Abstract: Methods for analyzing the timing in integrated circuits and for reducing the pessimism in timing slack calculations in static timing analysis (STA). The methods involve grouping and canceling the delay contributions of elements having similar delays in early and late circuit paths. An adjusted timing slack is calculated using the delay contributions of elements having dissimilar delays. In some embodiments, the delay contributions of elements having dissimilar delays are root sum squared. Embodiments of the invention provide methods for reducing the pessimism due to both cell-based and wire-dependent delays. The delays considered in embodiments of the invention may include delays due to the location of elements in a path.

Abstract: The invention provides a design and an integrated circuit having a substantially uniform density and electrical characteristics between parts of the IC that are angled at 45 degrees relative to one another. In particular, the invention provides fill tiling patterns oriented substantially uniformly to electrical structures of either orthogonal or 45 degree angle orientation.

Abstract: A method for performing an electromigration check and detecting EM problems in a device or circuit. The method uses the capacitance and resistance of the conductors of the device or circuit as parameters in determining a power limit that maintains a required temperature environment that ensures the reliability of the device or circuit. The parameters of resistance and capacitance can be determined for the device or circuit through the use of commercially available device data or simulation and analysis tools. The power limit is then used to check each device interconnect to identify the location of potential EM problems. Corrective action is taken to avoid EM problems as they are detected in the device or circuit.

Abstract: A method and system for performing parasitic extraction, wherein the method comprises calculating the minimum output impedance for a network-connected component comprising a plurality of ports thereby producing a labeled impedance, estimating the minimum output impedance for every net, comparing the labeled impedance with the estimated impedance, and selecting the net which needs to be extracted based on a ratio of values of the labeled impedance and the estimated impedance. The step of calculating comprises labeling every port with a minimum size of port impedance, a resistance from a port to power, and a minimum capacitance of a port-net inside the network connected component. The step of estimating comprises using a geometry of segments of the net comprising a summation of area and perimeter values of all the segments of the net, or calculating a resistance over a length of a total net versus an average width of the net.

Abstract: A method and apparratus for for identifying circuits within an integrated circuit design that are likely to latchup. The present invention accomplishes the identification by searching for suspect circuits and then modifying these circuits to represent a device known by an EDA tool (e.g. FET device). The EDA tool can then be used to determine the likelihood of latchup occuring based upon the modified device.

Abstract: In a first aspect, an inventive apparatus for imaging a chip on a wafer includes a combined diamond chip image and kerf image having a plurality of sloped sides. The combined diamond chip image and kerf image includes a diamond chip image comprising a plurality of chip image rows that are parallel to at least one diagonal of the diamond chip image, and includes a kerf image adjacent to the diamond chip image. The kerf image comprises at least one kerf image row that is parallel to the at least one diagonal of the diamond chip image. The apparatus further includes a blocking material extending from the combined diamond chip image and kerf image to at least a periphery of an exposure field of a stepper. In a second aspect the imaging apparatus comprises an n-sided polygon-shaped combined chip image and kerf image. Also provided are inventive methods of manufacturing chips, and wafers manufactured in accordance with the inventive methods.

Abstract: The invention provides a design and an integrated circuit having a substantially uniform density and electrical characteristics between parts of the IC that are angled at 45 degrees relative to one another. In particular, the invention provides fill tiling patterns oriented substantially uniformly to electrical structures of either orthogonal or 45 degree angle orientation.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting circuit characteristics from a circuit design comprises extracting first cell characteristics from a portion of said circuit design using a first set of environmental conditions. The invention then extracts second cell characteristics from the portion of the circuit design using a second set of environmental conditions. The invention determines a difference between the first cell characteristics and the second cell characteristics and labels a placeability of the portion of the circuit design based on the difference.

Abstract: A method and apparratus for for identifying circuits within an integrated circuit design that are likely to latchup. The present invention accomplishes the identification by searching for suspect circuits and then modifying these circuits to represent a device known by an EDA tool (e.g. FET device). The EDA tool can then be used to determine the likelihood of latchup occuring based upon the modified device.

Abstract: A method and system for extracting circuit characteristics from a circuit design comprises extracting first cell characteristics from a portion of said circuit design using a first set of environmental conditions. The invention then extracts second cell characteristics from the portion of the circuit design using a second set of environmental conditions. The invention determines a difference between the first cell characteristics and the second cell characteristics and labels a placeability of the portion of the circuit design based on the difference.

Abstract: A method and system for performing parasitic extraction, wherein the method comprises calculating the minimum output impedance for a network-connected component comprising a plurality of ports thereby producing a labeled impedance, estimating the minimum output impedance for every net, comparing the labeled impedance with the estimated impedance, and selecting the net which needs to be extracted based on a ratio of values of the labeled impedance and the estimated impedance. The step of calculating comprises labeling every port with a minimum size of port impedance, a resistance from a port to power, and a minimum capacitance of a port-net inside the network connected component. The step of estimating comprises using a geometry of segments of the net comprising a summation of area and perimeter values of all the segments of the net, or calculating a resistance over a length of a total net versus an average width of the net.

Abstract: A kerf circuit for modeling of Back End Of Line (BEOL) capacitances is disclosed. The kerf circuit contains a clock circuit connected to a number of capacitance testing circuits. Each capacitance testing circuit acts a “bay” that can be configured to test one particular capacitance. The clock circuit allows the capacitance testing circuits to charge and discharge the capacitive structures being tested. By having a number of different capacitance testing circuits, capacitances of many different structures may be tested at one time. This is particularly true if the kerf circuit is repeated several or many times, with each different kerf circuit containing different capacitive testing circuits that themselves contain different capacitive structures. The kerf circuit interfaces to testing equipment through pads. The pads connect to each capacitive testing circuit and allow capacitance measurements to be performed by measuring current.

Abstract: A structure and method for extracting parasitic capacitance from a multi-layer wiring structure that creates, for each wiring layer in a wiring structure, a wiring density map and measures a plurality of metal segments in a wiring layer to determine an area occupied by the metal segments. The invention calculates an up area capacitance component for each of the metal segments by multiplying the area occupied by the metal segments by a wiring density from the wiring density map of an overlying wiring layer over the metal segments and by a capacitance coefficient of the overlying wiring layer. To calculate the down area capacitance component for each of the metal segments, the invention multiplies the area occupied by the metal segments by a wiring density, from the wiring density map of an underlying wiring layer under the metal segments and by a capacitance coefficient of the underlying wiring layer.

Abstract: A method and structure for performing parasitic extraction for a multi-fingered device comprising of establishing a maximum processing width of a finger of the device, dividing fingers of the device that exceed the maximum width into sub-fingers, determining whether ones of the fingers and the sub-fingers have similar characteristics, combining ones of the fingers and the sub-fingers that have similar characteristics into combined fingers, and extracting parasitic values from the fingers, the sub-fingers and the combined fingers.

Abstract: A method of integrated circuit design using the selective replacement of increasingly noise tolerant cells is disclosed. The method involves compiling a library comprising a plurality of design element cells, sorting the library into groups of functionally-equivalent cells, and ordering the cells in each group from one extreme to the other extreme value of a featured parameter for which the integrated circuit is to be tested. Each one of the cells in the library have a known value of another parameter so that the substitution of a library cell for an original cell or another library cell does not affect the overall integrated circuit value for that known parameter. A substitution can thus be made with the knowledge that additional problems involving the known parameter are not being created.

Abstract: A structure and method for performing a capacitance extraction on an integrated circuit, includes determining a parallel-plate capacitance between devices on different levels within the integrated circuit, adding extension shapes around each of the devices, reducing an area of overlapping extension shapes, multiplying a remaining area of the extension shapes by a constant to produce a fringe capacitance; and summing the parallel-plate capacitance and the fringe capacitance.

Abstract: A method and structure for performing capacitance extraction during the design of an integrated circuit includes inputting a specified wiring density and design requirements, determining a minimum spacing for wire segments based on the design requirements, calculating a transparency factor based on the wiring density, calculating a lateral capacitance assuming virtual wires are present in the integrated circuit, and calculating a vertical capacitance based on the transparency factor.

Abstract: A structure and method for evaluating an integrated circuit design includes adding a superseding layer of the integrated circuit design over a previous layer of the integrated circuit structure, identifying database pointers for regions and edges within the superseding layer and the previous layer, removing database pointers for regions of the previous layer overlapped by the superseding layer, classifying the superseding layer and the previous layer as the previous layer, and repeating the method until all layers of the integrated circuit are evaluated.

Abstract: A method of integrated circuit design using the selective replacement of increasingly noise tolerant cells is disclosed. The method involves compiling a library comprising a plurality of design element cells, sorting the library into groups of functionally-equivalent cells, and ordering the cells in each group from one extreme to the other extreme value of a featured parameter for which the integrated circuit is to be tested. Each one of the cells in the library have a known value of another parameter so that the substitution of a library cell for an original cell or another library cell does not affect the overall integrated circuit value for that known parameter. A substitution can thus be made with the knowledge that additional problems involving the known parameter are not being created.

Abstract: A method and structure for a method of determining characteristics of parasitic elements in an integrated circuit comprising, identifying manufacturing process parameters of devices in the integrated circuit, calculating a parasitic performance distribution for each of the devices based on the manufacturing process parameters, combining the parasitic performance distribution for each of the devices into a net parasitic value, and forming a parameterized model based on the net parasitic values.