Integrated Circuit Manufacturing Process Rule Verification DRC Automatic Interface Implementation Method

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic interface implementation method for DRC of process rule verification of integrated circuit manufacturing, comprising the following steps: first starting the software, creating a new DRC project through the tab module display mode, using the progress bar mode to prompt the user of the completion of the chapter, defining the device and process physical information, performing the matching degree check of the content, defining the process parameters of the physical layer, displaying the instructions for object selection, and automatically generating the relevant description language, developing the process rules, checking the metal option combination corresponding to different applications of DRC, defining the basic information of the reliability rule and the process design rule, and then automatically setting the interface of the DRC header setting file, then performing the automatic type selection of the tool file exported by DRC, compiling and generating the DRC file and exporting it. The present invention automatically completes the development of the process verification DRC file through the computer human-machine interface, improves the output efficiency of the DRC file and ensures the output quality, and reduces the development threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of integrated circuit manufacturing, and in particular to a DRC automatic interface implementation method for integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification. Background Art

[0002] Integrated circuit process rule verification, referred to as DRC (Design Rule Check), is a bridge of communication between integrated circuit manufacturers and design companies. When a design company needs to use a manufacturing company's process for circuit layout design, in addition to a complete set of manufacturing company's process design rules, it also needs to use a professional technical document for automated process rule verification. This technical document is the process rule verification DRC. DRC is a necessary file for all chip design tape-outs. Running DRC files and performing rule verification is a necessary process for all chip design tape-outs, and is also a key factor in the success or failure of tape-outs. Therefore, an accurate and complete process rule verification DRC is particularly critical.

[0003] However, the process rule verification DRC design contains more technical content, and newcomers cannot independently complete the compilation of the process rule verification DRC; the process rule verification DRC file involves integrated circuit professional code syntax, code development architecture, and code verification, with a long learning cycle and greater difficulty in manual development; the output code format for different versions cannot be unified, and the readability is poor, making it difficult to maintain later; DRM (Design Rule Manual, integrated circuit process rules) modifications are not synchronized with DRC corrections; at the same time, there are many DRC files corresponding to different metal option (process physical layer stacking information) combinations in different processes, and it is usually necessary to support 20-30 different metal options at the same time, which provides a very large workload for later maintenance. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of the deficiencies of the above-mentioned prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic interface implementation method for DRC of process rule verification in integrated circuit manufacturing, to lower the development threshold of DRC of process rule verification, to automatically perform rule detection, automatic processing of system background algorithms and models, automatic revision and correction of DRC, and to automatically generate different DRC files for different metal options, thereby improving output efficiency, ensuring output quality, and lowering the development threshold.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] The method for realizing DRC automatic interface for verifying integrated circuit manufacturing process rules includes the following steps:

[0007] S100, creating a DRC project: creating a new DRC project through the tab module display mode;

[0008] S200, display progress: prompt the user of the completion degree of the chapter;

[0009] S300, matching check: define device information and process physical information, perform content matching check, and pop up a content conflict interface in real time;

[0010] S400, display rules: define the process parameters of the physical layer, display the object selection instructions in the form of graphics through the rule content display interface, and automatically generate relevant description languages;

[0011] S500, automatic development: Develop process rules, select process physical layer stacking information of different applications corresponding to DRC, and define reliability rules and basic information of process design rules;

[0012] S600, automatic interface setting: set the DRC header setting file to perform automatic interface setting;

[0013] S700, tool file selection: automatically select the type of different corresponding tool files exported by DRC;

[0014] S800, File Export: Compile and generate DRC files and export them. You can choose to directly import them into the DRM project the next time you create a DRC project.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in creating a DRC project in step S100, the software is started to the initial interface, and the initial interface includes five tab menus in the following order: Technology Information, Basic Information, Layout Rules, Reliability Related Ruler, and Design Rule Application. The order of the tab menus is the development order of the DRC rule manual.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the display progress of step S200, a progress bar mode is adopted, and the progress bar is used to prompt when the content of the main tab menu interface is not completed, and to prevent the click and content editing of the next tab.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in step S300, a character matching method is used to check the matching degree of the content.

[0018] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the matching check of step S300, the grid specifications allowed by the process rules and the device information contained in the corresponding process rules are defined in the Technology Information tab, and the layer definition of the cross-sectional view, the input of the relevant layer physical information and the conflict detection are performed. When there is a conflict, the relevant metal layer information is re-entered.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the automatic development of step S500, the cross-section information is automatically imported in the BasicInformation tab, and the Metal Combination data is automatically generated.

[0020] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the Layout Rules tab, the layer mapping process layer information is automatically imported and synchronously displayed, and the process rules of each physical layer are selected.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the file export of step S800, after the DRM project is automatically imported, the DRC file automatically generates a DRC code file by inputting DRM-related physical information and rule content in the DRM project.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the DRC code file is automatically generated, the DRC code files of different metaloption combinations are automatically exported.

[0023] Through the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0024] (1) The present invention provides an automatic interface implementation method for DRC of process rule verification in integrated circuit manufacturing. The method completes data collection, data analysis, rule connection, rule matching schematic diagram generation, rule basic information detection, automatic integration and generation of process rule verification DRC technical files through a computer human-machine interface. A large amount of process rule information is automatically generated through a whole set of interface operations. At the same time, the development of process verification DRC files is automatically completed. Different DRC files are automatically generated for different metal options (process physical layer stacking information), thereby improving the output efficiency of DRC files and ensuring the output quality.

[0025] (2) The present invention provides a method for automatically importing a DRM project, which fully ensures the synchronous correction of DRM and DRC revision content and ensures the consistency of content. In the process of association confirmation, the method prevents erroneous correction of DRC code and completes automatic conflict checking, ensuring that the entire DRC revision correction process is clear, without omissions, and fully matches the rules. The development difficulty is low, and the compilation rules of the process rule verification DRC are relatively simple, which reduces the development threshold of the process rule verification DRC. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 The present invention is a flowchart of the overall process of the DRC automatic interface implementation method for integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0028] The terms used in the present invention are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the present disclosure and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the DRC automatic interface implementation method for integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification of the present invention is shown, and the specific steps are as follows:

[0030] S100, creating a DRC project: creating a new DRC project through the tab module display mode;

[0031] S200, display progress: prompt the user of the completion degree of the chapter;

[0032] S300, matching check: define device information and process physical information, perform content matching check, and pop up a content conflict interface in real time;

[0033] S400, display rules: define the process parameters of the physical layer, display the object selection instructions in the form of graphics through the rule content display interface, and automatically generate relevant description languages;

[0034] S500, automatic development: Develop process rules, select metal option combinations corresponding to different applications of DRC, and define basic information of reliability rules and process design rules;

[0035] S600, automatic interface setting: set the DRC header setting file to perform automatic interface setting;

[0036] S700, tool file selection: automatically select the type of different corresponding tool files exported by DRC;

[0037] S800, File Export: Compile and generate DRC files and export them. You can choose to directly import them into the DRM project the next time you create a DRC project.

[0038] The method of the present invention is described in detail below:

[0039] S100, create a DRC project: start the software to the initial interface, and create a new DRC project through the tab module display method. Specifically, the initial interface contains five tab menus, and the order is: Technology Information (device and process physical information), Basic Information (physical layer process parameters), Layout Rules (process rules), Reliability Related Ruler (reliability rules), Design Rule Application (process design rule application). The order of the tab menus is the development order of the DRC rule manual. After starting the software, create a new project, select the input of each process node and type in DRC, and automatically complete the selection of process modules and matching of module data.

[0040] S200, display progress: Use a progress bar to prompt the user of the completion of the chapter. Specifically, before the initial data is filled in, the user stays on the first tab and the process is controlled by the progress bar. When the data input is completed and the progress bar is filled, the user can enter the next tab for operation.

[0041] S300, Matching check: define device information and process physical information, use character matching method to check the content matching, and pop up the content conflict interface in real time. Specifically, define the grid point specifications allowed by the process rules and the device information contained in the corresponding process rules through the Technology Information tab, define the layers of the cross-section diagram, input the physical information of the relevant layers, and perform conflict detection at the same time, and modify the relevant metal layer information according to the pop-up conflict dialog box.

[0042] S400, display rules: define the process parameters of the physical layer, display the object selection instructions in the form of graphics through the rule content display interface, and automatically generate relevant description languages. Specifically, automatically import and display the physical layer, select the process rules of each physical layer, input the process parameters of each layer, display the corresponding layer according to the device function and characteristics, and automatically generate metal layer combination data according to the cross-section diagram.

[0043] S500, automatic development: Develop process rules, check the metal option combinations corresponding to different applications of DRC, and define the basic information of reliability rules and process design rules. Specifically, there are no multiple options for Metal Combination data. According to the needs of the process support module, you can click the corresponding Metal Combination combination with the mouse to check it, and then define the basic information of reliability rules and process design rules through the Reliability Related Ruler tab and the Design Rule Application tab for automatic development.

[0044] S600, automatic interface setting: the DRC header setting file is automatically set. Specifically, after selecting the conditional rule, the corresponding relevant rule number, rule content description, rule data and other information are synchronously displayed, and then the DRC setting page is entered to automatically input the DRC file header setting content.

[0045] S700, tool file selection: automatically select the type of different corresponding tool files exported by DRC. Specifically, the automatic import of cross-section information is completed in the Basic Information tab, and the MetalCombination data is automatically generated.

[0046] S800, File Export: Compile and generate DRC files and export them. You can choose to directly import DRM projects when you create DRC projects next time. Specifically, the corresponding DRC files are automatically generated and exported according to the settings. When the user has generated the corresponding DRM project files and made relevant corrections, you can choose to directly import DRM projects when creating DRC projects. Then, synchronizing all DRM modifications will cause the DRC rule content to be changed and output synchronously.

[0047] Let's take a specific example to illustrate:

[0048] The DRC automatic development tool interface in the present invention collects, analyzes, and calculates data through the interface, and finally completes the automatic development of the rule verification file DRC: first, the process type and node selection are completed, and the tool automatically matches the corresponding process module; then the electrical parameters are input according to the interface prompts to complete the automatic generation of process basic hierarchical information; automatic guidance input is performed based on the content of the module device, and the process device related output is automatically generated; the process profile is output based on the technical information interface to automatically output the process metal combination; based on the data collection and verification of the basic process information, the basic information of the process manual is integrated in the background on the Layout Rules interface to define and select the rules; the content file header setting is automatically input; the rule verification DRC file metal option output selection is selected; finally, the rule verification DRC result output is selected and completed on the interface.

[0049] The specific operations are as follows:

[0050] (1) First, start the initial interface, click the first drop-down menu on the initial interface to create a new project, select the input of each process node and type in DRC, automatically complete the selection of process modules, and automatically match the module data required for the corresponding process;

[0051] (2) Enter the initial interface of the new project. This interface includes 5 tab menus in the order of DRC development. Before the initial data is filled in, it stays on the first tab and the process is controlled by the progress bar. When the data input is completed, the progress bar is filled and the mouse can be clicked to enter the next tab. The selected tab will be highlighted at the same time.

[0052] (3) Formal development of DRC, define the grid point specifications allowed by the process rules in Technology Information, and then check the device information contained in the corresponding process rules. In the blank area on the right, define the layers of the cross-section according to the type of process rules required. Double-click the layer with the mouse to input the physical information of the relevant layer. At the same time, the tool will perform conflict detection based on the actual process characteristics of the cross-section. When the conflict dialog box pops up, the relevant metal layer information needs to be re-entered;

[0053] (4) In the Layer Information module of the Basic Information tab, the relevant process layers will be automatically read in based on the cross-section information in step (2) and automatically classified for selection. Click the corresponding process layer type with the mouse, and then double-click the mouse in the corresponding information field to fill in the process data in sequence according to the prompts in the pop-up dialog box.

[0054] (5) After selecting the layer information in the Basic Information tab, directly proceed to the content development of the Device truth. The device-related layer information will be automatically generated for selection based on the relevant layer information generated in step ⑷. Use the mouse to click on the corresponding layer information according to the functions and characteristics of different devices, and display it in different graphic modes;

[0055] (6) After selecting the device truth in the Basic Information tab, the tool automatically imports the cross-sectional information of step (3) and automatically generates Metal Combination data. There are no multiple options for this group of data. You can click the corresponding Metal Combination with the mouse according to the needs of the process support module.

[0056] (7) In the Layout Rules tab, the data generated by steps (4), (5), and (6) will be automatically read. The results of steps (4), (5), and (6) are displayed on the interface. Click the mouse to select, indicating that the rules for the selected object will be developed. The Rule definition / Rule Definition / Rule in the middle of the interface can be checked by clicking the mouse and selecting from the drop-down menu. During the selection process, the icon box on the right will display the corresponding icon content based on the actual condition rule selection. To finally confirm the content, just click the Apply button with the mouse and confirm the content number. At the bottom of the interface, the corresponding relevant rule number, rule content description, rule data and other information will be automatically displayed;

[0057] (8) After completing the layout rules, click Edit → Export DRC Setting in the drop-down menu to enter the DRC setting page to automatically input the DRC file header settings.

[0058] (9) When the DRC settings are completed, click the drop-down menu Delivering Products → DRC Command File, and click the corresponding metal option to select the required export file;

[0059] (10) After the metal option is checked, the DRC file can be exported directly;

[0060] (11) After all content is automatically exported, click the Close button to close the tool;

[0061] (12) When the user has generated the corresponding DRM project file and made relevant modifications, he can choose to directly import the DRM project when creating the DRC project. All DRM modifications will be synchronized and output with the DRC rule content.

[0062] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and is not any formal or substantial limitation of the present invention. It should be pointed out that ordinary technicians in this technical field can make several improvements and supplements without departing from the method of the present invention, and these improvements and supplements should also be regarded as the protection scope of the present invention. Any technician familiar with this profession, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, can make some changes, modifications and evolutions of the technical content disclosed above, which are equivalent embodiments of the present invention; at the same time, any changes, modifications and evolutions of any equivalent changes made to the above embodiments based on the essential technology of the present invention are still within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A DRC automatic interface implementation method for verifying integrated circuit manufacturing process rules, characterized in that: The method comprises the following steps: S100, creating a DRC project: creating a new DRC project through the tab module display mode; S200, display progress: prompting the user of the completion degree of the tabs in the tab module; S300, matching check: define device information and process physical information, perform content matching check, and pop up a content conflict interface in real time; S400, display rules: define the process parameters of the physical layer, display the object selection instructions in the form of graphics through the rule content display interface, and automatically generate relevant description languages; S500, automatic development: Develop process rules, select process physical layer stacking information of different applications corresponding to DRC, and define reliability rules and basic information of process design rules; S600, automatic interface setting: set the DRC header setting file to perform automatic interface setting; S700, tool file selection: automatically select the type of different corresponding tool files exported by DRC; S800, file export: compile and generate DRC files and export them. You can choose to directly import them into the DRM project when creating a DRC project next time. In the step S100 of creating a DRC project, the software is started to the initial interface, which includes five tab menus in the following order: Technology Information, Basic Information, Layout Rules, Reliability Related Ruler, Design Rule Application. The order of the tab menus is the order of DRC rule manual development; In step S300, a character matching method is used to check the matching degree of the content; In the matching check of step S300, the grid specifications allowed by the process rules and the device information contained in the corresponding process rules are defined in the Technology Information tab, and the layer definition of the cross-sectional view, the input of the relevant layer physical information and the conflict detection are performed. When there is a conflict, the relevant metal layer information is re-entered.

2. The integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification DRC automatic interface implementation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the display progress of step S200, a progress bar mode is adopted, and the progress bar prompts when the content of the main tab menu interface is not completed, and prevents the click and content editing of the next tab.

3. The integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification DRC automatic interface implementation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the automatic development of step S500, the cross-section information is automatically imported in the Basic Information tab, and the Metal Combination data is automatically generated.

4. The integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification DRC automatic interface implementation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the Layout Rules tab, the layer mapping process layer information is automatically imported and displayed synchronously, and the process rules of each physical layer are selected.

5. The integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification DRC automatic interface implementation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the file export of step S800, after the DRM project is automatically imported, the DRC file is automatically generated into a DRC code file by inputting DRM-related physical information and rule content in the DRM project.

6. The integrated circuit manufacturing process rule verification DRC automatic interface implementation method according to claim 5, characterized in that: After automatically generating the DRC code file, the DRC code files for different metal option combinations are automatically exported.

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