Silicon compiler

A silicon compiler is a specialized electronic design automation (EDA) tool that automates the process of creating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a high-level behavioral description. The tool takes a specification, often written in a high-level programming language like C++ or a specialized domain-specific language (DSL), and generates a set of layout files (such as GDSII) that can be sent to a semiconductor foundry for manufacturing.^[1]

The primary goal of a silicon compiler is to raise the level of design abstraction, allowing engineers to focus on the desired functionality of a circuit rather than the low-level details of its implementation. This process, sometimes called hardware compilation, significantly increases design productivity, similar to how modern software compilers freed programmers from writing assembly code.^[2]