A novel iterative latch placement scheme wherein the latches are gradually
pulled by increasing attraction force until they are eventually placed
next to a clock distribution structure such as a local clock buffer
(LCB). During the iterations, timing optimizations such as gate sizing
and re-buffering are invoked in order to keep the timing estimation
accurate. By applying the iterative clock net weighting adjustment, the
present invention allows tighter interaction between logic placement and
clock placement which leads to higher quality timing and significant
power savings.