Component Shield
This DFE rule checks for the component ground shielding status.
- Item: Enter item name.
- Check Type: Select required test.
- Component Shield: Check if component is fully surrounded with ground plane, horizontally or vertically.
- Fill-Cut: Check if fill-cut exists under the IC.
Figure 1. - Inductance Fill Cut: Check if fill-cut exists under the IC. If some
signals exist under the IC, the ground plane should exist between
signal layer and IC placement layer.
Figure 2. - Copper Fill: Check if copper-fill exists under the IC. (Top/Bot
Layer)
Figure 3.
- Comp: Select a component group that needs shielding.
- GND Net: Select a ground net group.
- Measure Base: Define a distance measuring object type – COC (Component Overlap Checking Area), Pad or Silk + Pad.
- Distance: Assign a distance from a ground to the measuring object defined in ⑤.
- Check Point Count: If you want to check the shield by checking many points
around the component, define the number of checking points in the component.
(4/8/12/16/20/24) If one of the check points does not overlap with ground,
it reports as failed.
Figure 4. - Vertical Check: Check vertical shielding. (Ex: Top component: check TOP and Layer1)
- Min Ratio: Define the required minimum shield ratio. If you enable this
option, the check point count value⑦ will be ignored.
- Horizontal shield ratio = shield length/sum of check area boundary length
- Vertical shield ratio = shield area/check area
Figure 5.
- Min Thermal Via Count: Check the minimum thermal via count under the component. This option is valid only when you select Component Fill as a check type option.

Figure 6.