Dry run process

[Rashiba]

Hi everyone
Recently I have researched about PV and I see a process “dry run” from foundry before actual tapeout. Do you have any information and the purpose of this process ?

 

[ThisIsNotSam]

dry run is a practice run. it can literally mean anything without context. you need to provide more details.

 

[dick_freebird]

I don't know what your use of "PV" is meant to convey.

But often a foundry will give you the opportunity to present
an "almost ready" tapeout database and paperwork so their
in-house CAD folks can take a stab at their "golden" tape-in
verification flow and give you a "heads up!" if they find anything
that would kick it back. You would rather not tell your boss you
slipped the tapeout date because you screwed up some rule or
other and didn't know until the due date.

 

[D.A.(Tony)Stewart]

practice firing without shooting/chewing up raw material or yourself in the foot

as in acting on stage without an audience

 

[Rashiba]

dry run is a practice run. it can literally mean anything without context. you need to provide more details.

Ah yes I mean after ASIC design is clean all about Physical Verification (DRC/LVS/ANT...) and before tapeout, we will provide GDS for some dry runs from foundry. I’m not clear what kind of issue can happen at this process ? Can tapeout without dry run if no time left ?

 

[D.A.(Tony)Stewart]

It depends on the cost of failures.
Is this your 1st? There will be many opportunities to correct problems later but at what cost.

 

[dick_freebird]

There can also be the possibility that you got "clean" verification
using the bundled-with Assura DRC (for example) but did not have
the time or training or license to do the golden Caliber deck, and
there can be obscure rules "violations" that need some waiver or
discussion & disposition.

 

[ThisIsNotSam]

Ah yes I mean after ASIC design is clean all about Physical Verification (DRC/LVS/ANT...) and before tapeout, we will provide GDS for some dry runs from foundry. I’m not clear what kind of issue can happen at this process ? Can tapeout without dry run if no time left ?

Ok, so to clarify what you are calling dry run is basically a GDS sanity check. Some brokers call it a preliminary GDS submission or a trial run.

And no, you would not do tapeout with the dry run database. It would be unreasonable to do so. It seems to me that you are thinking that the dry run is a simpler version of the final product, and that perhaps all features will be then present in the final GDS. But it really isn't like that. You can have as little as 7 days between dry run and final GDS, it is not enough to do anything meaningful other than fixing a minor DRC issue or waiver some rules if needed.