Towards automated analog design verification: a case study on the design, layout and automated verification of an op-amp in a 12nm FinFET technology using script-based, EDA tool-agnostic PVT analysis

The verification of analog circuits at advanced technology nodes poses significant challenges due to Process, Voltage, and Temperature (PVT) variations, LayoutDependent Effects (LDEs), and parasitics. Traditional manual verification is timeconsuming, error-prone, and often insufficient for robust pe...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autor: Pastor Amat, Mireia
Tipo de recurso: tesis de maestría
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/452523
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/452523
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Analog integrated circuits
Integrated circuits--Verification
Electronic circuit design
Analog design
FinFETs
Automation
Verification
PVT corners
Circuits integrats analògics
Circuits integrats--Verificació
Circuits electrònics--Disseny i construcció
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria electrònica::Microelectrònica::Circuits integrats
Descripción
Sumario:The verification of analog circuits at advanced technology nodes poses significant challenges due to Process, Voltage, and Temperature (PVT) variations, LayoutDependent Effects (LDEs), and parasitics. Traditional manual verification is timeconsuming, error-prone, and often insufficient for robust performance assessment. This thesis presents a script-based, Electronic Design Automation (EDA) toolagnostic framework for automated PVT verification of analog circuits, demonstrated on a two-stage operational amplifier implemented in 12 nm FinFET technology. The amplifier was designed and laid out to meet its basic specifications, serving as a practical learning vehicle rather than an optimized tape-out-ready design. The framework integrates post-layout parasitic extraction, deterministic corner sweeps, and automated performance reporting, while allowing design specifications to be provided as script inputs for flexible and repeatable checks. The results highlight the impact of parasitics and layout-induced variations, while offering a flexible foundation for further automation and adaptation to other analog designs. This work contributes a practical, modular approach to improving analog verification efficiency, accuracy, and reproducibility in modern nanometer-scale technologies.