1. Purpose and scope
For the designers who will use the node, the process design kit is the node. It is what circuit simulation, layout, physical verification and parasitic extraction run against, so its accuracy determines whether a chip designed on it works as predicted. In this lifecycle the kit is itself the product being built. It is released in versions of rising maturity, each stating how far its models and rules can be trusted and what design work it supports.
This stage takes the kit from the early access version, built on target models and draft rules, to the design-start version. The design-start kit carries models fitted to baseline silicon, most design rules in place, verification decks checked against test layouts and the first foundation libraries in development. It allows IP and library teams and early customers to begin real design work at an agreed and stated risk. Later versions, the pre-production and production kits, follow in Customer Design Enablement and Risk Production.
In scope: device model extraction and checking, design rule manual updates, physical verification decks for design rule checks and layout versus schematic checks, extraction decks, technology files and device libraries, kit quality checks, release notes, block-level benchmarks and the start of foundation IP. Out of scope: silicon validation of libraries and certification of tool flows, which come later.
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