Generalised CMOS - A Technology Independent CMOS IC Design Style

A new and novel CMOS IC design methodology is presented which allows a single design representation, captured at the symbolic level, to be implemented in different classes of CMOS fabrication technologies such as N-well, P-well, Twin-well and SOI. Extensive use is made of CAD tools to achieve automatic conversion from the technology independent representation into process specific mask sets, and some of the algorithms used in these tools are outlined in the paper. Such a design methodology is considered to be a significant aid in increasing the attractiveness of CMOS as a system implementation medium. Ideas presented cover conference topics 2 (CAD); 5 (IC Layout) and 8 (Design, Synthesis).