CATS Fracturing, and the associated options and capabilities, is the heart of the CATS package. A few definitions can help with the following details. First, a "library file" refers to a structured design file and secondly a "flat file" refers to an unstructured lithography file. Fracture operations can include:
Format: Specification of the output file format per the output lithography options
Resolution: Defines the smallest resolvable unit in the output file.
Sizing: Symmetric or Asymmetric sizing of individual rectangles and trapezoids
Scaling: Specify any continuous scale factor to be applied to the data during fracture.
Grow: Positive or negative incremental biasing after sizing , scale and Boolean operation
Booleans: OR, AND, XOR, MINUS and COMPARE; combination or comparison of two input files.
Overlap Removal: Heal and/or combine neighboring or overlapping figures.
Data Compaction: Set of algorithms for generating arrays from either arrayed or non-arrayed input.
Blanking & Filling: Specify areas in the input file to be ignored or filled during fracture.
Prune: Specify library structure(s) to be ignored during fracture.
Reverse Tone: Allows the data to be reversed during the fracture.
Rotation: Rotate input data in increments of 90-degrees or mirror about increments of 45-degrees.
Select: Methods for selecting data from the input file to be used during graphic drawing and fracture.
Stripe Shape: Output data block or stripe height and width per the rules of the output format.