Context-aware Post Routing Redundant Via Insertion

Abstract

Effective algorithms have been invented for post-routing redundant via insertion (RVI). However, implementations of these algorithms often ignore some practical issues. In this article, we implement a post-routing RVI algorithm that takes into account interconnect contexts during RVI. Experimental results show that our context-aware RVI on average raises via1 (vias between metal layer 1 and 2) insertion rate from 37.4% to 72.1% and total insertion rate from 72.5% to 85.8%. On average, it increases RVI rate of critical paths by 3.6%. Besides, with redundant pin-area minimization, our approach reduces metal 1 and metal 2 area used for RVI at pins by 3%.