Abstract: A standard cell library for designing integrated circuits is provided. In some aspects, the standard cell library includes a plurality of standard cells having a cell height that is a non-integer multiple of a wiring pitch of routing tracks associated with the standard cell library. The standard cell library further includes a plurality of landing pins for connecting to the routing tracks arranged in the plurality of standard cells, wherein each of the plurality of landing pins is extended by half of the wiring pitch in opposite directions orthogonal to an orientation of the routing tracks.

Abstract: Methods and systems for improving the reliability of C4 solder ball contacts performed at the design stage to reduce the incidence of thermally-induced failures, including those due to electromigration and thermal cycling.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for reworking a plurality of cells initially placed in a circuit design. An expander allocates cells to tiles. The expander determines a high detailed routing cost tile class, wherein the high detailed routing cost tile class is a class of tiles that has high detailed routing costs. The expander selects a cell within a tile of the high detailed routing cost tile class to form a selected cell in a selected tile. The expander applies multiple techniques to reposition these cells at new locations to improve the detailed routability. The expander can place an expanded bounding box around the selected cell, wherein the bounding box extends to at least one tile adjacent the selected tile, and repositions the selected cell within the bounding box to form a modified design to improve the detailed routability. The expander may also inflate and legalize those cells.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for routing a net includes generating, using one or more computer systems, a first wire associated with the net in accordance with data associated with the net including a multitude of pins and partitioning, using the one or more computer systems, the multitude of pins into at least a first group of pins in accordance with a first cost function. The method further includes connecting, using the one or more computer systems, a second wire associated with the first group of pins to the first wire, and connecting, using the one or more computer systems, a third wire from a pin of the first group of pins to the second wire.

Abstract: An integrated circuit layout includes a P-type active region, an N-type active region, a first metal connection, a second metal connection and a plurality of trunks. The plurality of trunks is formed substantially side-by-side, and in parallel with each other. The first metal connection is substantially disposed over the P-type active region, and is electrically connected with drain regions of PMOS transistors in the P-type active region. The second metal connection is substantially disposed over the N-type active region, and is electrically connected with drain regions of NMOS transistors in the N-type active region. The plurality of trunks is electrically connected with and is substantially perpendicular to the first metal connection and the second metal connection. A first trunk of the plurality of trunks has a width wider than a width of other trunks of the plurality of trunks and is arranged to be located between two groups of trunks.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an integrated circuit design method. In an example, a method includes receiving an integrated circuit design layout that includes an active region feature, a contact feature, and an isolation feature, wherein a portion of the active region feature is disposed between the contact feature and the isolation feature; determining whether a thickness of the portion of the active region feature disposed between the contact feature and the isolation feature is less than a threshold value; and modifying the integrated circuit design layout if the thickness is less than the threshold value, wherein the modifying includes adding a supplementary active region feature adjacent to the portion of the active region feature disposed between the contact feature and the isolation feature.

Abstract: A design system for designing an integrated circuit that includes a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and instructions to generate and edit a schematic of the integrated circuit, generate at least one recommended layout parameter of an integrated circuit device within the integrated circuit, extract the at least one recommended layout parameter during a layout stage of the integrated circuit, and calculate a circuit performance parameter of the integrated circuit using the at least one recommended layout parameter, and a user interface configured to display at least one of the circuit performance parameter and layout constraints of the integrated circuit device of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: A method for validating standard cells stored in a standard cell library and for use in design of an integrated circuit device is described. Each standard cell of the standard cells is iteratively placed adjacent to each side and corner of itself and each other standard cell of the standard cells to produce an interim test layout comprising a first plurality of cell pair permutations. The cell pair permutations are reduced by identifying at least one of: illegal or redundant left-right and top-bottom boundaries, and removing any cell pair permutations using the identified boundaries to generate a final test layout comprising a second plurality of cell pair permutations.

Abstract: A variable Z0 impedance method (“Variable Z0”) for designing and/or optimizing antenna systems. The method provides that the value of an antenna's feed system characteristic impedance or apparatus internal impedance (Z0) changes as a true variable quantity during the antenna system design or optimization methodology. The value is allowed to be determined by the methodology, because different values of Z0 result in different antenna system performance. It is applied to any set of performance objectives on any antenna system wherein apparatus internal or transmission line characteristic impedance is an explicit or implicit parameter. Variable Z0 is applied to any design or optimization methodology. Structures include Yagi-Uda arrays, Meander Monopoles, and transmission line Multi-Stub Matching Networks, and can incorporate Central Force Optimization or Biogeography Based Optimization or other optimization algorithms.

Abstract: A method and/or an apparatus of core timing prediction is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method may include generating a core timing model of a core logic that is accurately transferable to any chip-level integration process. The method may reduce performance degradation and/or performance variation of the core logic caused by a number of interactions between core logic components and chip-level components in the chip-level integration process. In addition, the core timing model of the core logic may be generated by filling un-wired tracks with metal in any of an outermost layer of the core logic after a core logic routing and constructing a layer at least an area of and adjacent to any of the outermost layer of the core logic with grounded metal that is orthogonal to those of the metal used in the outermost layer of the core logic.

Abstract: The disclosed method includes: identifying a first reference component from among first components defined in a first constraint condition that is a reference designated from among constraint conditions regarding a position relationship between plural components on a printed circuit board; identifying a second reference component from among second components defined in a second constraint condition that is to be compared with the first constraint condition and included in the constraint conditions; and identifying a fourth component that is a component other than the second reference component among the second components and has a correspondence with a third component, based on position relationships with the third component and an attribute of the third component, wherein the third component is a component other than the first reference component among the first components.

Abstract: After a global placement phase of physical design of an integrated circuit, a data processing system iteratively refines local placement of a plurality of modules comprising the integrated circuit within a die area based on density of the plurality of modules and separately refines local wirelength for the plurality of modules in individual subareas among a plurality of subareas of the die area. The data processing system thereafter performs detailed placement of modules in the plurality of subareas.

Abstract: A standard cell library for designing integrated circuits is provided. In some aspects, the standard cell library includes a plurality of standard cells having a cell height that is a non-integer multiple of a wiring pitch of routing tracks associated with the standard cell library. The standard cell library further includes a plurality of landing pins for connecting to the routing tracks arranged in the plurality of standard cells, wherein each of the plurality of landing pins is extended by half of the wiring pitch in opposite directions orthogonal to an orientation of the routing tracks.

Abstract: A unit capacitor module for automatic capacitor-layout, includes a capacitor unit; at least one first connecting port, coupled to a first side of the capacitor unit; at least one second connecting port, coupled to a second side of the capacitor unit; at least one third connecting port, coupled to a third side of the capacitor unit; and at least one fourth connecting port, coupled to a fourth side of the capacitor unit; wherein the number of first connecting ports equals the number of second connecting ports, and the first connecting port and the second connecting port are symmetrical; and the number of third connecting ports equals the number of fourth connecting ports, and the third connecting port and the fourth connecting port are symmetrical.

Abstract: Designing operation efficiency is improved by automatically transmitting and receiving circuit-related information and layout-related information required for designing each printed board between printed boards, for designing a plurality of printed boards at the same time. In an electric information processing method in a CAD system, the printed boards are designed at the same time by transmitting and receiving the circuit design information relating to the printed boards and the layout design information relating to the printed boards between the circuits and layouts relating to the printed boards.

Abstract: Fixed outline shaped and modifiable outline shaped random logic macros of an electronic circuit design are manipulated by modifying an outline of a modifiable outline shape macro based on criteria consisting of any one of a macro port weight value, a macro port ordering; a macro rapport constraint or a macro logic depth and placing resulting macros at locations on an integrated circuit (chip).

Abstract: Presently disclosed is a matching network provided from a slow wave, wrapped, tapered-transformer transmission line.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed to include a plurality of cells. Each of the cells has a respective outer cell boundary defined to circumscribe the cell in an orthogonal manner. Also, each of the cells includes circuitry for performing one or more logic functions. This circuitry includes a plurality of conductive features defined in one or more levels of the cell. One or more of the conductive features in at least one level of a given cell is an encroaching feature positioned to encroach by an encroachment distance into an exclusion zone. The exclusion zone occupies an area within the cell defined by an exclusion distance extending perpendicularly inward into the given cell from a first segment of the outer cell boundary. The exclusion distance is based on a design rule distance representing a minimum separation distance required between conductive features in adjacently placed cells on the semiconductor device.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a method that identifies a first physical design solution for positioning several configurable operations on several reconfigurable circuits of an integrated circuit (IC). The method identifies a second physical design solution for positioning the configurable operations on the configurable circuits. One of the identified physical design solutions has one reconfigurable circuit perform a particular configurable operation in at least two reconfiguration cycles while the other identified solution does not have one reconfigurable circuit perform the particular configurable operation in two reconfiguration cycles. The method costs the first and second physical design solutions. The method selects one of the two physical design solutions based on the costs.

Abstract: A method is provided for designing an integrated circuit device. The method includes placing four transistors of a first transistor type and four transistors of a second transistor type within a gate electrode level. Each of the transistors includes a respective linear-shaped gate electrode segment positioned to extend lengthwise in a first direction. The transistors of the first and second transistor types are placed according to a substantially equal centerline-to-centerline spacing as measured perpendicular to the first direction. A first linear conductive segment is placed to electrically connect the gate electrodes of the first transistors of the first and second transistor types. A second linear conductive segment is placed to electrically connect the gate electrodes of the fourth transistors of the first and second transistor types. A third linear conductive segment is placed beside either the first or second linear conductive segment.

Abstract: An analysis technique for (Doherty) amplifiers having a main amplifier branch and at least one peak amplifier branch. For a given input power level and assumed amplifier impedance levels, an output power level and phase response are obtained for each active device using appropriate load-pull data based on the impedance levels. The performance of the amplifier is analyzed based on the impedance levels, output power levels, and phase responses to generate updated impedance levels. The analysis is repeated until the updated impedance levels converge on steady state values. The analysis can be repeated for different input power levels. Main and peak output matching networks for the amplifier can be designed by iteratively adjusting impedance levels for the networks using appropriate load-pull contours. For the design and analysis phases, the load-pull contours include Class-AB data for the main amplifier device and Class-C data for the peak amplifier device.

Abstract: A method including developing a circuit schematic diagram, the circuit schematic diagram including a plurality of cells. The method further includes generating cell placement rules for the plurality of cells based on the circuit schematic diagram and developing a circuit layout diagram for the plurality of cells based on the cell placement rules. The method further includes grouping the plurality of cells of the circuit layout diagram based on threshold voltages and inserting threshold voltage compliant fillers into the circuit layout diagram. A system for implementing the method is described. A layout formed by the method is also described.

Abstract: A method of designing a microwave filter using a computerized filter optimizer, comprises generating a filter circuit design in process (DIP) comprising a plurality of circuit elements having a plurality of resonant elements and one or more non-resonant elements, optimizing the DIP by inputting the DIP into the computerized filter optimizer, determining that one of the plurality of circuit elements in the DIP is insignificant, removing the one insignificant circuit element from the DIP, deriving a final filter circuit design from the DIP, and manufacturing the microwave filter based on the final filter circuit design.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for testing dies in a stack of dies and inserting a repair circuit which, when enabled, compensates for a delay defect in the die stack. Intra-die and inter-die slack values are determined to establish which die or dies in the die stack would benefit from the insertion of a repair circuit.

Abstract: A latch placement tool determines a shape for a cluster of latches from a preliminary layout (or based on a netlist), including an aspect ratio of the shape, and generates a template for placement of the latches in conformity with the shape. Latches are placed around a local clock buffer (LCB) based on latch size, from largest latch first to smallest latch last, and based on their ideal locations given the target aspect ratio. The ideal locations may be further based on the clock driver pin configuration of the LCB. The final template preferably has an aspect ratio that is approximately equal to the aspect ratio of the shape of the cluster, but the latch placement may be constrained by clock routing topology. Latch placement within a cluster can be further optimized by swapping one of the latches with another to minimize total wirelength of the design.

Abstract: A technique for implementing an clock tree distribution network having a clock buffer and a plurality of LC tanks that each take into consideration local capacitance distributions and conductor resistances. An AC-based sizing formulation is applied to the buffer and to the LC tanks so as to reduce the total buffer area. The technique is iterative and can be fully automated while also reducing clock distribution power consumption.

Abstract: Techniques for placement in highly constraint chip architectures are described herein. In an example embodiment, a computer system places a digital portion of an electronic design for a programmable chip. The programmable chip comprises multiple fixed-function blocks and a plurality of pins, where each one of the multiple fixed-function blocks can be coupled only to a respective subset of the plurality of pins. The electronic design comprises a particular fixed-function block (FFB) instance that is connected to a particular input-output (IO) instance. The computer system places (e.g., by using a backtracking search) the particular FFB instance on a particular fixed-function block and the particular IO instance on a particular pin from a particular subset of the plurality of pins, where in the programmable chip the particular fixed-function block can be coupled only to the particular subset of the plurality of pins.

Abstract: System and methods for forming an integrated circuit using a standard cell library are provided. In some aspects, a method includes arranging cells from the standard cell library into a row between upper and lower power rails. Each cell includes a plurality of lateral nodes, at least one boundary region, and at least one dummy transistor. The method includes identifying a connection pattern of adjacent ones of the cells. The connection pattern is between (i) the lateral nodes of the adjacent cells and (ii) the upper and lower power rails. The method includes removing adjacent boundary regions of the adjacent cells based on the identified connection pattern of the adjacent cells, and modifying an arrangement of adjacent dummy transistors of the adjacent cells based on the removal of the adjacent boundary regions.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to place and route cells on integrated circuit chips along paths. In one aspect of the invention, methods to layout an integrated circuit are based on placing and routing cells along paths. In one embodiment, a method to layout an integrated circuit including: routing a wire to connect a first cell of the integrated circuit and a second cell of the integrated circuit; and placing a third cell of the integrated circuit after the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell. In one example, the first, second and third cells are on a first path; and, the third cell is connected to one of the first and second cells on the first path by only one net. The first path is selected from a set of paths; and the first and second cells are placed before the wire is routed to connect the first cell and the second cell.

Abstract: A method for designing a system on a target device is disclosed. A first netlist is generated or a first version of the system in a first compilation. Optimizations are performed on the first version of the system during synthesis resulting in a second netlist. A third netlist is generated or a second version of the system in a second compilation. The first version of the system in the first netlist and the second version of the system in the third netlist are differentiated to identify identical regions.

Abstract: A circuit layout adjusting method is provided. A data file is generated according to a circuit board engineering drawing. The dada file includes at least one parameter of the circuit board engineering drawing. The data file is imported to a circuit layout drawing. At least one corresponding parameter of the circuit layout drawing are adjusted according to the data file.

Abstract: A method of generating an area efficient power switch cell includes receiving, by a cell library design tool, a specification of a power switch circuit to be established as a power switch cell in a cell library. The cell library design tool also receives one or more attributes of the power switch cell including a height of the cell boundary and receiving, by the cell library design tool, a layout placement constraint requiring the power switch cell to be placed in a semiconductor layout so as to bridge two parallel rows of doped wells. The parallel rows of doped wells are interleaved with doped substrate and the doping of the wells is of a different type than that of the substrate. Based on the specification of the power switch circuit, the one or more attributes, and the layout placement constraint, the cell library design tool generates the power switch cell.

Abstract: A floorplanning method for an analog integrated circuit layout is disclosed. A first-type block is defined as a movable and deformable block with rectangle constraint, and a second-type block is defined as a fixed-size block without rectangle constraint. Each block in the floorplan is classified to the first-type or the second-type block. In a shape determination stage, a target shape is determined among candidates of the first-type block, the first-type block accordingly being modified to the target shape, resulting in at least one overlap in the floorplan. In an overlap elimination stage, neighboring blocks of each said overlap are analyzed, the overlap being then eliminated by utilizing surrounding space, resulting in unused space in the floorplan. In an enlargement stage, the unused space is utilized for enlarging the first-type block.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses to design and analyze digital circuits with time division multiplexing. In one embodiment, the method for designing a digital circuit comprises determining signal timing for a portion of the digital circuit, and automatically replacing nets for a plurality of connections in the digital circuit with a Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) channel in response to a determining of routing congestion.

Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable memory including first data representative of a topology of a circuit including a first circuit element and a second circuit element, and second data representative of a scaling rule for the first circuit element as a function of the second circuit element. A data processing method comprising retrieving first data representative of a topology of a circuit comprising a first circuit element and a second circuit element from a memory, retrieving second data representative of a scaling rule for the first circuit element as a function of the second circuit element from the memory, receiving a user input representative of a scaling factor, generating third data representative of an instance of the second circuit element using the scaling factor, and generating data representative of an instance of the first circuit element using the scaling factor, the scaling rule and the third data.

Abstract: Among other things, one or more techniques for graded dummy insertion and a resulting array are provided herein. For example an array is a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) array, a metal oxide metal (MOM) array, or a resistor array. In some embodiments, a first region and a second region are identified based on a density gradient between a first pattern density associated with the first region and a second pattern density associated with the second region. For example, the first pattern density and the second pattern density are gate densities and/or poly densities. To this end, a dummy region is inserted between the first region and the second region, the dummy region includes a graded pattern density based on a first adjacent pattern density and a second adjacent pattern density. In this manner, graded dummy insertion is provided, thus enhancing edge cell performance for an array, for example.

Abstract: Techniques are provided to allow users of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools to define constraint template types for efficiently associating constraints with design objects to specify design intent. Processes for creating and validating the constraints are provided by user-defined plug-ins, thereby allowing users to annotate circuit designs with constraints for proprietary layout and fabrication processes without exposing the constraints to tool vendors or competitors. The constraints are re-created from the template types whenever the circuit design is loaded into the EDA tool, so that the constraints are based upon the latest version of the template type. The constraints are also re-created when validation fails. Constraint groups are reusable in different designs, technology nodes, and processes because they automatically expand to provide the specific constraints to achieve a goal.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method of optimizing the area of series gate layout structures for FinFET devices. The method analyzes an integrated chip (IC) layout to determine a first gate material density along a first direction and to separately determine a second gate material density along a second direction based upon the first gate material density. A number of series gate stages for a FinFET (field effect transistor) device having a gate length along the second direction, is chosen based upon the second gate material density and one or more device performance parameters of the FinFET device. By analyzing the density of gate material in separate directions, the effective length of the gate of the FinFET can be increased without increasing the size of the transistor array.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and techniques for estimating a transient diffusion potential of a diffusive property involve modeling, as a circuit, diffusive behavior of a diffusion region and then simulating operation of the circuit to estimate the transient diffusion potential at a location in the diffusion region by determining circuit potential at a node in the circuit that corresponds to the location in the diffusion region. The circuit has steady-state and transient portions that model the steady-state and transient behavior of the diffusion region, respectively. The transient behavior is modeled using a capacitive circuit element. The diffusive property diffuses linearly within the diffusion region and generation of the diffusive property is distributed within the diffusion region.

Abstract: Systems and methods for avoiding restrictions on cell placement in a hierarchical design of integrated circuits with multi-patterning requirements are described. The method may be provided implemented in a computer infrastructure having computer executable code tangibly embodied on a computer readable storage medium having programming instructions operable to assign a color to each pattern shape in a first cell, assign a color to each pattern shape in a second cell, characterize quantities of interest for each pattern shape in the first cell, determine that the colors assigned in the first cell are all one to one mappable to the colors assigned in the second cells, characterize quantities of interest for each pattern shape in the second cell using the quantities of interest characterized for the first cell, and model the quantities of interest for the first cell and the second cell.

Abstract: A dynamic power recovery system and method are disclosed herein. Additionally, an EDA tool and apparatus configured to perform dynamic power recovery are disclosed.

Abstract: A computer executes a signal delay evaluation program to determine whether reference levels used to define slew rates of a first circuit block are different from those used for a second circuit block that receives an output signal from the first circuit block. The computer corrects an output slew rate of the output signal supplied from the first circuit block to the second circuit block, based on a difference in the reference levels that is found between the first and second circuit blocks.

Abstract: A method for efficiently producing a design layout that includes several fills between and around nets of the design layout is described. The method of some embodiments first places a set of fills in the design layout. The method then performs a timing analysis on the design layout to find out the impact of the fills on the timing of the nets. The method identifies a region of the design layout in which to trim a set of fills in order to fix any timing violations of the nets. The method then trims the set of fills in the identified region. In some embodiments, the method employs different trimming strategies for trimming fills around different nets based on the characteristics of the nets.

Abstract: A method of generating a layout of an integrated circuit is disclosed, the layout incorporating both standard cells and at least one memory instance generated by a memory compiler to define a memory device of the integrated circuit. Input data is received specifying one or more properties of a desired memory instance. The memory compiler generates the desired memory instance based on the input data and using the specified memory architecture. A standard cell library is provided. The memory compiler references at least one property of the standard cell library in order to generate the desired memory instance. The layout is then generated by populating standard cell rows with standard cells selected from the standard cell library in order to provide the functional components required by the integrated circuit, and integrating into the layout the desired memory instance provided by the memory compiler.

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: A layout of a portion of an integrated circuit includes first and second cell structures, each including a first or second dummy gate electrode disposed on a first or second boundary of the corresponding first or second cell structure, a first or second edge gate electrode disposed adjacent to the corresponding first or second dummy gate electrode, and a first or second oxide definition (OD) region having a first or second edge. The second boundary faces the first boundary without abutting the first boundary. The first edge of the first OD region is substantially aligned with the closest edge of the first dummy gate electrode or overlaps the first dummy gate electrode. A distance from the first edge gate electrode to the farthest edge of the first dummy gate electrode is greater than the distance from the first edge gate electrode to the first edge of the first OD region.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system and method of designing an integrated circuit. A plurality of devices are selected and properties assigned to each of the plurality of devices. These plural devices having assigned properties are then combined into a macro cell whereby a density gradient pattern is generated for the macro cell. Layout dependent effect (LDE) parameters are determined for the macro cell as a function of the combination of plural devices, and electrical performance characteristics for the macro cell are simulated. A layout distribution of the plurality of devices within the macro cell can then be determined as a function of one or more of the simulated electrical performance characteristics, determined LDE parameters, and generated density gradient pattern. A design layout of an integrated circuit can be generated corresponding to the layout distribution for the macro cell.

Abstract: A method for recursive hierarchical static timing analysis. The method includes accessing a lower-level netlist representing a lower-level block of a circuit design to be realized in physical form, and accessing constraints for the lower-level block. Static timing analysis is performed on the lower-level block. The method includes accessing an upper-level netlist representing an upper-level block of the circuit design to be realized in physical form, and accessing constraints for the upper-level block. Static timing analysis is performed on the upper-level block while incorporating results from the static timing analysis on the lower-level block.

Abstract: A method for determining a critical junction temperature for a user-design implemented in a field programmable gate array (programmable device), includes: obtaining a static power vs. temperature curve for the user-design implemented in the programmable device; obtaining a system thermal curve for the user-design implemented in the programmable device; and using the static power vs. temperature curve for the user-design implemented in the programmable device and the system thermal curve for the user-design implemented in the programmable device to determine the critical junction temperature.

Abstract: A microcomputer provided on a rectangular semiconductor board has memory interface circuits. The memory interface circuits are separately disposed in such positions as to extend along the peripheries of the semiconductor board on both sides from one corner as a reference position. In this case, limitations to size reduction imposed on the semiconductor board can be reduced compared with a semiconductor board having memory interface circuits only on one side. Respective partial circuits on each of the separated memory interface circuits have equal data units associated with data and data strobe signals. Thus, the microcomputer has simplified line design on a mother board and on a module board.