Patents by Inventor Robert F. Walker

Robert F. Walker has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8464189
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20120233576
    Abstract: Method, system, computer, etc., embodiments receive an original integrated circuit design into a computerized device. The methods herein automatically replace at least some of the original cells within the original integrated circuit design with replacement cells using the computerized device. Each of the replacement cells has an initial cell size that is unassociated with any specific design size. The methods herein automatically change the original design size of the integrated circuit design to a changed design size, and automatically individually change the initial cell size of each of the replacement cells to different sizes. At least two different replacement cells are changed from the initial cell size by different size reduction amounts based on different amounts of space required within the changed design size for each of the replacement cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Geoffrey R. Barrows, Derick G. Behrends, William J. Craig, Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker
  • Patent number: 7895562
    Abstract: An adaptive weighting method for layout optimization differentiates different priorities by assigning the weight of a higher priority (pi) to be multiple of the weight of a lower priority (pi?1) where W(pi)=mi % W(pi?1. To avoid numerical imprecision, this method keeps the total cost in the objective function within a trustable range by scaling the initial weights in the objectives, while maintaining relativity, to produce the scaled weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Xiaoping Tang, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7882463
    Abstract: The invention includes a solution for selectively scaling an integrated circuit (IC) design by: layer, region or cell, or a combination of these. The selective scaling technique can be applied in a feedback loop with the manufacturing system with process and yield feedback, during the life of a design, to increase yield in early processes in such a way that hierarchy is preserved. The invention removes the need to involve designers in improving yield.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani R. Narayan, Stephen L. Runyon, Robert F. Walker
  • Patent number: 7865848
    Abstract: A method of layout optimization containing parameterized cells includes reading a physical design containing parameterized cells, creating a new version for each of usage of a given parameterized cell. The method optimizes physical design shapes of each new version of the parameterized cell by assigning variables to parameters of the parameterized cell according to a desired objective. Then, the method updates the parameters of each new version of the parameterized cell and replaces each new version of the parameterized cell with an instance of the parameterized cell having updated parameters. The method can optionally adjust physical design shapes based on constraints related to the parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Veit Gernhoefer, Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Stephen L. Runyon, Robert F. Walker, Bruce C. Wheeler
  • Patent number: 7818694
    Abstract: Optimizing an integrated circuit design to improve manufacturing yield using manufacturing data and algorithms to identify areas with high probability of failures, i.e. critical areas. The process further changes the layout of the circuit design to reduce critical area thereby reducing the probability of a fault occurring during manufacturing. Methods of identifying critical area include common run, geometry mapping, and Voronoi diagrams. Optimization includes but is not limited to incremental movement and adjustment of shape dimensions until optimization objectives are achieved and critical area is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J Allen, Faye D Baker, Albert M Chu, Michael S Gray, Jason Hibbeler, Daniel N Maynard, Mervyn Y Tan, Robert F Walker
  • Publication number: 20100185997
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2010
    Publication date: July 22, 2010
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7761821
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. The invention implements a minimum layout perturbation approach that addresses the RDR requirements. The invention also solves the problem of inserting dummy shapes where required, and extending the lengths of the critical shapes and/or the dummy shapes to meet ‘edge coverage’ requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7752589
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer program product for visually indicating the interaction between one or more edges of a design that contribute to a defined critical area pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Sarah C. Braasch, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Daniel N. Maynard, Kevin W. McCullen, Evanthia Papadopoulou, Mervyn Y. Tan, Robert F. Walker
  • Patent number: 7735042
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for context aware sub-circuit layout modification are disclosed. The method may include defining at least one context for the sub-circuit for each circuit that uses the sub-circuit; in the case that a plurality of contexts are defined, minimizing a number of contexts for the sub-circuit by combining contexts into at least one stage; placing each stage into a staged layout; and modifying the sub-circuit by modifying the staged layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7610565
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit (IC) design from a source technology without radical design restrictions (RDR) to a target technology with RDR, are disclosed. Also, a method, system and program product for migrating an integrated circuit design from a source technology without RDR to a target technology with RDR in which space may be reserved for late insertion of a feature and in which migration first occurs in a primary compaction direction having less tolerant ground rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Cam V. Endicott, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7568173
    Abstract: Methods of independently migrating a hierarchical design are disclosed. A method for migrating a macro in an integrated circuit comprises: determining an interface strategy between a base cell in the macro and the macro, the base cell including an interface element involved in the interface strategy; migrating the base cell independently with respect to the macro based on the interface strategy; initially scaling the macro; swapping the migrated base cell into the macro; and legalizing content of the initially scaled macro.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Veit Gernhoefer, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Stephen L. Runyon, Leon J. Sigal, Robert F. Walker, Pieter J. Woeltgens, Xiaoyun K. Wu, Xin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20090158223
    Abstract: An adaptive weighting method for layout optimization differentiates different priorities by assigning the weight of a higher priority (pi) to be multiple of the weight of a lower priority (pi?1) where W(pi)=mi % W(pi?1. To avoid numerical imprecision, this method keeps the total cost in the objective function within a trustable range by scaling the initial weights in the objectives, while maintaining relativity, to produce the scaled weights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Kevin W. McCullen, Xiaoping Tang, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20090100386
    Abstract: Optimizing an integrated circuit design to improve manufacturing yield using manufacturing data and algorithms to identify areas with high probability of failures, i.e. critical areas. The process further changes the layout of the circuit design to reduce critical area thereby reducing the probability of a fault occurring during manufacturing. Methods of identifying critical area include common run, geometry mapping, and Voronoi diagrams. Optimization includes but is not limited to incremental movement and adjustment of shape dimensions until optimization objectives are achieved and critical area is reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 16, 2009
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Faye D. Baker, Albert M. Chu, Michael S. Gray, Jason Hibbeler, Daniel N. Maynard, Mervyn Y. Tan, Robert F. Walker
  • Patent number: 7503020
    Abstract: A method of and service for optimizing an integrated circuit design to improve manufacturing yield. The invention uses manufacturing data and algorithms to identify areas with high probability of failures, i.e. critical areas. The invention further changes the layout of the circuit design to reduce critical area thereby reducing the probability of a fault occurring during manufacturing. Methods of identifying critical area include common run, geometry mapping, and Voronoi diagrams. Optimization includes but is not limited to incremental movement and adjustment of shape dimensions until optimization objectives are achieved and critical area is reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Faye D. Baker, Albert M. Chu, Michael S. Gray, Jason Hibbeler, Daniel N. Maynard, Mervyn Y. Tan, Robert F. Walker
  • Publication number: 20090064061
    Abstract: A method of layout optimization containing parameterized cells includes reading a physical design containing parameterized cells, creating a new version for each of usage of a given parameterized cell. The method optimizes physical design shapes of each new version of the parameterized cell by assigning variables to parameters of the parameterized cell according to a desired objective. Then, the method updates the parameters of each new version of the parameterized cell and replaces each new version of the parameterized cell with an instance of the parameterized cell having updated parameters. The method can optionally adjust physical design shapes based on constraints related to the parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2007
    Publication date: March 5, 2009
    Inventors: Veit Gernhoefer, Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Stephen L. Runyon, Robert F. Walker, Bruce C. Wheeler
  • Publication number: 20090037851
    Abstract: A method, system and program product for context aware sub-circuit layout modification are disclosed. The method may include defining at least one context for the sub-circuit for each circuit that uses the sub-circuit; in the case that a plurality of contexts are defined, minimizing a number of contexts for the sub-circuit by combining contexts into at least one stage; placing each stage into a staged layout; and modifying the sub-circuit by modifying the staged layout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20090037850
    Abstract: A method of polygonal area design rule correction for use in an electronic design automation tool for governing integrated circuit (IC) design layouts using one-dimensional (1-D) optimization, with steps of analyzing IC design layout data to identify violating polygons, partitioning violating polygons into rectangles in a direction of optimization, formulating an area constraint for each violating polygon to formulate a global linear programming (LP) problem that includes each constraint for each violating polygon and solving the global LP problem to obtain a real-valued solution. A next LP problem is created for each area constraint, and solved. The creating a next and solving the next LP problem and solving are repeated until the last “next LP problem” is solved using constraints and objectives representing sums or differences of no more than two optimization variables.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Inventors: Michael S. Gray, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Patent number: 7484197
    Abstract: A method comprises extracting a hierarchical grid constraint set and modeling one or more critical objects of at least one cell as a variable set. The method further comprises solving a linear programming problem based on the hierarchical grid constraint set with the variable set to provide initial locations of the critical objects of the at least one cell and determining target on-grid locations of the one or more critical objects in the at least one cell using the results of the linear programming solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert J. Allen, Michael S. Gray, Fook-Luen Heng, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani R. Narayan, Robert F. Walker, Xin Yuan
  • Publication number: 20080313581
    Abstract: Methods of independently migrating a hierarchical design are disclosed. A method for migrating a macro in an integrated circuit comprises: determining an interface strategy between a base cell in the macro and the macro, the base cell including an interface element involved in the interface strategy; migrating the base cell independently with respect to the macro based on the interface strategy; initially scaling the macro; swapping the migrated base cell into the macro; and legalizing content of the initially scaled macro.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2007
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Veit Gernhoefer, Matthew T. Guzowski, Jason D. Hibbeler, Kevin W. McCullen, Rani Narayan, Stephen L. Runyon, Leon J. Sigal, Robert F. Walker, Pieter J. Woeltgens, Xiaoyun K. Wu, Xin Yuan