Layer assignment is an important post-layout optimization technique in Very Large Scale Integrated-circuit (VLSI) layout automation. It re-assigns wire segments in a routing solution to appropriate layers to achieve certain optimization objectives. This paper focuses on investigating the layer assignment problem with application to via minimization, which is known to be NP-complete. In this paper a knowledge-based genetic algorithm for the layer assignmentproblem is proposed, with the aim of

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... lizing domainspecijic knowledge to speedup the process of evolution and to improve the quality of solutions. Experimental results show that this knowledge-based genetic algorithm can consistently produce the same or better results than a heuristic algorithm and a traditional genetic algorithm.