Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated circuit structure and a design method thereof, in which a circuit passageway is arranged at each circuit element terminal in circuit design stage. The arranged circuit passageway does not only increase layout flexibility in circuit simulation stage but also simplify layout difficulty when the circuit layout needs to be modified after taping out stage. Also, the circuit passageway can minimize modified metal layers, i.e. the number of modified masks is minimized. Because the expense of fab is based on the utilized layers and number of masks instead of designs of masks, the present invention will not increase the expense in taping out stage and can save the cost of research and development when modifications are required.

Abstract: A method and software for automatically designing IC layout can be used in the two phases of IC circuit design-and-layout and the circuit simulation. Users can assign all or the partial end points of the devices in the integrated circuit to connect plural metal layers by this manner of automatic layout. In such a way, it is only necessary to make the connection lines connect the end points in the certain metal layers without connecting to the first metal layer.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an integrated circuit structure and a design method thereof, in which a circuit passageway is arranged at each circuit element terminal in circuit design stage. The arranged circuit passageway does not only increase layout flexibility in circuit simulation stage but also simplify layout difficulty when the circuit layout needs to be modified after taping out stage. Also, the circuit passageway can minimize modified metal layers, i.e. the number of modified masks is minimized. Because the expense of fab is based on the utilized layers and number of masks instead of designs of masks, the present invention will not increase the expense in taping out stage and can save the cost of research and development when modifications are required.