CLAY: a malleable-cell multi-cell transistor matrix approach for CMOS LAYout synthesis

CLAY takes a netlist partitioned down to the transistor level, a technology file with an arbitrary number of metal layers, and constraints on aspect and I/O signal positions to produce mask geometries. CLAY attempts to capture, in software, layout knowledge at the transistor level (allowing variable-shaped cells including heights) and at the floorplan level for VLSI sized examples. CLAY compares well with standard cell and manual approaches.<>