Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure includes forming nanostructures over a substrate. The method also includes forming a gate structure wrapped around the nanostructures. The method also includes forming source/drain epitaxial structures over opposite sides of the nanostructures. The method also includes forming a first interlayer dielectric structure over the source/drain epitaxial structures. The method also includes removing the first interlayer dielectric structure. The method also includes forming a recess in the source/drain epitaxial structures. The method also includes forming a silicide structure in the recess. The method also includes forming a second interlayer dielectric structure over the silicide structure.

Abstract: Disclosed are improved methods, systems, and computer program products for implementing flexible models to perform efficient prototyping of electronic designs, which allows for very efficient analysis of the electronic designs. The flexible models allow many of the existing tools for designing electronics to perform more efficiently.

Abstract: Disclosed are improved approaches for implementing design entry. An efficient, spread-sheet based representation is provided for both the instances and connections in a design. Visualization techniques provide the user with visual cues, to direct and identify compatible connection points, unconnected instances, and contention situations. Techniques are disclosed to automatically filter the spreadsheet in a variety of ways, to help the user to dynamically hide portions of the design space that are not interesting at a particular time, and thus to improve the efficiency with which they can work.

Abstract: Method and system for conducting design explorations of an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a design description of the integrated circuit that includes a virtual design block, creating a representative netlist for representing the virtual design block, where the representative netlist includes one or more soft design models, and each soft design model comprises one or more template cells for modeling a portion of the integrated circuit. The method further includes defining physical attributes for the one or more soft design models in accordance with area requirements of the virtual design block, where the one or more soft design models are described with flexible shape and pin locations, performing design explorations of the integrated circuit using the one or more soft design models and their corresponding template cells, and generating a representative implementation of the integrated circuit using results of the design explorations.

Abstract: The present invention relates to performing early design for testing (DFT)-aware prototyping of a design. Unlike prior approaches, the improvement analyzes and considers the impact of test structures at a very early stage of the design process. This allows test structures to be considered and addressed in a more efficient iterative and incremental way, which reduces design cycle time and reduces costs.

Abstract: Method and system for conducting design explorations of an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a design description of the integrated circuit that includes a virtual design block, creating a representative netlist for representing the virtual design block, where the representative netlist includes one or more soft design models, and each soft design model comprises one or more template cells for modeling a portion of the integrated circuit. The method further includes defining physical attributes for the one or more soft design models in accordance with area requirements of the virtual design block, where the one or more soft design models are described with flexible shape and pin locations, performing design explorations of the integrated circuit using the one or more soft design models and their corresponding template cells, and generating a representative implementation of the integrated circuit using results of the design explorations.

Abstract: Method and system for conducting design explorations of an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a design description of the integrated circuit that includes a virtual design block, creating a representative netlist for representing the virtual design block, where the representative netlist includes one or more soft design models, and each soft design model comprises one or more template cells for modeling a portion of the integrated circuit. The method further includes defining physical attributes for the one or more soft design models in accordance with area requirements of the virtual design block, where the one or more soft design models are described with flexible shape and pin locations, performing design explorations of the integrated circuit using the one or more soft design models and their corresponding template cells, and generating a representative implementation of the integrated circuit using results of the design explorations.

Abstract: Method and system for conducting design explorations of an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes obtaining a design description of the integrated circuit that includes a virtual design block, creating a representative netlist for representing the virtual design block, where the representative netlist includes one or more soft design models, and each soft design model comprises one or more template cells for modeling a portion of the integrated circuit. The method further includes defining physical attributes for the one or more soft design models in accordance with area requirements of the virtual design block, where the one or more soft design models are described with flexible shape and pin locations, performing design explorations of the integrated circuit using the one or more soft design models and their corresponding template cells, and generating a representative implementation of the integrated circuit using results of the design explorations.

Abstract: A system for tracing signals for a cycle-based simulation includes a traced signal and a system resources availability information of the cycle-based simulation, a runtime compiler configured to use the system resources availability information to assign a system resource to trace the traced signal, a logic design used with the system resources availability information to generate a simulation image, a first value of the traced signal generated by execution of a simulation image, and a traced signal buffer configured to store the first value and upload the first value.

Abstract: A system for tracing signals for a cycle-based simulation includes a traced signal and a system resources availability information of the cycle-based simulation, a runtime compiler configured to use the system resources availability information to assign a system resource to trace the traced signal, a logic design used with the system resources availability information to generate a simulation image, a first value of the traced signal generated by execution of a simulation image, and a traced signal buffer configured to store the first value and upload the first value.