops.

Timing Optimization Through Clock Skew Scheduling focuses on optimizing the timing of large scale, high performance, digital synchronous systems. A particular emphasis is placed on algorithms for non-zero clock skew scheduling to improve the performance and reliability of VLSI circuits.

This research monograph answers the need for a broad introduction to state-of-the-art clock skew scheduling algorithms from a circuit, graph, and mathematical optimization background. A detailed description of clock skew scheduling application on edge-triggered and level-sensitive circuits, synchronized with single and multi-phase clocking schemes, and formulated as linear programming (LP) and quadratic programming (QP) formulations are provided along with an analysis of optimal computer solution techniques. Theoretical limits of improvement in clock frequency through clock skew scheduling are highlighted. Hints and a preliminary implementation of a parallel skew scheduling application are also included.

Timing Optimization Through Clock Skew Scheduling contains sufficient detail for the advanced CAD algorithm developer, researcher and graduate student. Furthermore, with the material provided on timing properties and optimization, those readers with less background can also benefit from this book.