Abstract:
A method includes: providing a first layout of a first layer over a substrate, the first layer having at least one metal pattern, and generating a second layout by placing a cut mask at a first position relative to the substrate to remove material from a first region of the at least one metal pattern to provide a first metal pattern and placing the cut mask at a second position relative to the first layer over the substrate to remove material from a second region of the at least one metal pattern to provide a second metal pattern.
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 method for creating double patterning compliant integrated circuit layouts is disclosed. The method allows patterns to be assigned to different masks and stitched together during lithography. The method also allows portions of the pattern to be removed after the process.
Abstract:
A method of designing integrated circuits includes forming a restricted cell library from a first cell library by selecting only those cells in the first cell library that are most efficient according to predetermined efficiency criteria and executing an integrated circuit design operation in an electronic design automation program while directing the electronic design automation program to make cell selections exclusively from the restricted cell library. The integrated circuit design operation is one that can be directed to make cell selections from any of the cells in the first cell library without changing its essential purpose. The method improves QoR for the resulting circuit design.
Abstract:
A method comprises (a) providing an integrated circuit (IC) layout comprising data representing a plurality of circuit patterns to be formed on or in a single layer of an IC by multi-patterning; (b) dividing the plurality of circuit patterns into two or more groups; (c) assigning the circuit patterns within each group to a respective mask to provide mask assignment data, for forming each group of circuit patterns on or in the single layer of the IC; (d) compressing the mask assignment data; and (e) storing the compressed mask assignment data to a non-transitory machine readable storage medium for use by an electronic design automation tool configured for reconstructing the mask assignment data from the compressed data.
Abstract:
A device is disclosed. The cell block includes a pin disposed at a Nth metal layer in a cell layout. The first metal interconnect is disposed at a (N+1)th metal layer above the Nth metal layer and stacked over the pin, and electrically coupled to the pin. The second interconnects are disposed at a (N+2)th metal layer and stacked over the first metal interconnect, and parallel to each other. The second metal interconnects are electrically coupled to the first metal interconnect, and forming an equivalent tapping point of the pin of the cell block. The equivalent tapping point and the pin are vertically overlapped with each other, and fabrication of the device is initiated after a DRC or a SEM simulation test is passed. A first width of at least one first metal interconnect is different from a second width of one of the plurality of second metal interconnects.
Abstract:
A method includes patterning a layer over a substrate with a first metal pattern; using a cut mask in a first position relative to the substrate to perform a first cut patterning for removing material from a first region within the first pattern; and using the same cut mask to perform a second cut patterning while in a second position relative to the same layer over the substrate, for removing material from a second region in a second metal pattern of the same layer over the substrate.
Abstract:
A method includes patterning a layer over a substrate with a first metal pattern; using a cut mask in a first position relative to the substrate to perform a first cut patterning for removing material from a first region within the first pattern; and using the same cut mask to perform a second cut patterning while in a second position relative to the same layer over the substrate, for removing material from a second region in a second metal pattern of the same layer over the substrate.
Abstract:
A method of designing integrated circuits includes forming a restricted cell library from a first cell library by selecting only those cells in the first cell library that are most efficient according to predetermined efficiency criteria and executing an integrated circuit design operation in an electronic design automation program while directing the electronic design automation program to make cell selections exclusively from the restricted cell library. The integrated circuit design operation is one that can be directed to make cell selections from any of the cells in the first cell library without changing its essential purpose. The method improves QoR for the resulting circuit design.
Abstract:
A method identifies, as an independent node, any node representing a circuit pattern in any odd loop of a layout of a region of a layer of an IC that is not included in any other odd loop of the layout. The layer is to have a plurality of circuit patterns to be patterned using at least three photomasks. The method identifies, as a safe independent node, any independent node not closer than a threshold distance from any other independent nodes in another odd loop of the layout. The layout is modified, if the circuit patterns in the layout include any odd loop without any safe independent node, so that that after the modifying, each odd loop has at least one safe independent node.