A semi-formal min-cost buffer insertion technique considering multi-mode multi-corner timing constraints

Buffer Insertion has always been the most effective approach for timing optimization in VLSI designs. However, the emerging low-power design paradigm and the consideration of multiple operation modes and process corners (MMMC) have raised great challenges. Traditional dynamic-programming-based techniques are unable to cope with these challenges. In this paper, we develop a novel buffer insertion algorithm that utilizes a neighborhood restriction to simplify the constraint formulation and apply a semi-formal buffer refinement process to minimize buffer cost. The experimental results show that our tool can significantly reduce the buffer cost while meeting the MMMC timing constraints.