Computer aids for IC design, artwork, and mask generation

A popular limerick of a few years ago told of a designer who dreamed ``he was going mad, designing circuits pad by pad. He screamed, and woke, then thanked the dad, whose fertile mind had fathered CAD.´´ This special report surveys the current revolution in computer-aided design systems and services for semiconductor design, layout, and fabrication. Recent breakthroughs in turnkey products??especially in low-cost terminal design??have permitted semiconductor houses that heretofore could not afford CAD to achieve error-free designs and eliminate much of the layout drudgery. Greater efficiency in design and better yields in production are just two of the benefits of these design aids.