aiqbench analysis
This research introduces THEIA, a specialized dataset and benchmark enabling vision-language models to interpret analog integrated circuit layouts directly from GDSII files. By fine-tuning VLMs on thousands of designs, the study demonstrates a significant performance gap between general-purpose multimodal reasoning and domain-specific understanding of physical geometries. This advancement is critical for automating tasks in computer-aided design where precise analysis of complex circuit parasitics and structures is essential.
THEIA: A Multimodal Dataset and Benchmark for Vision-Language Analysis of Layout
arXiv:2609.35035v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: The integration of artificial intelligence into computer-aided design frameworks has sparked a shift in the design of analog integrated circuits (ICs), transitioning the field from using manual and algorithmic-based solutions to adopting automated and intelligent paradigms. In this scenario, the GDSII file represents the industry-standard database containing the ultimate and most accurate source of information of the analog circuit, encapsulating the complex physical geometries and parasitic realities that define tape out performance. This paper proposes THEIA, a novel dataset containing thousands of layout images paired with question-answer conversations, along with a benchmark that employs a fine-tuned vision-language model (VLM) to analyze GDSII files of analog circuits, enabling designers to interact with and query physical layouts as intuitive, meaningful entities. Experimental results using thousands of analog designs across five realistic tasks demonstrate that the proposed fine-tuned VLM outperforms state-of-the-art general-purpose VLMs by a significant margin (up to 73%), highlighting a fundamental gap between general-purpose multimodal reasoning and domain-specific layout understanding.
Abstract:The integration of artificial intelligence into computer-aided design frameworks has sparked a shift in the design of analog integrated circuits (ICs), transitioning the field from using manual and algorithmic-based solutions to adopting automated and intelligent paradigms. In this scenario, the GDSII file represents the industry-standard database containing the ultimate and most accurate source of information of the analog circuit, encapsulating the complex physical geometries and parasitic realities that define tape out performance. This paper proposes THEIA, a novel dataset containing thousands of layout images paired with question-answer conversations, along with a benchmark that employs a fine-tuned vision-language model (VLM) to analyze GDSII files of analog circuits, enabling designers to interact with and query physical layouts as intuitive, meaningful entities. Experimental results using thousands of analog designs across five realistic tasks demonstrate that the proposed fine-tuned VLM outperforms state-of-the-art general-purpose VLMs by a significant margin (up to 73%), highlighting a fundamental gap between general-purpose multimodal reasoning and domain-specific layout understanding.
Machine Learning (cs.LG)
arXiv:2609.35035 [cs.LG]
(or arXiv:2609.35035v1 [cs.LG] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.35035 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)
arXivLabs is a framework that allows collaborators to develop and share new arXiv features directly on our website.
Both individuals and organizations that work with arXivLabs have embraced and accepted our values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy. arXiv is committed to these values and only works with partners that adhere to them.
Have an idea for a project that will add value for arXiv's community? Learn more about arXivLabs.
Full text under the publisher's open licence · 253 words
Related coverage
Introducing NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Nano Omni: Long-Context Multimodal Intelligence for Documents, Audio and Video Agents
Hugging Face · Apr 28, 2026

NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Super VL Powers Specialized Agents with Multimodal Reasoning
NVIDIA · Oct 15, 2026
MMTA: Benchmarking Multimodal Temporal Analysis with Time Series, Text, and Vision
arXiv · Oct 14, 2026
VELD-QA: A Large-Scale Dataset for Visual Evidence Grounding and Question Answering in Long Documents
arXiv · Oct 16, 2026