Statistical Circuit Analysis

In the context of design for manufacturability, there is often a confusion between circuit simulation, using tools such as the venerable SPICE [76], and circuit analysis, which uses circuit simulation as a core and necessary component. The confusion arises from the complex nature of the variability analysis task, and because of a lack of separation between analysis algorithms and simulation algorithms -for example, many modern versions of SPICE implement Monte-Carlo analysis as an integral part of the simulator. In this chapter we review circuit simulation, explain the procedures through which the basic parameters defining the circuit are derived from observed data, and present two strategies for statistical circuit analysis.