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: 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 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: 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.

Abstract: A method includes assigning a first color group to a first routing track of the layout. The method further includes assigning a second color group to a second routing track of the layout. The method includes assigning the first color group to a third routing track of the layout, wherein the second routing track is between the first routing track and the third routing track. The method further includes assigning a first color from the first color group to a first conductive element along the first routing track. The method further includes assigning a second color from the first color group to a second conductive element along the first routing track. The method further includes assigning a third color from the second color group to a third conductive element on the second routing track, wherein the third color is different from each of the first color and the second color.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a power grid layer (including a first metallization layer) and a set of cells. The first metallization layer includes: conductive first and second portions which provide correspondingly a power-supply voltage and a reference voltage, and which have corresponding long axes oriented substantially parallel to a first direction; and conductive third and fourth portions which provide correspondingly the power-supply voltage and the reference voltage, and which have corresponding long axes oriented substantially parallel to a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction. The set of cells is located below the PG layer. Each cell is monostate cell which lacks an input signal and has a single output state. The cells are arranged to overlap at least one of the first and second portions in a repeating relationship with respect to at least one of the first or second portions of the first metallization layer.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated device includes following operations. It is provided a first circuit having a first connecting path in a metal line layer, a second connecting path, and a third connecting path. The second connecting path is electrically connected to a first connecting portion of the first connecting path in the metal line layer. The third connecting path is electrically coupled to a second connecting portion of the first connecting path in the metal line layer. An electromigration (EM) data of the first connecting path is analyzed to determine if a third connecting portion in the metal line layer between the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion induces EM phenomenon. The first circuit is modified to generate a second circuit when the third connecting portion induces EM phenomenon. The integrated device is generated according to the second circuit.

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

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a cell layer, a first metal layer, a first conductive via, and a second conductive via. The cell layer includes first and second cells, in which the first cell is separated from the second cell by a non-zero distance. The first metal layer includes a first conductive feature and a second conductive feature, the first conductive feature overlaps the first cell and does not overlap the second cell, and the second conductive feature overlaps the second cell and does not overlap the first cell, in which the first conductive feature is aligned with the second conductive feature along lengthwise directions of the first and second conductive features. The first conductive via interconnects the cell layer and the first conductive feature of the first metal layer. The second conductive via interconnects the cell layer and the second conductive feature of the first metal layer.

Abstract: A FIT evaluation method for an IC is provided. The FIT evaluation method includes accessing data representing a layout of the IC comprising a number of metal lines and a number of VIAs; picking a number of nodes along the metal lines; dividing each of the metal lines into a number of metal segments based on the nodes; and determining a FIT value for each of the metal segments or VIAs to verify the layout and fabricate the IC.

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 the bin sizes are progressively larger from a bottom layer to a top 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.