Abstract:
In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a clock tree structure disposed on a semiconductor substrate. The clock tree structure includes a first clock line having a first line width and being arranged at a first height as measured from an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate. The clock tree structure also includes a second clock line having a second line width, which differs from the first line width. The second clock line is arranged at a second height as measured from the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and the second height is equal to the first height. The first line width can be directly proportional to a first current level for the first clock line and the second line width can be directly proportional to a second current level for the second clock line.
Abstract:
The present disclosure describes an example method for cell placement in an integrated circuit layout design. The method includes retrieving, from a cell library, first and second cells each including a first local metal track proximate to a top boundary and a second local metal track proximate to a bottom boundary. The method includes placing, by a processor, the first and second cells in a layout area including global metal tracks of first and second types. Each global metal track of the first type and each global metal tracks of the second type alternate between one another in the layout area. The first and second local metal tracks of the first cell is aligned with adjacent first global metal track of the first and second types, respectively. The first and second local metal tracks of the second cell is aligned with adjacent second global metal track of the first and second types, respectively.
Abstract:
A circuit is disclosed that includes a plurality of voltage control circuits and a control module. Each of the voltage control circuits is controlled by a control signal. The control module is configured to generate the control signal and to determine a voltage level or a pulse width of the control signal in accordance with a current process corner condition of the voltage control circuits and at least one of first predetermined data and second predetermined data.
Abstract:
A method includes providing a first layout of a semiconductor device comprising a plurality of cells representing circuit elements, and providing a cell library comprising a plurality of cells in a processor. The circuit elements comprise a plurality of fin field effect transistors (Fin-FETs). Each of the plurality of cells in the cell library is displayed with a respectively different marker indicating a respective fin height. The method further includes generating a second layout for the semiconductor device to be fabricated, by placing or replacing at least one cell from the cell library in a respective location in the first layout. The at least one cell from the cell library comprises a Fin-FET with a respective fin height different from an adjacent Fin-FET in the second layout.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for accurate RC extraction. A pattern database is configured to store layout patterns and their associated 3D extraction parameters. A pattern-matching tool is configured to partition a design into a plurality of patterns, and to search the pattern database for a respective pattern and associated 3D extraction parameters. If the respective pattern is already stored in the pattern database, then the associated 3D extraction parameters stored in the database are assigned to the respective pattern without the need to extract the respective pattern. If the respective pattern is not stored in the pattern database, then the extraction tool extracts the pattern and stores its associated 3D extraction parameters in the pattern database for future use. In this manner a respective pattern is extracted only once for a given design or plurality of designs. Moreover, the extraction result may be applied multiple times for a given design simultaneously, speeding up computation time. The extraction result may also be applied to a plurality of designs simultaneously.
Abstract:
A partitioning method for partitioning a group of power-ground (PG) cells is disclosed. The method includes: placing at least one out-boundary PG cell on a substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one out-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate; and placing at least one in-boundary PG cell on the substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one in-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate.
Abstract:
A device is disclosed that includes multiple channels and multiple processing nodes. Each processing node includes input/output (I/O) ports coupled to the channels and channel control modules coupled to the I/O ports. Each processing node is configured to select, by the channel control module in a first operation, a first I/O port of the I/O ports; communicate a first message, via the first I/O port, to a first processing node over a first channel or a second processing node over a second channel orthogonal to the first channel in a logic representation; select, by the channel control module in a second operation, a second I/O port of the I/O ports; and communicate a second message, via the second I/O port, to a third processing node over a third channel extending in a diagonal direction and non-orthogonal to the first and second channels in the logic representation.
Abstract:
A partitioning method for partitioning a group of power-ground (PG) cells is disclosed. The method includes: placing at least one out-boundary PG cell on a substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one out-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate; and placing at least one in-boundary PG cell on the substrate, wherein power strips of the at least one in-boundary PG cell are aligned with corresponding power rails on the substrate.
Abstract:
An IC structure includes first, second, third and fourth transistors on a substrate, and first and second metallization layers over the transistors. The first metallization layer has a plurality of first metal lines extending laterally along a first direction and having a first line width measured in a second direction. One or more of the first metal lines are part of a first net electrically connecting the first and second transistors. The second metallization layer has a plurality of second metal lines extending laterally along the second direction and having a second line width measured in the first direction and less than the first line width. One or more of the second metal lines are part of a second net electrically connecting the third and fourth transistors, and a total length of the second net is less than a total length of the first net.
Abstract:
An integrated circuit includes a cell layer, a first metal layer, a first conductive via, and a second conductive via. The cell layer includes first and second cells, in which the first cell is separated from the second cell by a non-zero distance. The first metal layer includes a first conductive feature and a second conductive feature, the first conductive feature overlaps the first cell and does not overlap the second cell, and the second conductive feature overlaps the second cell and does not overlap the first cell, in which the first conductive feature is aligned with the second conductive feature along lengthwise directions of the first and second conductive features. The first conductive via interconnects the cell layer and the first conductive feature of the first metal layer. The second conductive via interconnects the cell layer and the second conductive feature of the first metal layer.