DFM is dead - Long live DFM

For many years, a key aspect of Design-for-Manufacturability (DFM) has been adjustment of polygons in standard cell layout. Similarly, radically restricted design rules and unidirectional layout have been proposed as DFM-friendly design styles with the ability to dramatically improve yield. This paper looks at the history of such approaches over the last few technology nodes and shows that as we approach 10nm and beyond, both of these techniques have essentially run their course as lithography restrictions and related effects increasingly dictate key aspects of standard cell layout. In their place, new approaches to manufacturability and yield are increasingly important.