A novel technique to predict the susceptibility of VLSIC layouts to particle-induced failure is presented. The investigation applies the concept of Critical Areas to determine the failure probability of rectilinear layouts. A unique methodology has been devised, with which the relationship between the recurrent patterns observed within the topology of a layout and the robustness of the design against particulate contamination can be quantified. The critical area is formulated as a function of the dimensions of the identifiable geometrical shapes and the characteristics of the defect model. In comparison with current approximation methods, the proposed technique is quick, exact, adaptable for different defect models and guarantees computational accuracy irrespective of layout complexity.
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