System and method for memory element characterization

1. A method for analyzing a memory element comprising the steps of:

modeling the memory element using a simulation method;

determining component response characteristics for components of the memory element;

computing safety regions in a state space of the memory element, the safety regions indicating stable states for the memory element;

performing a transient analysis to determine a path and time needed to reach one of the safety regions; and

determining a clock waveform based on the path and the time needed to reach one of the safety regions, the clock waveform being configured to place a corresponding state in the one of the safety regions to be employed in adapting a memory element for stable operations.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a clock waveform includes determining a set-up time for the memory element by employing the bounds determined for the safety region.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the step of determining a clock waveform includes determining a start hold time for the memory element by employing the bounds determined for the safety region and the set-up time.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of modeling the memory element using a simulation method includes modeling the memory element using equations.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of modeling the memory element using a simulation method includes modeling the memory element using simulation software.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the path and the time needed to reach one of the safety regions is determined based on a geometric layout of the state space.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of performing a transient analysis includes performing an open state transient analysis.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the step of computing safety regions includes computing safety regions based on simulation experiments performed on the memory element.

9. A computer useable medium including a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform the steps of:

modeling the memory element using a simulation method;

determining component response characteristics for components of the memory element;

computing safety regions in a state space of the memory element, which indicate stable states for the memory element; and

performing a transient analysis to determine a path and an amount of time needed to reach one of the safety regions; and

based on the path and amount of time needed to reach one of the safety regions, determining a clock waveform which places a corresponding state in that safety region to be employed in adapting a memory element for stable operations.

10. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the step of determining a clock waveform includes determining a set-up time for the memory element by employing the bounds determined for the safety region.

11. The computer program product as recited in claim 10 , wherein the step of determining a clock waveform includes determining a start hold time for the memory element by employing the bounds determined for the safety region and the set-up time.

12. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the step of modeling the memory element using a simulation method includes modeling the memory element using equations.

13. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the step of modeling the memory element using a simulation method includes modeling the memory element using a simulation software program.

14. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the path and the amount of time needed to reach one of the safety regions is determined based on a geometric layout of the state space.

15. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the step of performing a transient analysis includes performing an open state transient analysis.

16. The computer program product as recited in claim 9 , wherein the step of computing safety regions includes computing safety regions based on simulation experiments performed on the memory element.