INTERACTIVE PROCEDURE TO DESIGN CENTERING.

The proposed interactive algorithm employs a yield prediction formula (YPF) as objective function for the optimization procedure. Since this YPF contains linear and quadratic terms, an efficient yield maximization can be obtained only with a few iteration steps. With the aid of an eigenvalue decomposition, the problem of nearly linear dependent circuit parameters can be solved. In order to determine the uncertainty of the yield prediction, the standard deviation of the yield prediction must be considered. Therefore, an additional variance prediction formula (VPF) of the objective function is derived and a graphic representation of the YPF and the VPF is proposed. These graphic representations enable the circuit designer to determine an appropriate change of the nominal component values. The efficiency of the procedure is demonstrated for a CCD-transversal filter.