A Hierarchy-Driven Amalgamation of Standard and Macro Cells

A new methodology for the automatic layout of integrated circuits is presented. The methodology, based on a hierarchical description of the circuit, is a hybrid between standard cell and fully custom, having the advantages of both. It has the ease of placement and routing of standard cell, combined with the ability to handle large numbers of diverse cells as in fully custom. The methodology has been implemented and applied to several circuits, with very encouraging results.