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Process Design Kits

A process design kit (PDK) embodies all the technology-related primitive data and utilities required to develop an integrated circuit. They may include such data as:

• a working environment for each LayTOOLS application
• the above would include a project configuration file, design initialization files, etc.)
• standard cell library
• a symbol library with an entry for each device available in the technology
• a PGroup for each device available in the technology
• ideal symbols and terminal symbols
• global symbols
• a via library (contacts and vias as reference cells)
• a drc run-deck
• an lvs run-deck
• an lpe run-deck

A PDK would be linked to the user's project library as a "technology library" and permanently identified as such in the project configuration file. Whereas all the data created in the project would be editable at any stage in the design, the technology library data would be considered as reference data - able to be instantiated in the project databases but not editable.

PDK's are available from TexEDA and can be developed to order.

In the example LayFRAME display, the PDK components are shown with the red bullet. The library selected is that of the primitive (device) symbols that the project will use in its schematic development.