IntroductiontoICStation

ICStationistheMentorsoftwaretoolthatperformsIC(integratedcircuit)layout.Itispossible
tolayoutintegratedcircuitscompletelybyhand,whereeachpolygonforeachmaskisdone
explicitly.ItisalsopossibletohavetheIClayoutautomaticallygeneratedfromschematicsor
VHDLdescriptions.

Designassumption
Thistutorialassumesthatyouhaveadesignschematicsalongwiththesymbol.Thisschematic
andthesymbolmusthavepassedallthedesignrulecheckswithoutanyerrorsandpreferably
withoutanywarnings.Seetutorialsforprocedurestogetsuchdesigns.
Wewilldescribetheprocedureusingtheinverterexample,explainedintheothertutorials.

Theabovescreenisinvokedbytypingic&.

CreatingaLayout(SchematicDrivenLayoutSDL)
Step1:Tocreatealayoutcellviewselecttheinvertercell(whoseschematichasalready
beencreated)andclickonFile>New>Viewfromthemenubar.Awindowwillpopup
askingforthecellviewtype.ChooseLayoutasviewtype,theviewnamewillbenamed
automaticallyLayout.
Step2:BypressingNextanewwindowwillappearaskingyoufortheConnectivitySource.
selectSchematictoopenICStationintheSDLmode.

Step3:ByPressingFinishthiswillopenICStation.

CreatingSDLusingIcstation
Step1:Placingthedevices.Therearetwowaysofplacingthedevicesinthelayouts.
(a)Manualpick&Place:Clickonpick&placeicon.Itwillaskforplacementofpmosinlog
areaandthelayoutwillappearinthelayoutwindow.clickonthelayoutwindowforplacing
thepmos.Thenitwillshowthelayoutofnmoswhichshouldbeplacedinsimilarmanner.
(b)Autopick&place:PressontheAutoPick&PlaceiconfromtheIconBar.Thetoolwill
placethedevicesonebyone.
Youhavenowinstantiatedthepmosandnmosandtheconnectivityismaintainedasillustrated

bytheflylines.Nextyouwilladdportsandcompletetherouting.

Step2:Placingtheports
Selecttheplaceporticonfromtheiconbar.Itwillshowyouapopupwindowwithallports.
Step3:SelecttheVDDportandselectME1asalayerforthisport.TheWidthandHeight
willbeupdatedautomaticallyaccordingtotheminimummetal1dimensions.PressApplyto
placetheport.Similarlyplacetheremaining3ports.

PullDown

step 3ToaddthesubstratecontactstoelectAddDeviceiconfromthe

Step4:Addthesubstratecontacts.Intheleftsideiconbar,clickon[D]icon.Itshowsapop
upwindowofadddeviceasshownabove.Selectthepathbasedguardoptionfromtheoption.
Itwillshowanotherpopupwindow.Setwidthto1andselectpsubandthenOK.Goto
layoutwindowanddrawthesubstratecontact.Similarlydrawthenwellcontact.The
psubstratecontacthasbeendrawnovergroundtherebyconnectingittoground.Similarly
nwellcontacthasbeendrawnoverVDD,therebyconnectingittoVDD.

IfthisisnotdonethensetuptheconnectionofpsubwithVDD.SelectpsubthenConnectivity
>Net>AddtoNettosetpsubtoGroundandthesamefornwelltosetittoVDD.

RoutingLayout
Step1:SelecttheLayoutwindowandmaximizeit.Thiswillcreateafullwindowimageof
thelayout.
Step2:TostartroutingpressontheIRouteiconintheiconbar.Onceyouplacethecursoron
whereyouwanttostartrouting,itwillstartguidedbytheflylines.Youcantogglebetweenthe
connectivitylayersbypressingspacebar.Thisismanualrouting.Thereisanotheroptionof
Autorouting:Useoptionstools>andthenclickonIcassemble.Theroutingtoolbargets

addedtoiconbar.AlternativelyitcanalsobeactivatedfromView>toolbar.
Step3:AddtextlabelstotheportstomakethemrecognizablebyLVSbypressingthehotkey
lorselectAdd>Text.

Thisishowthelayoutwilllooklikeasabove.

ImportantHotkeys
ForfunctionkeyshortcutswefirstclickonsetupoptionandthanReport.
11.f=ViewAll.
1.i=AddInstance.12.I=Addproperty.
2.m=Move.13.o=Setgrid.
3.p=Addpins.14.q=ModifyProperties.
4.r=Rotate90.15.t=ChangeportType.

5.u=Undo.16.w=Addwire.
6.z=ZoomIn.17.C=CopyMultiple
7.F=FlipHorizontal18.L=AddTextNote.
8.R=Rotate9019.S=Save
9.U=Redo20.X=Checkandsave
10.Z=Zoomout.21.c=Copy