Computer-Aided Design: Leading or responding?

It is shown that past and current CAD algorithm development for IC design has focused on meeting the challenges of the day, rather than on the needs of the perceivable future. It is argued that new tools required by an emerging technology should be available as soon as the technology is available. Consequently, work on the tools must begin while the technology is being developed. This is not an unrealistic goal, since all major mainframe computers have their operating systems and compilers under development while prototype hardware is being built in the laboratory.