Abstract: A system for designing a power grid for an integrated circuit system forms a plurality of half pitch tiles that do not have a via violation, where each half pitch tile has a different orientation. The system generates sub tile arrays from each of the half pitch tiles. The system then forms a plurality of quarter pitch tiles that do not have a via violation, where each quarter pitch tile has a different orientation. The system generates deep sub tile cell arrays from each of the quarter pitch tiles. The system then covers a plurality of adjacent individual sub tile cells of the power grid with one of the sub tile arrays, and covers a plurality of adjacent individual deep sub tile cells of the power grid with one of the deep sub tile arrays.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with dynamically generating jog patches are described. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a virtual edge within metal of a design at a jog rule violation. The design is a design of an integrated circuit and the virtual edge is an edge of a rectangle associated with one or more edges of the jog rule violation. The example method may also include dynamically generating a jog patch by expanding the metal from the virtual edge.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with dynamically generating jog patches are described. In one embodiment, a method includes determining a virtual edge within metal of a design at a jog rule violation. The design is a design of an integrated circuit and the virtual edge is an edge of a rectangle associated with one or more edges of the jog rule violation. The example method may also include dynamically generating a jog patch by expanding the metal from the virtual edge.

Abstract: A computer aided design system can determine coverage of a metal layer mosaic. The system can apply a tile pattern to a design including at least one layer. Then, the system can identify at least one tile of the tile pattern that violates at least one first design rule. After that, the system can apply a sub-tile pattern to an area identified in the identifying the at least one tile of the tile pattern that violates the design rule. The system further can identify at least one sub-tile of the sub-tile pattern that violates at least one second design rule. Finally, the system can apply a deep-sub-tile pattern to an area identified in the identifying the at least one sub-tile of the sub-tile pattern that violates the second design rule.

Abstract: A method of filling dcaps in an integrated circuit includes identifying a set of dcap-eligible areas of the integrated circuit for areas large enough to accommodate at least one dcap cell having a selected size smaller than a default size. The dcap cell includes at least one built-in power track. A set of dcap cells are filled in the identified set of dcap-eligible areas. Each of the built-in power tracks included in the set of dcap cells is connected to a corresponding power grid. An integrated circuit including a power grid channel formed between at least two power grids and a plurality of dcaps including a first dcap included in a dcap cell, the dcap cell including built-in power tracks, each one of the built-in power tracks being connected to a corresponding one of the at least two power grids is also described.

Abstract: A computer aided design system can determine coverage of a metal layer mosaic. The system can apply a tile pattern to a design including at least one layer. Then, the system can identify at least one tile of the tile pattern that violates at least one first design rule. After that, the system can apply a sub-tile pattern to an area identified in the identifying the at least one tile of the tile pattern that violates the design rule. The system further can identify at least one sub-tile of the sub-tile pattern that violates at least one second design rule. Finally, the system can apply a deep-sub-tile pattern to an area identified in the identifying the at least one sub-tile of the sub-tile pattern that violates the second design rule.

Abstract: A method of filling dcaps in an integrated circuit includes identifying a set of dcap-eligible areas of the integrated circuit for areas large enough to accommodate at least one dcap cell having a selected size smaller than a default size. The dcap cell includes at least one built-in power track. A set of dcap cells are filled in the identified set of dcap-eligible areas. Each of the built-in power tracks included in the set of dcap cells is connected to a corresponding power grid. An integrated circuit including a power grid channel formed between at least two power grids and a plurality of dcaps including a first dcap included in a dcap cell, the dcap cell including built-in power tracks, each one of the built-in power tracks being connected to a corresponding one of the at least two power grids is also described.

Abstract: A method of filling dcaps in an integrated circuit includes identifying a set of dcap-eligible areas of the integrated circuit for areas large enough to accommodate at least one dcap cell having a selected size smaller than a default size. The dcap cell includes at least one built-in power track. A set of dcap cells are filled in the identified set of dcap-eligible areas. Each of the built-in power tracks included in the set of dcap cells is connected to a corresponding power grid. An integrated circuit including a power grid channel formed between at least two power grids and a plurality of dcaps including a first dcap included in a dcap cell, the dcap cell including built-in power tracks, each one of the built-in power tracks being connected to a corresponding one of the at least two power grids is also described.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method is provided for determining a localized region of overlap of first and second features from respective first and second conductive layers, and determining which enclosure rules to apply to vias formed between the first and second features. In a further aspect of the invention, a method may be provided to determine whether to apply symmetric or asymmetric via metal enclosure rules to a feature as a function of the local environment of the feature. In another aspect of the invention, a computer program product is provided to encode instructions for performing such a process.

Abstract: Automated techniques may correct certain rule violations, simplifying and automating the design layout of an electronic circuit, whether embodied as a design encoding or as a fabricated electronic circuit. Violations of enclosure design rules, those specifying the minimum amount that a geometry on a first layer must overlap a geometry on a second layer of a design layout, and more specifically, violations of asymmetric enclosure design rules, may be corrected using a geometric construction algorithm. This geometric construction algorithm may use the known width of the geometry on the second layer and a predetermined size factor to determine other parameters for constructing and placing a patch over a violation, such as the patch width, the patch length, the patch starting edge, and the patch direction. Patches may be constructed using different predetermined size factors when asymmetric enclosure violations are located on first layer geometries in different width ranges.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method is provided for determining a localized region of overlap of first and second features from respective first and second conductive layers, and determining which enclosure rules to apply to vias formed between the first and second features. In a further aspect of the invention, a method may be provided to determine whether to apply symmetric or asymmetric via metal enclosure rules to a feature as a function of the local environment of the feature. In another aspect of the invention, a computer program product is provided to encode instructions for performing such a process.

Abstract: An exemplary CAD design flow modifies an existing large scale chip layout to reinforce the redundant via design rules to improve the yield and reliability. The flow operates on each metal-via pair from bottom up to locate and correct isolated via rule violations by adding metal features and vias in a respective patch cell associated with each cluster cell. A large complex design is thus divided into cells so that multiple processes can work concurrently as if every process were working on the top level of the design layout.

Abstract: A technique for generating via array is presented. An origin is set in one corner of a bounding box, and the bounding box is filled, according to at least one spacing rule, starting from the origin, with one or more vias. The bounding box can be defined using a width and a length wherein the bounding box is at least co-extensive with an area for via filling. The bounding box can be larger than the area to be filled, for example, to allow for a metal enclosure or to allow for a non-rectangular area such as a polygon to be filled. When the area to be filled is a polygon, a bounding box of the polygon is filled with vias, any vias outside the polygon can be removed, and any vias crossing a polygon edge can be resized or removed.

Abstract: In a computer-aided design environment, a method for ensuring consistency of design rule application among a plurality of CAD tool programs contemplates the use of a global design rule definition file containing one or more global variables each having a specific design rule characteristic assigned thereto. The values of the global variables are passed to CAD tool programs within the environment directly or indirectly through a technology file which contains a subset of the design rules. Each time a CAD tool session is initialized, the current set of design rules are updated through the use of the technology file and the global design rule definition file. Subsequent modifications or changes of the design rules requires only changing the global design rule definition file to ensure synchronization of design rule application among the various CAD tools in the environment.

Abstract: In a Pure Fill Via Area (PFVA) extraction design flow, the extracted PFVAs may violate the minimum via spacing rule with the existing vias and may also violate the minimum via spacing rule among themselves. Such extracted PFVA violations may be corrected in an automatable design flow not requiring user intervention by removing any portion of a PFVA falling within a minimum via spacing rule of an existing via, to form a DRC-clean PFVA relative to existing vias, and removing any portion of a DRC-clean PFVA falling within the minimum via spacing rule of another DRC-clean PFVA.

Abstract: Automated techniques to correct certain rule violations with respect to non-design geometries are used, simplifying and automating the design layout of an electronic circuit, whether embodied as a design encoding or as a fabricated electronic circuit. Correcting minimum width rule violations of non-design geometries is accomplished by forming one or more cutting areas adjoining one or more erroneous edges of a non-design geometry, and deducting the cutting areas form the non-design geometry, splitting the non-design geometry into two or more remaining non-design geometries. Any slivers of remaining non-design geometries, i.e., any pieces that are smaller than a minimum size amount, are removed. Cutting areas are formed by stretching ends of erroneous edge segments by a minimum width rule amount and sizing the stretched edge segments which are inside the non-design geometry outward by a minimum spacing rule amount.

Abstract: Automated patching techniques to correct certain rule violations are used, simplifying and automating the design layout of an electronic circuit, whether embodied as a design encoding or as a fabricated electronic circuit. A series of patches of predefined orientations are utilized to correct design rule violations. A set of violations are identified, patches of a predefined orientation are attempted to correct one or more violations. Patches of another predefined orientation are attempted to correct remaining violations. Attempted patching is repeated until all patches in the series have been attempted or all violations have been corrected. Patches can be added to a construction layer over the set of violations, and each patch that does not cause a design rule violation can be copied to a metal layer. A series of patches of predefined orientations are used, efficiently correcting design rule violations such as minimum area and jog rule violations.

Abstract: In a multi-wide class design layout, design rule checks for enclosure of multi wide class objects prevent false errors or false passes by performing such checks against the non-virtual boundaries of a wide class object, and not against the virtual boundaries. An exemplary embodiment provides a method for identifying as a violation, for each wide class wi object, any geometry on another layer which is located at least partially inside the wi object and has any portion thereof located within a distance encli of any non-virtual boundary of the wi object. The exemplary method is preferably performed using effective wide class objects.

Abstract: Manipulation of a multi-wide object class design layout to facilitate design rule checking or automatic correction of design rule errors is improved by deriving wide class objects from geometries of the design layout, and applying certain rules to non-virtual boundaries of the wide class objects that are not applied to virtual boundaries of the wide class objects. In an exemplary embodiment, the wide class objects are preferably derived by sizing down, then sizing up, each geometry by a sizing factor equal to half the minimum width of the particular wide class object less an amount that preferably corresponds to that represented by a minimum resolution of the design layout. Portions of a geometry that are otherwise excluded as being too narrow in width, but that lie wholly within a correction factor of the boundary of the wide class object otherwise derived, are preferably included to form effective wide class objects.

Abstract: A technique for generating via array is presented. An origin is set in one corner of a bounding box, and the bounding box is filled, according to at least one spacing rule, starting from the origin, with one or more vias. The bounding box can be defined using a width and a length wherein the bounding box is at least co-extensive with an area for via filling. The bounding box can be larger than the area to be filled, for example, to allow for a metal enclosure or to allow for a non-rectangular area such as a polygon to be filled. When the area to be filled is a polygon, a bounding box of the polygon is filled with vias, any vias outside the polygon can be removed, and any vias crossing a polygon edge can be resized or removed.