CNB: A critical-network-based timing optimization method for standard cell global routing

A novel method, named critical-network-based (CNB), for timing optimization in global routing is presented in this paper. The essence of this method is different from that of the typical existing ones, named nets-based (NB) and critical-path-based (CPB). The main contribution of this paper is that the CNB delay reduction method is more efficient than the typical existing ones. This new method makes it possible to reduce the delay in an overall survey. Based on CNB, a timing optimization algorithm for global routing is implemented and tested on Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC) benchmarks in this paper. The experimental results are compared between this algorithm and the existing ones. The experimental results show that this algorithm is able to control the delay efficiently.