Defect Analysis Patents (Class 716/112)
  • Patent number: 12261166
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a pair of first and second dummy active regions extending in a first horizontal direction and spaced apart from each other in a second horizontal direction; a pair of first and second circuit active regions extending in the first horizontal direction and spaced apart in the second horizontal direction; and a plurality of line patterns extending in the second horizontal direction and spaced apart in the first horizontal direction. The pair of first and second dummy active regions may be between a pair of line patterns adjacent to each other among the plurality of line patterns. At least one of the first and second dummy active regions may have a width-changing portion in which a width of the at least one of the first and second dummy active regions changes in the second horizontal direction between the pair of line patterns adjacent to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jungkyu Chae, Kwanyoung Chun, Yoonjin Kim
  • Patent number: 12236177
    Abstract: One example includes a method for validating a circuit design. The method includes providing a set of coded rules. Each of the coded rules can define conditions for circuit cells to qualify the circuit design as being radiation-hardened. The method also includes accessing a circuit design netlist associated with the circuit design from a circuit design database. The method also includes evaluating each of the circuit cells in the circuit design netlist with respect to each of the coded rules. The method further includes providing a circuit evaluation report comprising an indication of failure of a set of the circuit cells with respect to one or more of the coded rules in response to the evaluation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Lawrence James Gewax, Timothy Paul Duryea
  • Patent number: 12216981
    Abstract: A system (for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement) includes a processor and memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the system generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of masks in a multi-patterning context, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining that the first candidate location results in an intra-row non-circular group of a given row which violates a design rule, the intra-row non-circular group including first and second cut patterns which abut a same boundary of the given row, and a total number of cut patterns in the being an even number; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fong-Yuan Chang, Chin-Chou Liu, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Meng-Kai Hsu, Pin-Dai Sue, Po-Hsiang Huang, Yi-Kan Cheng, Chi-Yu Lu, Jung-Chou Tsai
  • Patent number: 12216980
    Abstract: A method includes the following operations: identifying a layer of a first layout based on a first violation generated on the layer; generating a metal density value associated with the layer; when the metal density value is larger than or equal to a preset value, classifying the first violation into a first class corresponding to routing congestions of the first layout; when the first violation is classified into the first class, assigning, to the first violation, a first operation of a plurality of first pre-stored operations corresponding to the first class; and performing the first operation to the first layout to generate a second layout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignees: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD., TSMC NANJING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Yi-Lin Chuang, Song Liu, Pei-Pei Chen, Heng-Yi Lin, Shih-Yao Lin, Chin-Hsien Wang
  • Patent number: 12190359
    Abstract: Methods and software that allow one or more users to utilize custom pricing in the context of an electronic marketplace. Such custom pricing can be implemented by transmitting specifications of custom pricing engines and/or custom design document interrogator engines to the marketplace along with or independently from one or more design documents containing structures to be priced. Various corresponding and related methods and software are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Inventor: James L Jacobs, II
  • Patent number: 12182489
    Abstract: A method for enforcing design rules in a circuit layout may include providing a circuit schematic for an integrated circuit to a circuit simulator, wherein the circuit layout is derived from a circuit schematic, using the circuit simulator to simulate the circuit schematic and generate simulated electrical parameters for the integrated circuit, and using the simulated electrical parameters to enforce physical design rules when generating the circuit layout based on the simulated electrical parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Cirrus Logic Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Kobe, David Kostusiak, Christian Larsen
  • Patent number: 12174361
    Abstract: A method and system for mapping fluid objects on a substrate using a microscope inspection system that includes a light source, imaging device, stage for moving a substrate disposed on the stage, and a control module. A computer analysis system includes an object identification module that identifies for each of the objects on the substrate, an object position on the substrate including a set of X, Y, and ? coordinates using algorithms, networks, machines and systems including artificial intelligence and image processing algorithms. At least one of the objects is fluid and has shifted from a prior position or deformed from a prior size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Nanotronics Imaging, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew C. Putman, John B. Putman, John Cruickshank, Julie Orlando, Adele Frankel, Brandon Scott
  • Patent number: 12169940
    Abstract: In one example, a method of motion detection includes producing a first image based on a plurality of previous images, the first image including pixels having intensity values that approximate a difference in intensity values between a pair of pixels within the previous images, and the pair of pixels being one pixel from each of first and second previous images and present at the same locations within their respective images, generating a second image by applying a threshold to the first image, the second image including one or more pixels with intensity values above the threshold, the threshold being derived from intensity values of pixels within the first image and a number of pixels in the first image with a respective intensity value, and determining a region of the second image indicating motion based on a location of the one or more pixels in the second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: SimpliSafe, Inc.
    Inventors: Monica Xu, Shekhar Bangalore Sastry, Nicholas Setzer
  • Patent number: 12164853
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for generating a layout of a semiconductor device. The method includes placing a first cell and a second cell adjacent to the first cell, placing a first conductive pattern in a first track of the first cell extending in a first direction, wherein the first conductive pattern is configured as an input terminal or an output terminal of the first cell, placing a second conductive pattern in a first track of the second cell extending in the first direction, wherein the second conductive pattern is configured as an input terminal or an output terminal of the second cell, and aligning the first conductive pattern with the second conductive pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Anurag Verma, Chi-Chun Liang, Meng-Kai Hsu, Cheng-Yu Lin, Pochun Wang, Hui-Zhong Zhuang
  • Patent number: 12165181
    Abstract: Methods and software that allow one or more users to utilize custom pricing in the context of an electronic marketplace. Such custom pricing can be implemented by transmitting specifications of custom pricing engines and/or custom design document interrogator engines to the marketplace along with or independently from one or more design documents containing structures to be priced. Various corresponding and related methods and software are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Desprez, LLC
    Inventor: James L Jacobs, II
  • Patent number: 12153082
    Abstract: The present invention provides a detection method for sensitive parts of ionization damage in a bipolar transistor, which includes the following steps: selecting an irradiation source, and carrying out irradiation test on the bipolar transistor to be tested; installing the irradiated bipolar transistor on a test bench of a deep level transient spectroscopy system, and setting test parameters; selecting at least two different bias voltages, and testing the bipolar transistor to obtain a deep level transient spectrum; determining whether a defect is an ionization defect according to a peak position of the defect signal in the deep level transient spectrum; determining the defect type as oxidation trapped charges or an interface state according to the level of the defect signal in the deep level transient spectrum; and determining the sensitive area of ionization damage in the bipolar transistor according to the determination result of the defect signal type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: Harbin Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Xingji Li, Jianqun Yang, Gang Lv, Yadong Wei, Xiaodong Xu, Tao Ying, Xiuhai Cui
  • Patent number: 12150242
    Abstract: An LED circuit board structure includes first color LEDs, second color LEDs, third color LEDs, a carrier board, first testing wires, first connecting wires, second testing wires and second connecting wires. Each of the first testing wire is located at the carrier board and electrically connects two first color LEDs in a pixel-front-side-pattern region in parallel. The first connecting wire electrically connects two first testing wires in adjacent two pixel-front-side-pattern regions. Each of the second testing wire is located at the carrier board and electrically connects two second color LEDs in a pixel-front-side-pattern region in parallel. The second connecting wire electrically connects two second testing wires in adjacent two pixel-front-side-pattern regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: INGENTEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yi-Chuan Huang, Hsiao-Lu Chen, Ai-Sen Liu
  • Patent number: 12141516
    Abstract: Systems and methods for improving design performance of a layout design through placement of functional and spare cells by leveraging layout dependent effect (LDE) is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: importing a plurality of technology files associated with the layout design into an EDA system; importing a netlist associated with the layout design into the EDA system; importing a standard cell library containing pattern-S timing information of the functional cells and the spare cells; performing floorplan and spare cell insertion, wherein the spare cells are distributed uniformly across the floorplan; and conducting placement and optimization through re-placement of the at least one functional cells and the spare cells to form pattern-S with at least one timing critical cells to improve an overall timing performance of the layout design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Chun-Yao Ku, Jyun-Hao Chang, Ming-Tao Yu, Wen-Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 12132046
    Abstract: Disclosed are semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of gate structures that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction on a substrate and extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a plurality of separation patterns penetrating immediately neighboring ones of the plurality of gate structures, respectively. Each of the plurality of separation patterns separates a corresponding one of the neighboring gate structures into a pair of gate structures that are spaced apart from each other in the second direction. The plurality of separation patterns are spaced apart from and aligned with each other along the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho-Jun Kim, Beomjin Park, Dong Il Bae, Mirco Cantoro
  • Patent number: 12124787
    Abstract: Disclosed are a system and method for automatically and systematically generating device-based design rules and corresponding device-based design rule checking (DRC) codes. In the system and method, design rules associated with specific devices are generated based on at least one table of related data (e.g., maturity status information, restriction status information, etc.) for different devices. Based on the design rules and on unique definitions for the specific devices, design rule checking (DRC) codes associated with the specific devices are generated. By using this approach, comprehensive and accurate device-based design rules and corresponding device-based DRC codes can be quickly generated to ensure acceptable product reliability and yield. Furthermore, processes used to generate the device-based DRC codes can be iteratively repeated (e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shu Zhong, Ming Zhu, Pinghui Li, Yiang Aun Nga
  • Patent number: 12124783
    Abstract: A method of configuring an integrated circuit including multiple hardware tiles, includes: establishing a data forwarding path through the multiple hardware tiles by configuring each hardware tile, except for a last hardware tile, of the multiple hardware tiles to be in a data forwarding state, in which configuring each hardware tile, except for the last hardware tile, to be in a forwarding state includes installing a respective forwarding state counter specifying a corresponding predefined length of time that the hardware tile is in the data forwarding state; supplying, along the data forwarding path, each hardware tile of the plurality of hardware tiles with a respective program data packet comprising program data for the hardware tile; and installing, for each hardware tile of the multiple hardware tiles, the respective program data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Michial Allen Gunter, Reiner Pope, Pavel Krajcevski, Clifford Biffle
  • Patent number: 12118287
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for automatically generating sub-cells for a non-final layout of an analog integrated circuit. Device specifications and partition information for the analog integrated circuit is received. Based on the device specifications and the partition information, first cut locations for a first set of cuts to be made along a first direction of a non-final layout of the analog integrated circuit and second cut locations for a second set of cuts to be made along a second direction in the non-final layout are determined. The first set of cuts are made in the non-final layout at the cut locations to produce a temporary layout. The second set of cuts are made in the temporary layout at the cut locations to produce a plurality of sub-cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chiang Chang, Wen-Shen Chou, Yung-Chow Peng, Yung-Hsu Chuang, Yu-Tao Yang, Bindu Madhavi Kasina
  • Patent number: 12112111
    Abstract: In a method for analyzing a static analog integrated circuit layout, corresponding simulation netlists are generated from an integrated circuit layout by parasitic parameter extraction, and device-node hypergraph or graph structures reflecting a circuit topological structure are generated from the simulation netlists. Then, characteristics of RC local networks between ports of individual device groups to be matched are analyzed. An independent source current is provided at i-ports of the RC networks, AC analysis is performed on the RC local networks to acquire impedance values of j-ports at different frequencies, and then a circuit mismatch condition is determined by comparing the impedance values of the individual RC local networks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignees: Bayes Electronics Technology Co., Ltd, Tessersoft Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Gang Fang, Wei Dong, Jiadong Gu, Zhenxin Zhao
  • Patent number: 12079555
    Abstract: Automated circuit generation is disclosed. In some embodiments, parameters are received and a circuit schematic is generated automatically by software. In some embodiment, parameters are received and a circuit layout is generated automatically by software. In some embodiments, a design interface may be used to create a behavioral model of a circuit. Software may generate a circuit specification to generate a schematic. In various embodiments, circuit component values may be determined and generated. Certain embodiments pertain to automating layout of circuits. Software may receive parameters for functional circuit components and generate a circuit schematic and/or a layout. The present techniques are particularly useful for automatically generating analog circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: CELERA, INC.
    Inventors: Calum MacRae, Jim LoCascio, Karen Mason, John Mason, Richard Philpott, Muhammed Abid Hussain
  • Patent number: 12067340
    Abstract: A defect prediction method for a device manufacturing process involving processing a portion of a design layout onto a substrate, the method including: identifying a hot spot from the portion of the design layout; determining a range of values of a processing parameter of the device manufacturing process for the hot spot, wherein when the processing parameter has a value outside the range, a defect is produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process; determining an actual value of the processing parameter; determining or predicting, using the actual value, existence, probability of existence, a characteristic, or a combination thereof, of a defect produced from the hot spot with the device manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Christophe David Fouquet, Bernardo Kastrup, Arie Jeffrey Den Boef, Johannes Catharinus Hubertus Mulkens, James Benedict Kavanagh, James Patrick Koonmen, Neal Patrick Callan
  • Patent number: 12050850
    Abstract: A method of designing an integrated circuit (IC) chip is discloses. The method includes designing a higher level comprising a plurality of outputs configured to be connected to inputs in a previously-designed macro level, wherein each input in the macro level includes a configurable filler cell. The method also includes calculating if each input includes an antenna violation based on the higher level and the macro level, and configuring each of the filler cells, wherein each filler cell associated with an antenna violation is configured as an antenna diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shankar Kalyanasundaram, Ananth Nag Raja Darla, Amit Bipinbhai Patel, Krishnan Mohan
  • Patent number: 12039248
    Abstract: The present application provides a design rule check method and apparatus, and a storage medium, which are applied to the field of chip verification. The method includes that: a DRC code file is acquired, multiple segments of DRC codes in the DRC code file are analyzed, the analyzed segments of DRC codes are classified, whether a code conflict exists in the segments of DRC codes is determined, and if the code conflict exists, a code conflict report is generated, the code conflict report being used to indicate a code position of the code conflict. By means of the method, the code error in the DRC code file can be quickly checked and positioned, assisting a tester in modifying a DRM file and the DRC file, so as to improve the execution efficiency of the DRC code, and meanwhile, shorten the time for DRC development.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Bin Wu
  • Patent number: 12038694
    Abstract: Methods for training a process model and determining ranking of simulated patterns (e.g., corresponding to hot spots). A method involves obtaining a training data set including: (i) a simulated pattern associated with a mask pattern to be printed on a substrate, (ii) inspection data of a printed pattern imaged on the substrate using the mask pattern, and (iii) measured values of a parameter of the patterning process applied during imaging of the mask pattern on the substrate; and training a machine learning model for the patterning process based on the training data set to predict a difference in a characteristic of the simulated pattern and the printed pattern. The trained machine learning model can be used for determining a ranking of hot spots. In another method a model is trained based on measurement data to predict ranking of the hot spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Youping Zhang, Maxime Philippe Frederic Genin, Cong Wu, Jing Su, Weixuan Hu, Yi Zou
  • Patent number: 12032891
    Abstract: The invention provides an operation method of a semiconductor system, which includes providing a system which includes a layout pattern to scanning electron microscope (SEM) pattern prediction model (LS model) and a novelty detection model (ND model), inputting a layout pattern to the ND model, and the ND model judges whether the layout pattern is a novel layout pattern, and if the layout pattern is confirmed as the novel layout pattern after judgment, performing a process step on the novel layout pattern to form an SEM (scanning electron microscope) pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Pin-Yen Tsai, Yi-Jung Chang
  • Patent number: 12026443
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable recording medium includes simulation data input into a computing device executing a simulation of a semiconductor device, wherein the simulation data includes part shape information describing shape and terminal information of the semiconductor device, logical model information describing operation and connection information of an element in the semiconductor device, and functional block information describing positional information of a functional block in the semiconductor device, and the computing device causes the part shape information, the logical model information, and the functional block information to correspond to each other to execute the simulation of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA ELECTRONIC DEVICES & STORAGE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hitoshi Imi, Motochika Okano, Yoshinori Fukuba
  • Patent number: 12019527
    Abstract: A processor comprises a plurality of processing units, wherein there is a fixed transmission time for transmitting a message from a sending processing unit to a receiving processing unit, based on the physical positions of the sending and receiving processing units in the processor. The processing units are arranged in a column, and the fixed transmission time depends on the position of a processing circuit in the column. An exchange fabric is provided for exchanging messages between sending and receiving processing units, the columns being arranged with respect to the exchange fabric such that the fixed transmission time depends on the distances of the processing circuits with respect to the exchange fabric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2024
    Assignee: Graphcore Limited
    Inventor: Stephen Felix
  • Patent number: 12001774
    Abstract: A method for curing antenna violations on an integrated circuit that includes multiple levels includes: obtaining a design of a circuit, the design including a first element connected to first device and a second element connected to one or more second devices, wherein the first and second elements both receive a common signal; determining that an antenna violation exists in on the first element at a first level of the multiple levels; and modifying the design of the circuit to add a connected between the first element and the second element at the first layer or at a layer below the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Amanda Christine Venton, Peter Milton Nasveschuk, Christopher Joseph Berry, Eric Chien Lai
  • Patent number: 12003411
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for “on the fly” routing of data transmissions in the presence of errors. Switches can establish flow channels corresponding to flows in the network. In response to encountering a critical error on a network link along a transmission path, a switch can generate an error acknowledgement. The switch can transmit the error acknowledgements to ingress ports upstream from the network link via the plurality of flow channels. By transmitting the error acknowledgement, it indicates that the network link where the critical error was encountered is a failed link to ingress ports upstream from the failed link. Subsequently, each ingress port upstream from the failed link can dynamically update the path of the plurality of flows that are upstream from the failed link such that the plurality of flows that are upstream from the failed link are routed in a manner that avoids the failed link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Jonathan P. Beecroft, Edwin L. Froese
  • Patent number: 11983480
    Abstract: Embodiments of the application disclose a check tool and a check method for a Design Rule Check (DRC) rule deck of an integrated circuit layout. The check tool (100) for the DRC rule deck of the integrated circuit layout includes: an intelligent database creation engine (110), configured to generate a test case database; an intelligent arrangement engine (120), configured to generate a standard integrated circuit layout (150) according to the test case database; and an intelligent detection and analysis engine (130), configured to detect and analyze a target DRC rule deck (140) of the integrated circuit layout according to the standard integrated circuit layout (150).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Chuanjiang Chen, Li Bai, Kang Zhao
  • Patent number: 11979174
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a processor-implemented method for compressing, storing, and transmitting simulation data. The simulation data including a set of floating point data values is received, the simulation data characterizing simulated physical properties of a physical object. A first master data value is identified from the set to cluster one or more data values from the set as a first group of data values based on a comparison between a data value of the set and the first master data value. Compressed simulation data is transmitted, where the compressed simulation data includes a floating point representation of the first master data value and integer representations of other data values of the first group of data values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Ansys, Inc.
    Inventors: Jianhui Xie, Jin Wang, Yong-Cheng Liu, Jean-Daniel Beley
  • Patent number: 11977883
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that provide a reconfigurable cryptographic coprocessor. An example system includes an instruction memory configured to provide ARX instructions and mode control instructions. The system also includes an adjustable-width arithmetic logic unit, an adjustable-width rotator, and a coefficient memory. A bit width of the adjustable-width arithmetic logic unit and a bit width of the adjustable-width rotator are adjusted according to the mode control instructions. The coefficient memory is configured to provide variable-width words to the arithmetic logic unit and the rotator. The arithmetic logic unit and the rotator are configured to carry out the ARX instructions on the provided variable-width words. The systems and methods described herein could accelerate various applications, such as deep learning, by assigning one or more of the disclosed reconfigurable coprocessors to work as a central computation unit in a neural network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, University of Virginia Patent Foundation
    Inventors: Mohamed E. Aly, Wen-Mei W. Hwu, Kevin Skadron
  • Patent number: 11972191
    Abstract: A method of pruning nets in a circuit design includes, in part, receiving data representative of net layers associated with the circuit design, and accessing a connect database associated with the circuit design. The connect database includes data representative of electrical connections associated with the circuit design. The method further includes, in part, determining whether a marker layer exists in the net layers, and pruning nets that are not connected to the marker layer if the marker layer is determined to exist. The marker layer, which is not stored in the connect database, designates a connection between at least a pair of nets in the circuit design.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Louis Schaffer, Timmy Lin, Soo Han Choi
  • Patent number: 11914940
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an edge active cell, an inner active cell and a middle active cell. The edge active cell is located near an edge of the semiconductor device. The edge active cell includes a plurality of fingers. The inner active cell is adjacent to the edge active cell toward a central portion of the semiconductor device. The inner active cell includes a plurality of fingers and at least one of the plurality of fingers of the edge active cell is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of fingers of the inner active cell. The middle active cell is located near the central portion of the semiconductor device. The middle active cell includes a plurality of fingers and each of the fingers of the middle active cell is electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jaw-Juinn Horng, Wen-Shen Chou, Yung-Chow Peng
  • Patent number: 11907629
    Abstract: A computing system configured to verify design of an integrated circuit (IC) includes a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store computer executable instructions. The processor is configured to generate a first coverage model for at least two high-level parameters from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 standard or hardware description language (HDL) code by executing the computer executable instructions, generate a second coverage model for low-level internal signals from the HDL code by executing the computer executable instructions, and generate a plurality of test packets for a regression test by using at least one of the first coverage model or the second coverage model by executing the computer executable instructions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Soonwoo Choi, Jung Woon Lee, Junyoung Jeong
  • Patent number: 11893333
    Abstract: A method of generating an IC layout diagram includes abutting a first row of cells with a second row of cells along a border, the first row including first and second active sheets, the second row including third and fourth active sheets, the active sheets extending along a row direction and having width values. The active sheets are overlapped with first through fourth back-side via regions, the first active sheet width value is greater than the third active sheet width value, a first back-side via region width values is greater than a third back-side via region width value, and a value of a distance from the first active sheet to the border is less than a minimum spacing rule for metal-like defined regions. At least one of abutting the first row with the second row or overlapping the active sheets with the back-side via regions is performed by a processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shang-Wei Fang, Kam-Tou Sio, Wei-Cheng Lin, Jiann-Tyng Tzeng, Lee-Chung Lu, Yi-Kan Cheng, Chung-Hsing Wang
  • Patent number: 11853677
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating a computer chip placement. One of the methods includes obtaining netlist data for a computer chip; and generating a computer chip placement, comprising placing a respective macro node at each time step in a sequence comprising a plurality of time steps, the placing comprising, for each time step: generating an input representation for the time step; processing the input representation using a node placement neural network having a plurality of network parameters, wherein the node placement neural network is configured to process the input representation in accordance with current values of the network parameters to generate a score distribution over a plurality of positions on the surface of the computer chip; and assigning the macro node to be placed at the time step to a position from the plurality of positions using the score distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Anna Darling Goldie, Azalia Mirhoseini, Ebrahim Songhori, Wenjie Jiang, Shen Wang, Roger David Carpenter, Young-Joon Lee, Mustafa Nazim Yazgan, Chian-min Richard Ho, Quoc V. Le, James Laudon, Jeffrey Adgate Dean, Kavya Srinivasa Setty, Omkar Pathak
  • Patent number: 11847389
    Abstract: An optimization device includes an output data acquisitor that acquires output data having a second number of dimensions obtained by performing an experiment or a simulation, an evaluation value calculator that calculates and outputs an evaluation value of the output data, a features extractor that extracts an output data features having a third number of dimensions different from the second number of dimensions, an input parameter converter that generates a conversion parameter related to the output data features predicted from the input parameters, a next input parameter determinator that determines a next input parameter to be acquired by the output data acquisitor, based on the conversion parameter and the corresponding evaluation value, and an iterative determinator that repeats processes of the output data acquisitor, the input/output data storage, the evaluation value calculator, the features extractor, the input parameter converter, and the next input parameter determinator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignees: Kioxia Corporation, KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Satoru Yokota, Daiki Kiribuchi, Takeichiro Nishikawa, Soh Koike, Takashi Tsurugai
  • Patent number: 11847398
    Abstract: Ground rule verification (“GRV”) design layouts may be automatically generated based on one or more design macros. The GRV design layout may be tested based on the one or more design macros by violating one or more ground rules using one or more GRV ranges. The testing may include electrical testing of the one or more GRV design layouts based on the one or more design macros. The one or more ground rules may be automatically selected and approved the based upon a degree of violation acceptability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jingyu Lian, Shruthi Venkateshan, Tenko Yamashita, Jinning Liu
  • Patent number: 11842129
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for correcting finite floating-point numerical simulation and optimization. Defining a loss function within a simulation space composed of a plurality of voxels each having an initial degree of freedom, the simulation space encompassing one or more interfaces of the component; defining an initial structure for the one or more interfaces in the simulation space; calculating, using a computer system with a finite floating-point precision, values for an electromagnetic field at each voxel using a finite-difference time domain solver to solve Maxwell's equations; and determining, for each voxel, whether to increase a respective numerical precision of respective values representing behavior of the electromagnetic field at the voxel above a threshold precision by the computer system and, in response, assigning one or more additional degrees of freedom to the voxel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Brian John Adolf, Martin Friedrich Schubert, Jesse Lu
  • Patent number: 11842133
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and a system for determining the equivalence of the DRM data set and the DRC data set. The system retrieves a DRM data set and a DRC data set, and transforms the DRM data set and the DRC data set into a first data structure node and a second data structure node respectively. The system determines whether the first data structure node and the second data structure node are equivalent according to a data structure node comparison model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Chin-Chou Liu, Yi-Kuang Lee, Lie-Szu Juang
  • Patent number: 11842134
    Abstract: A method includes tracing from an observation point in a circuit to an input of the circuit to produce a cone of influence that includes a plurality of components of the circuit. The plurality of components is connected at a plurality of nodes in the cone of influence and the plurality of components includes a plurality of logic elements. The method also includes, for each node of the plurality of nodes, determining an observability probability that a logical high or low value at a corresponding node propagates to the observation point. The method further includes determining a weighted soft error probability for each logic element of the plurality of logic elements and determining a weighed soft error failure mode distribution for the cone of influence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Fadi Maamari, Shivakumar Shankar Chonnad, Abhishek Chauhan, Jamileh Davoudi
  • Patent number: 11835715
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for designing a multimodal photonic component. In one aspect, a method includes defining a loss function within a simulation space including multiple voxels and encompassing features of the multimodal photonic component. The loss function corresponds to a target output mode profile for an input mode profile, where the target output mode profile includes a relationship between a set of operating conditions and one or more supported modes of the multimodal photonic component at a particular operative wavelength. The initial structure is defined for one or more features, where at least some of the voxels corresponding to features have a dimension smaller than a smallest operative wavelength of the multimodal photonic component, and values for structural parameters for the features are determined so that a loss according to the loss function is within a threshold loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: X Development LLC
    Inventors: Jesse Lu, Brian John Adolf, Martin Friedrich Schubert
  • Patent number: 11836598
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for three-dimensionally stacked neural network accelerators. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining data specifying that a tile from a plurality of tiles in a three-dimensionally stacked neural network accelerator is a faulty tile. The three-dimensionally stacked neural network accelerator includes a plurality of neural network dies, each neural network die including a respective plurality of tiles, each tile has input and output connections. The three-dimensionally stacked neural network accelerator is configured to process inputs by routing the input through each of the plurality of tiles according to a dataflow configuration and modifying the dataflow configuration to route an output of a tile before the faulty tile in the dataflow configuration to an input connection of a tile that is positioned above or below the faulty tile on a different neural network die than the faulty tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: Google LLC
    Inventors: Andreas Georg Nowatzyk, Olivier Temam
  • Patent number: 11825606
    Abstract: A surface mounted technology (SMT) process prediction tool for intelligent decision making on PCB quality is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Chengdu Aeronautic Polytechnic
    Inventors: Xin Su, Dejin Yan, Fuyao Lai, Guangheng Luo
  • Patent number: 11816414
    Abstract: Various techniques are disclosed for automatically generating sub-cells for a non-final layout of an analog integrated circuit. Device specifications and partition information for the analog integrated circuit is received. Based on the device specifications and the partition information, first cut locations for a first set of cuts to be made along a first direction of a non-final layout of the analog integrated circuit and second cut locations for a second set of cuts to be made along a second direction in the non-final layout are determined. The first set of cuts are made in the non-final layout at the cut locations to produce a temporary layout. The second set of cuts are made in the temporary layout at the cut locations to produce a plurality of sub-cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd
    Inventors: Chih-Chiang Chang, Wen-Shen Chou, Yung-Chow Peng, Yung-Hsu Chuang, Yu-Tao Yang, Bindu Madhavi Kasina
  • Patent number: 11809803
    Abstract: Failure-in-time (FIT) evaluation methods for an IC are provided. Data representing a layout of the IC is accessed, and the layout includes a metal line and a plurality of vertical interconnect accesses (VIAs). The metal line is divided into a first sub-line with a first line width and a second sub-line with a second line width. A plurality of nodes are picked along the first and second sub-lines of the metal line. The metal line is divided into a plurality of metal segments based on the nodes. FIT value is determined for each of the metal segments to verify the layout and fabricate the IC. The first line width is greater than the second line width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chin-Shen Lin, Ming-Hsien Lin, Kuo-Nan Yang, Chung-Hsing Wang
  • Patent number: 11803973
    Abstract: Motion detection is performed using layouts of different resolutions. A plurality of layouts at different resolutions are generated using an image. Sets of bounding boxes for the different layouts are generated based on areas indicative of motion for the respective layout. The different sets of bounding boxes are combined and motion of one or more objects represented in the image is detected based on combined set of bounding boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: SimpliSafe, Inc.
    Inventors: Monica Xu, Shekhar Bangalore Sastry, Nicholas Setzer
  • Patent number: 11790151
    Abstract: A system for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks (the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium), at least one processor, at least one memory and computer program code (for one or more programs) of the system being configured to cause the system to execute generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Fong-Yuan Chang, Chin-Chou Liu, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Meng-Kai Hsu, Pin-Dai Sue, Po-Hsiang Huang, Yi-Kan Cheng, Chi-Yu Lu, Jung-Chou Tsai
  • Patent number: 11791213
    Abstract: A system includes a non-transitory storage medium encoded with a set of instructions and a processor. The processor is configured to execute the set of instructions. The set of instructions is configured to cause the processor to: obtain, based on a netlist of a circuit, values each corresponding to one of transistors included in the circuit; compare the values with a threshold value; in response to a comparison, generate an adjusted netlist of the circuit by adding redundant transistors; and determine, based on the adjusted netlist, one of layout configurations for the circuit. The layout configurations include first cell rows each having a first row height and second cell rows each having a second row height different from the first row height.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jerry Chang-Jui Kao, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Li-Chung Hsu, Sung-Yen Yeh, Yung-Chen Chien, Jung-Chan Yang, Tzu-Ying Lin
  • Patent number: 11775729
    Abstract: A method and system disclosed for validating technology file design rules, including obtaining a technology file with design rules that are to be validated. An input test case library is obtained with design rule cell-views for each corresponding design rules. The design rule cell-view includes a first set of failed test cases. An output data is generated by using Design Rule Driven (DRD) tool, to test the design rules based on the design rule cell-views. The test output data provides a second set of failed test cases associated with the corresponding design rule. A validation result is determined for each of the plurality of design rules based on the first set of failed test cases and the second set of failed test cases associated with the design rule. Finally, a validation report is generated including the validation result for each design rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Inventors: Phaniraj Joshi, Pilwon Kang, Kyuwon Lee, Youngrog Jo, Zameer Iqbal, Nitin Kishorkumar Ingole