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: An integrated system and method to achieve ESD robustness on an integrated circuit (IC) in a fully automated ASIC design environment is described. Electrical characteristics and electrical limits on the power network are translated to power route region constraints for each chip input/output (I/O) cell. Electrical limits on the signal network are translated into signal route region constraints for each chip I/O cell. These constraints are passed on to an I/O floorplanner (automatic placer of I/O cells) that analyzes trade-offs between these constraints. For I/O cells that can not be placed to satisfy both power and signal region constraints, the I/O floorplanner utilizes the knowledge of alternative power distribution structures to group I/Os and create local power grid structures that have the effect of relaxing the power region constraints. Instructions for creating these local power grid structures are passed on to the automatic power routing tool.

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: A method for performing power routing on a voltage island within an integrated circuit chip is disclosed. A first power grid is generated for a voltage island on metal levels 1 to N?1. Then, a second power grid is generated on metal levels N and above. A bounding region of the second robust power grid is determined. Finally, the shortest distance connections from a set of power sources is routed to the second power grid.

Abstract: An integrated circuit. The integrated circuit includes a parent terrain; and a hierarchical order of nested voltage islands within the parent terrain, each higher-order voltage island nested within a lower-order voltage island, each nested voltage island having the same hierarchical structure.

Abstract: Macro design techniques are disclosed for facilitating subsequent stage wiring across the macro. Whitespace areas within the macro are rearranged to accommodate the wiring. The rearrangement may take the form of physical rearrangement of the whitespace areas into routing tracks extending from one side of the macro to another; shielding using, for example, macro power bussing and/or macro wiring; routing power busses to the rearranged whitespace; and/or inserting active circuits with pins accessible to the wiring. In a preferred embodiment, active circuits are placed into rearranged macro whitespace during the design of subsequent stages. The rearrangement of the whitespace facilitates the wiring across the macro so that slew rate and path delay requirements of the subsequent stage wiring can be maintained, without excessive buffering or rerouting of wiring.

Abstract: Macro design techniques are disclosed for facilitating subsequent stage wiring across the macro. Whitespace areas within the macro are rearranged to accommodate the wiring. The rearrangement may take the form of physical rearrangement of the whitespace areas into routing tracks extending from one side of the macro to another; shielding using, for example, macro power bussing and/or macro wiring; routing power busses to the rearranged whitespace; and/or inserting active circuits with pins accessible to the wiring. In a preferred embodiment, active circuits are placed into rearranged macro whitespace during the design of subsequent stages. The rearrangement of the whitespace facilitates the wiring across the macro so that slew rate and path delay requirements of the subsequent stage wiring can be maintained, without excessive buffering or rerouting of wiring.

Abstract: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip supplies a chip design and partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands. The invention outputs a voltage island specification list comprising power and timing information of each voltage island; and automatically, and without user intervention, synthesizes power supply networks for the voltage islands.

Abstract: A method for performing power routing on a voltage island within an integrated circuit chip is disclosed. A first power grid is generated for a voltage island on metal levels 1 to N?1. Then, a second power grid is generated on metal levels N and above. A bounding region of the second robust power grid is determined. Finally, the shortest distance connections from a set of power sources is routed to the second power grid.

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: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip supplies a chip design and partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands. The invention outputs a voltage island specification list comprising power and timing information of each voltage island; and automatically, and without user intervention, synthesizes power supply networks for the voltage islands.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, method and system providing finer granularity dynamic voltage control without performance loss. The invention provides a means for dynamically changing a voltage level of at least one stage on a critical path for a particular cycle. In this way, optimum voltages can be provided to the stages for the given expectation.

Abstract: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip supplies a chip design and partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands. The invention outputs a voltage island specification list comprising power and timing information of each voltage island; and automatically, and without user intervention, synthesizes power supply networks for the voltage islands.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, method and system providing finer granularity dynamic voltage control without performance loss. The invention provides a means for dynamically changing a voltage level of at least one stage on a critical path for a particular cycle. In this way, optimum voltages can be provided to the stages for the given execution.

Abstract: A way of dynamically modifying error recovery on a communications controller to operate at the lowest power mode allowed by current error rate conditions. When operating conditions are good and a small number of errors are detected, a low power error detection/correction mode is entered saving battery life. The low power error correction mechanism runs at a slower frequency and lower power than the high power mechanism and maintains the same data rate for the controller, thus saving power. Selecting the controller error (power) mode may be externally, such as by a person using a control dial on a cellular telephone when the voice data gets too noisy. Alternatively, the selection can be automatic, a critical error level detector internally making the selection.

Abstract: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip is disclosed. The method supplies a chip design, partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands, creates a floorplan of the voltage islands, assesses the floorplan, repeats the partitioning and the creating of the floorplan depending upon a result of the assessing process, and outputs a voltage island specification list.

Abstract: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip is disclosed. The method supplies a chip design, partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands, creates a floorplan of the voltage islands, assesses the floorplan, repeats the partitioning and the creating of the floorplan depending upon a result of the assessing process, and outputs a voltage island specification list.

Abstract: A method and structure for designing an integrated circuit chip supplies a chip design and partitions elements of the chip design according to similarities in voltage requirements and timing of power states of the elements to create voltage islands. The invention outputs a voltage island specification list comprising power and timing information of each voltage island; and automatically, and without user intervention, synthesizes power supply networks for the voltage islands.

Abstract: Macro design techniques are disclosed for facilitating subsequent stage wiring across the macro. Whitespace areas within the macro are rearranged to accommodate the wiring. The rearrangement may take the form of physical rearrangement of the whitespace areas into routing tracks extending from one side of the macro to another; shielding using, for example, macro power bussing and/or macro wiring; routing power busses to the rearranged whitespace; and/or inserting active circuits with pins accessible to the wiring. In a preferred embodiment, active circuits are placed into rearranged macro whitespace during the design of subsequent stages. The rearrangement of the whitespace facilitates the wiring across the macro so that slew rate and path delay requirements of the subsequent stage wiring can be maintained, without excessive buffering or rerouting of wiring.

Abstract: A method and system for modifying power rails of an integrated circuit having improved wireability. This is accomplished by initially generating a power railing design of the integrated circuit into a three-dimensional rail based model. Next, analysis of the design is performed as to placement of the power rails in relation to neighboring elements that affects a predefined wireability. Finally, modification of a segment of each power rail that affects wireability is performed so that required power supply to the neighboring elements (e.g., pins, rails etc.) remains unaffected.