A new approach to floorplan area optimization: to slice or not to slice?

We consider the problem of minimizing the area of a given floorplan by slightly changing its topology and present algorithms for solving it. Our algorithms are very efficient and the results compare favorably with the optimal solutions of the original floorplans. Specifically, we concentrate on converting spiral floorplans into slicing floorplans such that the area is minimized. Naturally, the cyclic channel precedence constraints disappear, which implies that the routing phase will be easier and will require less area. Surprisingly, our experimental results show that in most cases, this conversion is very good with respect to the area of the original spiral floorplan. Namely, the resulting slicing floorplans are smaller than the corresponding spiral floorplans