SEM check

The SEM check tool controls that no SEM cells have been placed on top of any of Alcyon’s black boxes in order to protect Alcyon’s IP. With the layout opened in KLayout, it can be run with just a few clicks:

AlcyonTech > Verification > SEM check
sem_check

  • If a SEM image overlaps with any of Alcyon’s IP blocks, an error will pop-up notifying such overlapping and the block concerned. This will later hinder the black boxes replacement that the foundry has to perform prior to fabrication to get the actual geometries. Therefore, make sure your SEM regions do not overlay Alcyon’s black boxes.

    sem_check_overlap

  • If no pop-ups appear, the layout is free of SEM verification errors and Alcyon’s IP protected. Therefore, the foundry will replace the black cells without any problem.

NOTE: Only Alcyon’s blocks protected by black-boxes are sensitive to this verification step. SEM images can overlap with Alcyon’s basic or demo components since these are open to users.