An Integrated circuit layout editor or IC layout editor is an electronic design automation

Electronic design automation

Electronic design automation is a category of software tools for designing electronic systems such as printed circuit boards and integrated circuits...

 software tool that allows a user to digitize the shapes and patterns that form an integrated circuit

Integrated circuit

An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...

. Typically the view will include the components ( usually as pcells ), metal routing tracks, vias

Via (electronics)

A via is a vertical electrical connection between different layers of conductors in a physical electronic circuit.- In IC :In integrated circuit design, a via is a small opening in an insulating oxide layer that allows a conductive connection between different layers. A via on an integrated circuit...

 and electrical pins. Software of this type is similar to computer aided drafting software, but is specialized for the task of integrated circuit layout

Integrated circuit layout

Integrated circuit layout, also known IC layout, IC mask layout, or mask design, is the representation of an integrated circuit in terms of planar geometric shapes which correspond to the patterns of metal, oxide, or semiconductor layers that make up the components of the integrated circuit.When...

. The typical flow for the layout of analog circuits might be :

1. the layout engineer receives the schematic from the designer in electrical form

2. either the tool or the layout engineer creates a physical view of the circuit including all of the required components and electrical pins

3. the layout engineer positions the components to minimise both the area required and the negative effects of layout parasitics upon the circuit performance and also to allow good routing to neighbouring cells

4. the layout engineer uses metal routing to connect all of the components, again taking care to avoid unwanted layout parasitics on critical nodes

5. the layout engineer uses DRC

Design rule checking

Design Rule Checking or Check is the area of Electronic Design Automation that determines whether the physical layout of a particular chip layout satisfies a series of recommended parameters called Design Rules...

 and LVS

Layout versus schematic

The Layout Versus Schematic is the class of electronic design automation verification software that determines whether a particular integrated circuit layout corresponds to the original schematic or circuit diagram of the design.-Background:...

checks to ensure that the circuit is both manufacturable and functionable

In some cases the layout engineer will request minor changes to the schematic to simplify the layout.