Toward a systematic sensitivity analysis of on-chip power grids using factor analysis

We present a systematic way of performing sensitivity analysis on on-chip power distribution grids. By using factor analysis we are able to uncover correlations between power grid design variables and power supply noise. From our analysis of 300 different grids in a 65-nm process, we can identify which power grid design variables have both high correlation to and high impact on noise; the most important one being supply rail width.