Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first set of devices, a set of metal layers and a header circuit. The first set of devices are configured to operate on a first supply voltage, and are located on a first layer of the integrated circuit. The set of metal layers are above the first layer, and includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer extends in at least a first direction and a second direction. The header circuit is above the first set of devices. At least a portion of the header circuit is positioned between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The header circuit is configured to provide the first supply voltage to the first set of devices, and is configured to be coupled to a first voltage supply having the first supply voltage.

Abstract: A method includes: identifying attributes that are associated with cell edges of abutted cells in a layout of a semiconductor device, wherein the attributes include at least one of terminal types of the cell edges; determining at least one minimal boundary leakage of the abutted cells based on the attributes, for adjustment of the layout of the semiconductor device. A system is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A system includes a library, a processor and an output interface. The library contains at least one leakage lookup table related to leakage current values for different cell abutment cases of abutted cells in a semiconductor device. The cell abutment cases are associated with terminal types of cell edges of the abutted cells. The processor is configured to perform an analysis to detect boundaries between the abutted cells, identify attributes associated with the terminal types of the cell edges, identify the cell abutment cases based on the attributes, and calculate maximal boundary leakages between the abutted cells based on leakage current values associated with the cell abutment cases and leakage probabilities associated with the cell abutment cases. The output interface is for outputting boundary leakages corresponding to the maximal boundary leakages in the semiconductor device. A method is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: In a method, cell placement is performed to place a plurality of cells into a region of an integrated circuit (IC). A thermal analysis is performed to determine whether the region of the IC is thermally stable at an operating condition. In response to a determination that the region of the IC is thermally unstable, at least one of a structure or the operating condition of the region of the IC is changed. After the thermal analysis, routing is performed to route a plurality of nets interconnecting the placed cells. At least one of the cell placement, the thermal analysis, the changing or the routing is executed by a processor.

Abstract: A method (of revising an initial layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement) includes: identifying, in a first conductance layer of the initial layout diagram, a routed pattern and a dummy pattern, each of which extends in a first direction; the routed patterns being functional in a representation of a circuit; the dummy patterns being non-functional in the representation of the circuit; and revising to form a revised layout diagram, the revising including adding first and second jumper patterns, into a second conductance layer, which extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and adding via patterns, into an interconnection layer between the first and second conductance layers, which represent (A) connections between the first jumper pattern and first ends of the corresponding routed and dummy patterns, and (B) connections between the second jumper pattern and second ends of the corresponding routed and dummy patterns.

Abstract: A mechanism for adjusting the tension of a flexible transmission component, comprising: a driver; a follower, with a center distance between the center of the driver and the center of the follower; a flexible transmission component, which is a closed loop passing around the driver and the follower; a first base connecting with the driver, wherein aid first base can move in a direction of movement parallel to the center distance and away from and/or forward to the follower; a second base connecting with the follower; and at least one elastic component connecting the first base and the second base.

Abstract: A method and system for manufacturing a circuit is disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit layout is provided. The integrated circuit layout includes one or more first cell rows partially extending across a space arranged for an integrated circuit layout along a first direction. Each of the one or more first cell rows has a first height along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The integrated circuit layout includes one or more third cell rows partially extending across the space along the first direction. Each of the one or more third cell rows has a second height along the second direction, the second height different from the first height.

Abstract: A power grid of an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The power grid includes a plurality of first power lines formed in a first metal layer, a plurality of second power lines formed in the first metal layer, a plurality of third power lines formed in a second metal layer and a plurality of fourth power lines formed in the second metal layer. The second power lines are parallel to the first power lines, and the first and second power lines are interlaced in the first metal layer. The third power lines are perpendicular to the first power lines. The fourth power lines are parallel to the third power lines, and the third and fourth power lines are interlaced in the second metal layer. A first power pitch between two adjacent third power lines is greater than a second power pitch between two adjacent fourth power lines.

Abstract: Systems and methods for context aware circuit design are described herein. A method includes: identifying at least one cell to be designed into a circuit; identifying at least one context parameter having an impact to layout dependent effect of the circuit; generating, for each cell and for each context parameter, a plurality of abutment environments associated with the cell; estimating, for each cell and each context parameter, a sensitivity of at least one electrical property of the cell to the context parameter by generating a plurality of electrical property values of the cell under the plurality of abutment environments; and determining whether each context parameter is a key context parameter for a static analysis of the circuit, based on the sensitivity of the at least one electrical property of each cell and based on at least one predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A method includes forming a cell layer including first and second cells, each of which is configured to perform a circuit function; forming a first metal layer above the cell layer and including a first conductive feature and a second conductive feature extending along a first direction, in which the first conductive feature extends from the first cell into the second cell, and in which a shortest distance between a center line of the first conductive feature and a center line of the second conductive feature along a second direction is less than a width of the first conductive feature, and the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; forming a first conductive via interconnecting the cell layer and the conductive feature.

Abstract: A method (of fabricating a power grid (PG) arrangement in a semiconductor) includes: forming a first conductive layer including segments which are conductive, including forming first segments designated for a first reference voltage and second segments designated for a second reference voltage, and interspersing the first and second segments; relative to a first direction; and forming a second conductive layer over the first conductive layer, the second conductive layer including segments that are conductive, including forming third segments designated for the first reference voltage and fourth segments designated for the second reference voltage, interspersing the third and fourth segments relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction, and arranging the segments in the second conductive layer substantially asymmetrically including, relative to the first direction, locating each fourth segment substantially asymmetrically between corresponding adjacent ones of

Abstract: A partitioning method for partitioning a group of power-ground (PG) cells is disclosed. The method includes: placing at least one out-boundary PG cell on a substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one out-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate; and placing at least one in-boundary PG cell on the substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one in-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate.

Abstract: A failure-in-time (FIT) evaluation method for an IC is provided. The FIT evaluation method includes accessing data representing a layout of the IC including a metal line and a plurality of vertical interconnect accesses (VIAs); picking a plurality of nodes along the metal line; dividing the metal line into a plurality of metal segments based on the nodes; and determining FIT value for each of the metal segments to verify the layout and fabricate the IC. The number of the nodes is less than the number of the VIAs, and a distance between two adjacent VIAs of the VIAs is less than a width of the metal line.

Abstract: A method includes: accessing a design data of an integrated circuit (IC), wherein the design data includes a transistor layer and a plurality of metal layers over the transistor layer; assigning a bin size for each of the metal layers based on layout properties of the respective metal layers, wherein a bin size of a higher larger of the metal layers has a greater bin size than that of a lower layer of the metal layers; performing resource planning on the transistor layer and each of the metal layers according to the assigned bin sizes of the respective metal layers; and updating the design data according to the resource planning. At least one of the accessing, assigning, performing and updating steps is conducted by at least one processor.

Abstract: A method is utilized to calculate a boundary leakage in a semiconductor device. A boundary is detected between a first cell and a second cell, which the first cell and the second cell are abutted to each other around the boundary. Attributes associated with cell edges of the first cell and the second cell are identified. A cell abutment case is identified based on the attributes associated with the cell edges of the first cell and the second cell. An expected boundary leakage between the first cell and the second cell is calculated based on leakage current values associated with the cell abutment case and leakage probabilities associated with the cell abutment case.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first set of devices, a set of metal layers and a header circuit. The first set of devices are configured to operate on a first supply voltage, and are located on a first layer of the integrated circuit. The set of metal layers are above the first layer, and includes a first metal layer and a second metal layer. The first metal layer extends in at least a first direction and a second direction. The header circuit is above the first set of devices. At least a portion of the header circuit is positioned between the first metal layer and the second metal layer. The header circuit is configured to provide the first supply voltage to the first set of devices, and is configured to be coupled to a second voltage supply having a second supply voltage different from the first supply voltage.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: providing a first circuit having a plurality of circuit cells; analyzing a loading capacitance on a first pin cell connecting a first circuit cell and a second circuit cell in the plurality of circuit cells to determine if the loading capacitance of the first pin cell is larger than a first predetermined capacitance; replacing the first pin cell by a second pin cell for generating a second circuit when the loading capacitance is larger than the first predetermined capacitances, wherein the second pin cell is different from the first pin cell; and generating the semiconductor device according to the second circuit.

Abstract: A method includes: identifying a timing path of a logic circuit; determining a Boolean expression at an internal node in the timing path; providing a DC vector having a plurality of forms; determining a Boolean value at the internal node for each of the forms based on the Boolean expression; determining a quantity of stressed transistors in the timing path for each of the forms separately based on the respective Boolean value; and determining a best-case form, associated with an aging effect of the logic circuit, and a worst-case form, associated with the aging effect, out of the forms based on the quantities of stressed transistors.

Abstract: In a method, based on an operating condition of a region of an integrated circuit (IC), a first relationship between a temperature and heating power of the region is determined. Based on a cooling capacity of the region, a second relationship between the temperature and cooling power of the region is determined. Based on the first relationship and the second relationship, it is determined whether the region is thermally stable. In response to a determination that the region is thermally unstable, at least one of a structure or the operating condition of the region is changed. At least one of the determination of the first relationship, the determination of the second relationship, the determination of thermally stability of the region, or the change of at least one of the structure or the operating condition of the region is executed by a processor.