METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING WAIVER APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS AND APPLYING THE CONDITIONS TO MULTIPLE ERRORS OR WARNINGS IN PHYSICAL VERIFICATION TOOLS
An approach is described for determining waiver applicability conditions and applying the conditions to multiple errors or warnings in physical verification tools. According to some embodiments, the approach includes identification of a waiver of an error or warning, registration of one or more condition sets for waiver of an error or warning, waiver of multiple errors or warnings that match the registered one or more condition sets, and further comprise any or all of the following: receiving or retrieving a circuit design, analyzing the circuit design to identify errors and warnings, and displaying identified errors and warnings where errors and warnings matching a registered condition set are waived. This approach provides for a 1-to-many relationship between identification of a waiver and application of waivers.
G06F 9/455 - Dispositions pour exécuter des programmes spécifiques Émulation; Interprétation; Simulation de logiciel, p.ex. virtualisation ou émulation des moteurs d’exécution d’applications ou de systèmes d’exploitation
2.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USE IN PHYSICAL DESIGN PROCESSES
The present disclosure relates to a computer-implemented method for use in an electronic design environment. Embodiments may include defining, using at least one processor, a grammar object system including one or more of objects, elements, values and relationships. Embodiments may include generating a technology grammar binary representation, based upon, at least in part, the grammar object system and receiving a technology ASCII representation. Embodiments may further include parsing at least one of the technology grammar binary representation and the technology ASCII representation to generate a technology binary representation and providing the technology binary representation to at least one of a graphical user interface or a database.
A system, method, and computer program product for automating the design and routing of non-shared one-to-many conductive pathways between a common pad and circuit blocks in an integrated circuit. Such pathways are routinely required for power and signal distribution purposes. Automated scripts perform a star routing methodology and validate the routing results. The methodology processes input width and layer constraints and from-to's denoting start and end points for each route by invoking a star_route command in a router that implements interconnections as specified. Routing results are validated by checking for routing violations, including shared segments and width violations. Violations are marked for correction.
A system and method are provided for establishing an automated debugging environment in an Electronic Design Automation (EDA) work flow for the debugging of parameterized cells (PCELLS/PyCELLS) in a layout. A user may merely select a particular PCELL within a hierarchical PCELL and the system and method will determine dependencies thereof. The source code for the selected PCELL and its dependencies may be located and loaded. At least one breakpoint may be set in the source code of the selected PCELL. The source code for the selected PCELL and its dependencies may be executed to be arrested at the set breakpoints. Upon the arrest of execution, a debugging environment may be established and the located source code of the selected PCELL may be displayed along with values for parametric components thereof and progression control tools.
Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness. The method or the system updates the schematic level tool(s) and physical design tool(s) with electrical parasitic data or electrical characteristic data associated with electrical parasitics so both schematic and physical design tools are aware of the electrical parasitic or characteristic data in performing their functions such as extraction based simulations. The methods or systems are also aware of EM or IR-drop constraint(s) while implementing or creating a partial layout less than a complete layout. The method or the system also provides a user interface for a design tool to provide in situ, customizable, real-time information for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness. The methods or systems also support constraint verification for electronic circuit design implementation with electrical awareness.
G06F 9/455 - Dispositions pour exécuter des programmes spécifiques Émulation; Interprétation; Simulation de logiciel, p.ex. virtualisation ou émulation des moteurs d’exécution d’applications ou de systèmes d’exploitation
Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing electronic circuit designs with electro-migration awareness. Some embodiments perform schematic level simulation(s) to determine electrical characteristics, identifies physical parasitics of a layout component, determines the electrical or physical characteristics associated to electro-migration analysis on the component, and determines whether the component meets EM related constraint(s) while implementing the physical design of the electronic circuit in some embodiments. Some embodiments further determine adjustment(s) to the component or related data where the EM related constraints are not met and / or and present the adjustment(s) in the form of hints. Various data and information, such as currents in various forms or voltages, are passed between various schematic level tools and physical level tools.
H01L 21/00 - Procédés ou appareils spécialement adaptés à la fabrication ou au traitement de dispositifs à semi-conducteurs ou de dispositifs à l'état solide, ou bien de leurs parties constitutives
Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing electronic designs with simulation awareness. A schematic is identified or created and simulated at the schematic level to characterize the functional behavior of the circuit or to ensure the circuit design meets the required design specifications. Physical data of a component of the design is identified, created, or updated, and the electrical parasitic associated with physical data is characterized. One or more electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic is further characterized and mapped to the simulator to re-simulate the circuit design to analyze the impact of parasitics. Some embodiments re-run the same simulation process incrementally in an interactive manner by accepting incremental design or parameter changes from the design environment.
G06F 15/04 - TRAITEMENT ÉLECTRIQUE DE DONNÉES NUMÉRIQUES Équipement de traitement de données en général recevant les programmes en même temps que les données à traiter, p.ex. sur le même support d'enregistrement
METHOD, APPARATUS, AND ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR PROVIDING IN SITU, CUSTOMIZABLE INFORMATION IN DESIGNING ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS WITH ELECTRICAL AWARENESS
A method and system for providing customizable information in designing electronic circuits with electrical awareness is disclosed. The method displays a portion of a physical design of an electronic circuit in a first display area and receives or identifies a user's manipulation of the portion of the physical design of the electronic circuit. The method then determines and displays an in situ response to the manipulation in the first display area. The method further displays results relating to the physical data of a component, electrical parasitics associated with the physical data, electrical characteristics associated with the physical data or the electrical characteristics, or other elements of the physical design that is impacted by the manipulation. Electrical characteristics associated with the parasitic are characterized and mapped to the simulator to resimulate the circuit design to analyze the impact of parasitics.
Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for constraint verification for implementing electronic circuit designs with electrical awareness. Some embodiments identify or set parasitic constraint(s) and compare the electrical parasitic(s) with corresponding parasitic constraint(s) to determine whether the parasitic constraints are met. Some embodiments first identify, determine, or update the physical data of a component of a partial layout and characterize the electrical parasitics associated with the physical data of the component. Some embodiments identify or determine some schematic level performance constraints and estimate parasitic constraints based on schematic simulation results and the performance constraints; the estimated parasitic constraints are then compared with the corresponding electrical parasitics to determine whether the constraints are satisfied. Some embodiments further map schematic level parasitic constraints to a physical design representation and then compares the mapped parasitic constraints with corresponding electrical constraints to determine whether the mapped constraints are met.
METHOD, APPARATUS, AND ARTICLE OF MANUFACTURE FOR PROVIDING IN SITU, CUSTOMIZABLE INFORMATION IN DESIGNING ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS WITH ELECTRICAL AWARENESS
Disclosed are a method, system, and computer program product for providing customizable information in designing electronic circuits with electrical awareness. The method or the system displays a portion of a physical design of an electronic circuit in a first display area. The method or the system receives or identifies a user's or a system's manipulation of the portion of the physical design of the electronic circuit. The method or the system then determines and displays an in situ response to the manipulation in the first display area. The method or the system may further display, in the first display area or in another display area, result(s) relating to the physical data of a component, electrical parasitic(s) associated with the physical data, electrical characteristic(s) associated with the physical data or the electrical characteristic(s), or other element(s) of the physical design that is impacted by the manipulation.
For an integrated circuit associated with a plurality of parameters whose values are described by a first probability distribution function, a method for estimating a failure probability includes selecting a first plurality of samples, performing a first test to determine an outcome for each of the first plurality of samples and identifying failed samples, and clustering the failed samples using a computer-implemented cluster forming method that, in some cases, returns multiple clusters. The method also includes forming a probability distribution function for each of the clusters, forming a composite probability distribution function that includes a weighted combination of the first probability distribution function and the probability distribution function for each of the clusters. The method further includes selecting a second plurality of samples using the composite probability distribution function and performing a second test to determine an outcome for each of the second plurality of samples.
For an integrated circuit associated with a first plurality of parameters whose values are described by a first probability distribution function, a method for estimating a failure probability includes selecting a first plurality of samples, performing a first test to determine an outcome for each of the first plurality of samples and identifying failed samples A second plurality of parameters is selected having fewer parameters than the first plurality of parameters The failed samples are clustered in the space of the second plurality of parameters The method also includes forming a probability distribution function for each of the clusters and forming a composite probability distribution function The method further includes selecting a second plurality of samples using the composite probability distribution function and performing a second test to determine an outcome for each of the second plurality of samples A failure probability can then be computed.
A double edge triggered circuit includes a clock gater responsive to a clock signal and an enable signal to output a gated clock signal, a first double edge triggered flip-flop that launches a data signal in response to the gated clock signal, and a second double edge triggered flip-flop that captures the data signal in response to the clock signal, wherein the clock gater stops the gated clock signal at a first logic value when the enable signal is at a first logic state, and the clock gater switches the gated clock signal from the first logic value at a next clock edge when the enable signal is at a second logic state.
A multi-process protection system and method using direct memory mapped control registers. A controller switch facilitates communication between a host and device(s) connected device ports. A device driver allows processes to access the controller switch and to grant exclusive access to each of the plurality of execution units. A first access request to access an execution unit units is received from a first process. A set of direct accessible addresses to the set of control registers of the execution unit is allocated, and the first process gets exclusive access the execution unit until the first process releases the exclusive access. A second access request to access the execution unit received from a second process is denied by checking the assignment of the set of direct accessible addresses to the set of control registers of the execution unit while the first process retains exclusive access to the execution unit.
A method and system for facilitating communication between a host system and one or more hardware-based functional verification systems. The one or more hardware-based functional verification systems verify the functionality of electronic circuit designs. A controller switch comprises a host interface connecting to a host system, and a plurality of device ports. Each device port connects to a hardware emulator. The controller switch further comprises a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) engines and a plurality of execution units. An execution unit comprises an instruction cache and memory storing at least one DMA instruction and at least one address for performing a software instruction and a plurality of execution unit registers.
G06F 13/28 - Gestion de demandes d'interconnexion ou de transfert pour l'accès au bus d'entrée/sortie utilisant le transfert par rafale, p.ex. acces direct à la mémoire, vol de cycle
16.
CONTENTION-FREE LEVEL CONVERTING FLIP-FLOPS FOR LOW-SWING CLOCKING
The present invention includes a family of level converting flip-flops that accepts data and clock inputs at a lower voltage level while producing data outputs at a higher voltage level. These flip-flops enable fine-grained dual supply voltage techniques such as low-swing clocking (distributing the clock signal at a lower voltage level) and clustered voltage scaling (CVS). The level conversion is accomplished in a very efficient manner by sharing the positive feedbacks inside a flip-flop for both storage and level conversion. Additionally, the presented flip-flops are contention-free and non-ratioed, thus having reduced timing and power overheads due to the level conversion function.
A approach is described for allowing electronic design, verification, and optimization tools to implement very efficient approaches to allow the tools to directly address the effects of manufacturing processes, e.g., to identify and prevent problems caused by lithography processing. Fast models and pattern checking are employed to integrate lithography and manufacturing aware processes within EDA tools such as routers.
Systems and methods of semiconductor device optimization include a system and method to determine a dataset for a layer of the semiconductor device, where the operation includes receiving a dataset defining a plurality of original patterns of sacrificial material in a layer of a semiconductor device, wherein the original patterns of sacrificial material are used to define placement of spacer material to define patterning of circuit elements for the semiconductor device; determining densities of the plurality of original patterns of sacrificial material in areas across a portion of the layer of the semiconductor device; and augmenting the dataset to include an additional pattern of sacrificial material in an area of the layer having a density lower than a threshold density.
Systems and methods of semiconductor device fabrication and layout generation are disclosed. An exemplary method includes processes of depositing a layer of a first material and patterning the layer to form an initial pattern, wherein the initial pattern defines critical features of the layout elements using a single exposure; depositing spacer material over the first pattern on the substrate and etching the spacer material such that the spacer material is removed from horizontal surfaces of the substrate and the first pattern but remains adjacent to vertical surfaces of the first pattern; removing the initial pattern from the substrate while leaving the spacer material in a spacer pattern; filling the spacer pattern with final material; and trimming the filled pattern to remove portions of the final material beyond dimensions of the layout elements.
G03F 1/00 - Originaux pour la production par voie photomécanique de surfaces texturées, p.ex. masques, photomasques ou réticules; Masques vierges ou pellicules à cet effet; Réceptacles spécialement adaptés à ces originaux; Leur préparation
20.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SOLVING CONNECTION VIOLATIONS
The present invention provides a method for resolving a circuit connection violation that comprises categorizing a circuit chain with the connection violation into a class, and performing one or more transformation algorithms on the circuit chain from the group consisting of a chain mirror, a cascade mirror, a cascade mirror permute, and a cut chain mirror algorithm based on the class of the circuit chain.
G01R 31/00 - Dispositions pour tester les propriétés électriques; Dispositions pour la localisation des pannes électriques; Dispositions pour tests électriques caractérisées par ce qui est testé, non prévues ailleurs
The present invention provides a method for generating flat layout design view that comprises importing port definitions of a first hierarchical block of digital instances from a source as a schematic symbol, importing port definitions of digital instances within the first hierarchical block from the source, instantiating the schematic symbol as a hierarchical layout instance in the flat layout, binding the hierarchical layout instance to the schematic symbol, and embedding digital layout block instances within the design layout by replacing the digital instances of a digital layout block with digital layout instances of a top layout module of the design layout.
The present invention allows for a robust design using manufacturability models. A method, system and/or computer usable medium may be provided in an integrated circuit design to track sensitivity to a variation of process from wafer to wafer and/or fab to fab in order to assist the designers to anticipate the variations to improve the final yield of the products.
G06F 19/00 - Équipement ou méthodes de traitement de données ou de calcul numérique, spécialement adaptés à des applications spécifiques (spécialement adaptés à des fonctions spécifiques G06F 17/00;systèmes ou méthodes de traitement de données spécialement adaptés à des fins administratives, commerciales, financières, de gestion, de surveillance ou de prévision G06Q;informatique médicale G16H)
23.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MODEL-BASED DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT
Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for implementing model-based layout, placement, and routing. Models are used to guide the placement and routing of polygons on the IC layout. In effect, the parameters that are used for placement and routing are guided by the model data so that the layout can be formed with a high degree of manufacturability from the outset.
H01L 27/04 - Dispositifs consistant en une pluralité de composants semi-conducteurs ou d'autres composants à l'état solide formés dans ou sur un substrat commun comprenant des éléments de circuit passif intégrés avec au moins une barrière de potentiel ou une barrière de surface le substrat étant un corps semi-conducteur
Techniques are provided to allow users of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to define constraint template types for efficiently associating constraints with design objects to specify design intent. Processes for creating and validating the constraints are provided by user-defined plug-ins, thereby allowing users to annotate circuit designs with constraints for proprietary layout and fabrication processes without exposing the constraints to tool vendors or competitors. The constraints are re-created from the template types whenever the circuit design is loaded into the EDA tool, so that the constraints are based upon the latest version of the template type. The constraints are also re-created when validation fails. Constraint groups are reusable in different designs, technology nodes, and processes because they automatically expand to provide the specific constraints to achieve a goal. The specific constraints in a template type can be modified as technology changes, and the modification will automatically be applied to the design objects.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a virtual-view schematic editor for use in CAD systems. In response to a user request, the editor selects elements from a CAD database, determines the connectivity between the elements, and renders the elements on a single display. Virtual views may be created and stored for later re use within the system.
In a system and method for automatically detecting licensed computer products, a license manager stores contract data indicating a customer and one or more computer products licensed to the customer by a license holder. A customer site is automatically checked for present computer products owned by the license holder. The licensed computer products are compared to the present computer products. In one embodiment, the computer products are software products, but they also may be hardware products.
G06F 21/00 - Dispositions de sécurité pour protéger les calculateurs, leurs composants, les programmes ou les données contre une activité non autorisée
27.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR APPROXIMATING DIAGONAL LINES IN PLACEMENT
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for placing circuit modules in an integrated circuit ('IC') layout. The method computes a placement metric for the IC layout. In some embodiments, computing the placement metric includes partitioning a region the IC layout into several sub-regions by using a cut graph, where the cut graph is an approximation of a diagonal cut line. These embodiments then generate congestion-cost estimates by measuring the number of nets cut by the cut graph. In some embodiments, the cut graph is a staircase cut graph. These staircase cut graphs include several horizontal and vertical cut lines. In some embodiments, the cut graph is a cut arc.
G06K 9/00 - Méthodes ou dispositions pour la lecture ou la reconnaissance de caractères imprimés ou écrits ou pour la reconnaissance de formes, p.ex. d'empreintes digitales
28.
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SYNCHRONIZING PROCESSORS IN A HARDWARE EMULATION SYSTEM
A method, apparatus and method for compiling a hardware design for performing hardware emulation using synchronized processors is described. The apparatus comprises a plurality of processors defining a processor group for evaluating data regarding a hardware design and a synchronizer for synchronizing the operation of the processor group while emulating at least a portion of the hardware design. The method comprises providing a synchronization signal to a plurality of processors defining a processor group for evaluating data regarding a hardware design, receiving a ready signal from the processor group, and providing an execution signal to the processor group, where the execution signal causes the processor group to evaluate a submodel. The method for compiling the hardware design comprises converting at least one high-level construct into a sequence of operations and identifying a sequence of operations that comprise at least one conditional submodel.
G06F 9/455 - Dispositions pour exécuter des programmes spécifiques Émulation; Interprétation; Simulation de logiciel, p.ex. virtualisation ou émulation des moteurs d’exécution d’applications ou de systèmes d’exploitation
29.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SIMULATING STATE RETENTION OF AN RTL DESIGN
Method and system for simulating state retention of an RTL design are disclosed. The method includes receiving a netlist description of the circuit represented in a register-transfer-level (RTL) design environment, receiving power information specifications of the circuit, identifying one or more power domains of the circuit using the netlist description and the power information specifications, associating the one or more power domains and the power information specifications in the RTL design environment, where the one or more power domains are controlled by a set of power control signals through a power manager logic, and simulating state retention behavior in response to variations in power applied to the power domain.
Method and system for simulating isolation of a power domain are disclosed. The method includes receiving a netlist description of the circuit that is represented in a register- transfer-level (RTL) design environment, receiving power information specifications of the circuit, associating the plurality of power domains and the power information specifications in the RTL design environment, where the plurality of power domains are controlled by a set of power control signals through a power manager logic, isolating a power domain among the plurality of power domains for simulation, and simulating isolation behavior of the power domain in response to variations in power applied to the power domain.
A hardware emulator having a first primitive for evaluating functions having a first input width and a second primitive, coupled to the first primitive, for evaluating a function having a second input width, where the first input width is unequal to the second input width. The use of either the first primitive or the second primitive is selected depending upon the function to be evaluated.
G06F 9/455 - Dispositions pour exécuter des programmes spécifiques Émulation; Interprétation; Simulation de logiciel, p.ex. virtualisation ou émulation des moteurs d’exécution d’applications ou de systèmes d’exploitation
G06F 13/00 - Interconnexion ou transfert d'information ou d'autres signaux entre mémoires, dispositifs d'entrée/sortie ou unités de traitement
G06F 13/14 - Gestion de demandes d'interconnexion ou de transfert
32.
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GENERATING A PLURALITY OF MODELS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ABSTRACTION FROM A SINGLE MASTER MODEL
A method of producing multiple models of a hardware (integrated circuit) design including: translating a master model of a design of the integrated circuit to at least first and second models that are functionally equivalent to the master model and that are at different levels of abstraction from each other, and in which each of the first and second models includes integrated circuit timing information that is accurate for its level of abstraction.
A system and method for improved electron beam writing that is capable of taking design intent, equipment capability and design requirements into consideration. The system and method determines an optimal writing pattern based, at least in part, on the received information.
H01J 37/302 - Commande des tubes par une information d'origine externe, p.ex. commande par programme
H01J 37/317 - Tubes à faisceau électronique ou ionique destinés aux traitements localisés d'objets pour modifier les propriétés des objets ou pour leur appliquer des revêtements en couche mince, p.ex. implantation d'ions
A method ( 200 ) is provided for compiling a model for use in a simulation, the method comprising receiving a description of the model ( 202 ); and automatically converting the description into an implementation of the model (204 ) that is customized for a selected analysis during simulation.
G06G 7/62 - Calculateurs analogiques pour des procédés, des systèmes ou des dispositifs spécifiques, p.ex. simulateurs pour des systèmes ou des appareils électriques
35.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR USING PATTERN MATCHING TO PROCESS AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DESIGN
Disclosed is a method, system, and computer program product for processing design objects, such as vias, for an integrated circuit design In one approach, pattern matching is employed to perform DRC/LVS for scattering bars and Vias A library of via combinations can be used to insert scattering bars into design This approach of using a library can be applied to other structures in design in addition to vias (fig 1-8).
An improved method, system, and computer program product is disclosed for predicting the geometric model of transistors once manufacturing and lithographic process effects are taken into consideration. This provides a much more accurate approach for modeling transistors since it is the actual expected geometric shapes that are analyzed, rather than an idealized model of the layout that does not accurately correspond to the actual manufactured IC product. The expected geometric shape includes systematic variations, which can be determined based on the layout, and the expected random variations, which can be determined based on the lithographic process.
Methods and systems for representing the limitations of a lithographic process using a pattern library instead of, or in addition to, using design rules. The pattern library includes 'known good' patterns, which chip fabricators know from experience are successful, and 'known bad' patterns, which chip fabricators know to be unsuccessful. The pattern library can be used to contain exceptions to specified design rules, or to replace the design rules completely. In some implementations, the pattern library contains statistical information that is used to contribute to an overall figure of merit for the design. In other implementations, a routing tool may generate a plurality of possible IC layouts, and select one IC layout based on information contained in the pattern library.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a manufacturing aware process for designing an integrated circuit ('IC') layout (1205). The process receives a manufacturing configuration that specifies a set of manufacturing settings (1210) for a set of machines to be used to manufacture an IC based on the IC layout. The process defines a set of design rules (1215) based on the specified manufacturing configuration. The process uses the set of design rules to design the IC layout (1225). Some embodiments of the invention provide a design aware process for manufacturing an integrated circuit ('IC') (1227). The process receives an IC desig with an associated set of design properties. The process specifies a manufacturing configuration that specifies a set of manufacturing settings for a set of machines to be used to manufacture the IC, where the specified set of manufacturing settings are based on the set of design properties. The process manufactures the IC based on the manufacturing settings (1230).
G03F 1/00 - Originaux pour la production par voie photomécanique de surfaces texturées, p.ex. masques, photomasques ou réticules; Masques vierges ou pellicules à cet effet; Réceptacles spécialement adaptés à ces originaux; Leur préparation
G03C 5/00 - Procédés photographiques ou agents à cet effet; Régénération de tels agents de traitement
G06K 9/62 - Méthodes ou dispositions pour la reconnaissance utilisant des moyens électroniques
39.
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR INCREASED ACCURACY FOR EXTRACTION OF ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS
An improved method, system, and computer program product is disclosed for increased accuracy for extraction of electrical parameters of an IC design. Extraction is performed upon the expected geometric model of the printed layout once manufacturing and lithographic process effects are taken into consideration. This provides a much more accurate approach for performing extraction since it is the actual expected geometric shapes that are analyzed, rather than an idealized model of the layout that does not accurately correspond to the actual manufactured IC product. The extracted electrical parameters are checked for acceptability. If not acceptable, then the IC design can be modified to address any identified problems or desired improvements to the design.
Methods and systems for allowing an Integrated Circuit designer to specify one or more design rules, and to determine the expected probability of success of the IC design based on the design rules. Probability information is compiled for each circuit component, that specifies the probability of the circuit component working if a characteristic of the circuit component is varied. As the design rules are examined, the probability of each component working is calculated. The probabilities are combined to determine the overall probability of success for the IC design. Furthermore, the IC design may be broken into a plurality of portions, and design rules can be separately specified for each portion. This allows a designer the flexibility to use different design rules on different portions of the IC design.
System and method is disclosed for breaking a design to be printed into two or more exposures, each of which has at least the minimum pitch. Together, these multiple exposures print a design that could not be printed in one exposure alone.
TRANSFORMATION OF SIMPLE SUBSET OF PSL INTO SERE IMPLICATION FORMULAS FOR VERIFICATION WITH MODEL CHECKING AND SIMULATION ENGINES USING SEMANTIC PRESERVING REWRITE RULES
Simple-Subset PSL formulas are transformed to SERE implications (Figure 3). Verification engines are required to support the basic formula only (320). The basic formula is a form of automata in the property specification language. This is called SERE implication. The efficiency of verification is dependent on size of automata.
A method for defining routes in a design layout with at least one particular wiring layer that has at least two regions (200, 300) with different local preferred wiring directions (210, 305). The method then uses the differing local preferred wiring directions (205, 215) to define a detailed route on the wiring layer. In some embodiments, the method defines a first route (210) that traverse first (200) and second regions (300) between two layers by using a first via that has a first pad in the second region.
Some embodiments of the invention provide a Local Preferred Direction (LPD) wiring model for use with one or more EDA tools. An LPD wiring model allows at least one wiring layer (200) to have a set of regions (205, 210, 215) that each has a different preferred direction (-45°, 0°, 90°) than the particular wiring layer. In addition, each region (205, 210, 215) has a local preferred direction (-45°, 0°, 90°) that differs from the local preferred direction of at least one other region in the set. Furthermore, at least two regions have two different polygonal shapes and no region in the set encompasses another region in the set. Some embodiments also provide a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that facilitates a visual presentation of an LPD design layout and provides tools to create and manipulate LPD regions in a design layout.
A method for modifying an IC layout using a library of pretabulated models, each model containing an environment with a feature, one or more geometries, and a modification to the feature that is calculated to produce a satisfactory feature on a wafer. The model may also contain a simulation of the environment reflecting no processing variations and/or a re-simulation of the environment reflecting one or more processing variations. The model may also contain data describing an electrical characteristic of the environment as a function of one or more process variations and/or data describing an adjustment equation that uses geometry coverage percentages of particular areas in the layout to determine an adjustment to the modification. In some embodiments, an upper layout for an upper of an IC are modified using information (such a density map) relating to a lower layout for a lower layer of the IC.
A method for modifying an upper layout for an upper layer of an IC using information of a lower layout for a lower layer of the IC, the method including (2205) receiving the upper layout containing features and modifications to features, (2215) producing a density map of the lower layout having geometry coverages of sub-regions of the lower layout, (2220) selecting a feature in the upper layout, (2225) retrieving, from the density map, the geometry coverage of a sub-region below the feature, (2230) determining a vertical deviation of the feature using the geometry coverage, (2235) determining an alteration to the modification using the vertical deviation, (2240) applying the alteration to the modification and (2245) repeating for all features.
brevets
