Abstract: A method is provided. The method includes obtaining, for a particular integrated (IC) design, register transfer level (RTL) code and unified power format (UPF) settings, generating an RTL feature array from the RTL code, arranging features based on a UPF into a UPF feature array, generating, by a processor, a combined feature array for the particular IC design by combining the RTL feature array and the UPF feature array, comparing the combined feature array for the particular IC design with another combined feature array, and reporting differences, based on the comparing, between the combined feature array and the other combined feature array to identify changes in at least one of the RTL code and the UPF settings that resulted in a change in a number of power violations.

Abstract: Systems and methods disclosed include receiving defect data from a test of a semiconductor device comprising a circuit, the circuit comprising a cell, the cell comprising a first input, a second input and an output, and modeling a first plurality of cell defect modes of the cell with a first multiple input transition cell fault model (MTCFM), the cell defect modes associated with a first signal transition on the first input, and a second signal transition on the second input or the output. Systems and method further include correlating the first plurality of cell defect modes to the defect data to produce a probability of each of the first plurality of cell defect modes matching the defect data, and providing, to a user, an indication of each of at least one of the first plurality of cell defect modes having the probability exceeding a defect probability threshold.

Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) system includes a plurality of SRAM storage cells, each of the plurality of SRAM storage cells coupled to a respective read bit line, and a dynamic keeper coupled to the read bit line. The dynamic keeper includes a first keeper to support a read operation at a first temperature range, and a second keeper to support the read operation at a second temperature range, and a temperature-sensitive control circuit to select the first keeper or the second keeper based on temperature.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are computer-implemented method, system, and computer-program product (computer-readable storage medium) embodiments for discovering contextualized placeholder variables in template code. Some embodiments include invoking a render call to a template engine to render an input template and then receiving a message identifying a placeholder variable within the input template in response to invoking the render call. These embodiments may further include generating multiple rendered templates by rendering the input template based at least in part on a unique value and a modified unique value for the placeholder variable. Further still, these embodiments may also include storing the placeholder variable in a security vulnerability data structure in response to detecting a change in context associated with the placeholder variable between the multiple rendered templates.

Abstract: Duty cycle adjustment circuitry includes a first stage, a second stage, and decoder circuitry. The first stage includes a first strength tuning circuit having first inverter branches, and a first fine tuning circuit having second inverter branches. The first strength tuning circuit and the first fine tuning circuit are coupled in parallel. The second stage includes a second strength tuning circuit having third inverter branches, and a second fine tuning circuit having fourth inverter branches. The second strength tuning circuit and the second fine tuning circuit are coupled in parallel. Further, the second stage is electrically coupled to the first stage. The decoder circuitry is electrically coupled to the first stage and the second stage. The decoder circuitry controls the first strength tuning circuit independently from the first fine tuning circuit to adjust the duty cycle of an input signal received by the duty cycle adjustment circuitry.

Abstract: A system performs mask rule checks (MRC) for curvilinear shapes. The width of a curvilinear shape is different along different parts of the shape. A medial axis for a curvilinear shape is determined. The medial axis is trimmed to exclude portions that are within a threshold distance from corners or too far from edges. The trimmed medial axis is used to perform width checks for mask rules. The system generates medial axis between geometric shapes and uses it to determine whether two geometric shapes are at least a threshold distance apart. The system performs acute angle checks for sharp corners. The system determines angles using lines drawn from vertices to end points on the boundary of the shape that are at a threshold distance. These angles are used for checking acute angle mask rule violations.

Abstract: A system and method for generating simulation-friendly compact physical models for passive structures is disclosed. The method includes generating an impedance map specifying impedances at a plurality of frequencies corresponding to one or more port-pairs of a circuit component using a processor to extract a plurality of impedance values between the one or more port-pairs based on a first value for each parameter of a plurality of parameters of the circuit component. The method includes generating a second circuit representation model based on updating the plurality of impedance values between the one or more port-pairs based on a second value for one or more parameters of the plurality of parameters of the circuit component, and updating the second circuit representation model by tuning the updated plurality of impedance values of the between the one or more port-pairs based on a predetermined use context of the circuit component in a circuit.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip may include a first gate-all-around (GAA) device and a second GAA device. The first GAA device may include a first set of silicon dioxide structures around a first set of silicon channels, a first set of hafnium dioxide structures around the first set of silicon dioxide structures, and a first metal structure around the first set of hafnium dioxide structures. The second GAA device may include a second set of silicon dioxide structures around a second set of silicon channels, and a second metal structure around the second set of silicon dioxide structures. Each silicon dioxide structure in the first set of silicon dioxide structures may have a first thickness. Each silicon dioxide structure in the second set of silicon dioxide structures may have a second thickness, which is greater than the first thickness.

Abstract: A method includes capturing a photon emission microscope (PEM) image of an integrated circuit (IC), and identifying emission sites in the PEM image, where the emission sites are associated with a leakage current. A set of common nets is found that connects multiple emission sites using layout data and/or netlist data in computer-aided design (CAD) data. From the layout data and/or netlist data, a critical net is identified from the set of common nets connecting a threshold number of emission sites. The critical net is cross-mapped, by a processor, tip netlist data in the CAD data. A particular device is identified from the netlist data that has an output pin connected to the critical net. The particular device identified from the netlist data is cross-mapped, by a processor, to the layout data, wherein the critical net connects at least two devices at the identified emission sites including the particular device.

Abstract: A power intent may be loaded on an integrated circuit (IC) design, where the power intent may be represented by a set of constraints. A logic network may be constructed based on the set of constraints and a rule check which is desired to be performed on the power intent. In response to a failure of the rule check, one or more refutation proofs may be created based on the logic network. A subset of the set of constraints may be identified based on the one or more refutation proofs, where the subset of the set of constraints may include an inconsistency which caused the rule check to fail.

Abstract: The independent claims of this patent signify a concise description of embodiments. An automatic process for determining and/or predicting the original root-cause(s) of a violation is proposed using two major enhancements on top of the current VC-Static solution. First, an information repository is created by mining various Static checker components' analysis information, and second, an analysis framework is created which systematically prunes the above-mentioned information repository to find the actual root cause(s) of the violation. This Abstract is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

Abstract: A lithography process is described by a design for a lithographic mask and a description of the lithography configuration, which may include the lithography source, collection/illumination optics, projection optics, resist, and/or subsequent fabrication steps. The actual lithography process uses a lithographic mask fabricated from the mask design, which may be different than the nominal mask design. A mask fabrication model models the process for fabricating the lithographic mask from the mask design. Typically, this is an electron-beam (e-beam) process, which includes e-beam exposure of resist on a mask blank, processing of the exposed resist to form patterned resist, and etching of the mask blank with the patterned resist. The mask fabrication model, usually in conjunction with other process models, is used to estimate a result of the lithography process. Mask correction is then applied to the mask design based on the simulation result.

Abstract: A security verification system performs security verification of a circuit design. The security verification system simplifies formal security verification of the circuit design by replacing circuit blocks of the circuit with black box circuit blocks. The security verification system instruments the circuit design so that black-boxing can be performed for security verification without changing the security decision over the data paths. The security verification system uses dependence information of the inputs and outputs of the black box to connect inputs of the circuit block with outputs of the circuit block. The black-box circuit block keeps the logic inside the cone of influence of clocks and resets. The system performs security verification of the circuit design by proving a non-interference property of the instrumented circuit design.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to the layout of photonic integrated circuits using fixed coordinate grids. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a request to place a first photonic component within a layout of a photonic integrated circuit. Positionings of components within the layout are represented in a design database utilizing a grid with fixed coordinates. The method further includes calculating, by a processor, precise coordinates and snapped coordinates for positioning of the first photonic component. The snapped coordinates have a precision consistent with the fixed coordinate grid and the precise coordinates have a higher precision than the snapped coordinates. The method further includes, in a design database, representing the positioning of the first photonic component utilizing both the precise coordinates and the snapped coordinates.

Abstract: A system enhances a system design to incorporate safety measures. The system receives a system design for processing through various stages of design using design tools, for example electronic design automation tools for introducing safety features in a circuit design. The system receives safety requirements for the system design, the safety requirements specifying safety measures for the system design. The system generates from the safety requirements, a safety specification storing a set of commands. The system generates a system design enhanced with safety measures. The enhanced system design it generated for at least a subset of the plurality of tools. A tool processes the generated safety specification to implement safety measures in the system design according to the received safety requirements.

Abstract: A method of using on-chip circuitry to test a memory of a chip is provided. The method including, in a capture stage, receiving, at a first n-bit compression structure including n first stage latches corresponding to each bit of the first n-bit compression structure, a value at each respective first stage latch for each of n memory addresses of the memory, such that each respective first stage latch receives a respective value from a memory address of the memory, n being an integer greater than one, and in the capture stage, passing the values from each respective first stage latch through compression logic of the first n-bit compression structure to output a single compressed address value, providing the single compressed address value to a second stage latch of the first n-bit compression structure.

Abstract: A method includes generating a plurality of intermediate designs for a chip by executing a first sub-step based on a first plurality of inputs, adding at least one intermediate design of the plurality of intermediate designs to a second plurality of inputs, generating a plurality of final designs by executing a second sub-step of the step of the design flow based on the second plurality of inputs, and selecting using a machine learning model a final design from the plurality of final designs. The first sub-step is a sub-step of a step of a design flow and the first plurality of inputs corresponds to input parameters associated with the first sub-step.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to an analog mixed-signal (AMS) design verification system. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a system and method for system verification. One example method includes: obtaining an electronic representation of the circuit design; generating at least a portion of a waveform using the electronic representation of the circuit to obtain a first segment of the waveform associated with the circuit; converting, via the one or more processors, one or more measurement functions to code for performing the one or more computations on the first segment of the waveform; performing one or more computations on the first segment of the waveform using the code; and identifying when a behavior of the circuit violates a design specification based on whether a result of the one or more computations meets a threshold.

Abstract: A system and method for providing timing and placement co-optimization for engineering change order (ECO) cells is described. According to one embodiment, an ECO for a current design of an integrated circuit is accessed. The ECO includes inserting an ECO cell among placed and routed current cells of the current design. A target region in the current design is identified for placement of the ECO cell, but the target region has insufficient open space to place the ECO cell. At least one current cell will have to be moved in order to place the ECO cell in the target region. Timing slacks for current cells in a neighborhood of the target region are determined. Based on the timing slacks of the current cells, at least one of the current cells is moved to a different location to create sufficient open space to place the ECO cell within the target region.

Abstract: This disclosure describes a memory cell array with enhanced read sensing margin. The memory cell array includes a write port and a read port being connected through first and second data storage lines. The memory cell array further includes multiple word lines and bit lines arranged in rows and columns such that the read port is coupled to a read word line, a read bit line, and a virtual ground. The read port includes a first transistor coupled to at least the read bit line and the virtual ground, a second transistor coupled to at least the first data storage line and the first transistor, a third transistor coupled to at least the second data storage line and the read word line, and a fourth transistor coupled at least the first data storage line and the read word line.