Information processing device, design method, program, and semiconductor device

Abstract

The present invention reduces noise in a semiconductor device with conductor layers.　An information processing device is provided with a processing unit. In this information processing device, the processing unit performs processing to obtain a first magnetic moment and a second magnetic moment. Out of these first and second magnetic moments, the first magnetic moment is the magnetic moment within a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer. The second magnetic moment is the magnetic moment within a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer.

Description

Information processing device, design method, program, and semiconductor device

[0001] The present technology relates to an information processing device, and more particularly to an information processing device, a design method, a program, and a semiconductor device for designing a semiconductor device.

[0002] In recent years, in semiconductor devices, noise caused by electromagnetic radiation has increased due to high-density packaging and increased current consumption, and there is a growing demand for noise reduction. In response to this demand, circuits have been proposed in which electrode pads are arranged at lattice points and at positions shifted from the lattice points (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This arrangement shortens the spacing between pads compared to when electrode pads are arranged only at lattice points.

[0003] JP 2014-82393 A

[0004] In the above-mentioned conventional technology, noise is reduced by shortening the spacing between pads to reduce the area of ​​the path of the loop current flowing through the electrode pads. However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, when the terminals (pads, etc.) that supply power have a multi-pin structure with two or more power supply terminals, the area of ​​some of the loop currents may be larger than expected, and there is a risk that noise cannot be sufficiently reduced.

[0005] The present technology was developed in view of such circumstances, and aims to reduce noise in a semiconductor device having a conductor layer.

[0006] The present technology has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a first aspect thereof is an information processing device including a processing unit that performs processing to determine a first magnetic moment in a first magnetic field generated by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment in a second magnetic field generated by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer, a design method using the information processing device, and a program for causing a computer to execute the method, thereby providing an effect of designing a semiconductor device with reduced noise.

[0007] In this first aspect, the processing unit may include an electromagnetic field analysis unit that calculates the distributions of the first and second magnetic fields from design data of the first and second conductor layers, and a magnetic moment acquisition unit that calculates the first and second magnetic moments based on the distributions of the first and second magnetic fields, thereby achieving an effect of efficient design.

[0008] In this first aspect, the processing unit may further include a design modification unit that modifies the design data, thereby providing an effect that the design data is modified so as to reduce noise.

[0009] In this first aspect, the processing unit may further include a magnetic field strength determination unit that determines whether a difference between the magnetic field strength of the magnetic field obtained by combining the first and second magnetic fields and a predetermined minimum value is less than an allowable value, thereby minimizing noise due to the magnetic field.

[0010] In addition, in this first aspect, the electromagnetic field analysis unit may obtain the magnetic field distribution of the analysis target when one of the first and second conductor layers that does not correspond to the analysis target is shielded, thereby resulting in the effect of deriving only the magnetic field distribution of the analysis target.

[0011] In addition, in this first aspect, the electromagnetic field analysis unit may obtain the magnetic field distribution of the analysis object when a predetermined excitation source is connected to a terminal of one of the first and second conductor layers that does not correspond to the analysis object, thereby resulting in the effect of deriving only the magnetic field distribution of the analysis object.

[0012] In this first aspect, the magnetic moment acquisition unit may further obtain a third magnetic moment formed by a third conductor layer stacked on the second conductor layer and a magnetic moment obtained by combining two of the first, second, and third magnetic moments, thereby achieving an efficient design in the case of a three-layer structure.

[0013] In this first aspect, the processing unit may cause the display unit to display each of the first and second magnetic moments, thereby providing an advantage that the user can easily make design changes.

[0014] A second aspect of the present technology is a semiconductor device including a first conductor layer that generates a first magnetic field having a first magnetic moment, and a second conductor layer that is stacked on the first conductor layer and generates a second magnetic field having a second magnetic moment that cancels out the first magnetic moment, thereby reducing noise caused by the magnetic field.

[0015] 1 is a diagram illustrating a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device according to a first embodiment of the present technology, and an example of a magnetic moment; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a magnetic moment according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a method of analyzing a magnetic field distribution according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a magnetic field distribution and a magnetic moment before a design change according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a magnetic field distribution and a magnetic moment after a design change according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a ball arrangement and a magnetic moment before and after a design change according to the first embodiment of the present technology; FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation of an information processing device according to the first embodiment of the present technology;

[0016] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present technology (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described. The description will be given in the following order: 1. First embodiment (example of determining the magnetic moment of each of two layers) 2. Second embodiment (example of determining the magnetic moment of each of three layers)

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present technology and an example of a magnetic moment. In the figure, "a" shows an example of a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device 100. In the figure, "b" shows a perspective view of the magnetic moment and loop current. In the figure, "c" shows the magnetic moment and loop current when viewed from the side.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1A, the semiconductor device 100 includes a die 113, an interposer 123, and a mounting substrate 140. The die 113 is a chip on which various circuits are formed, and is electrically connected to the interposer 123 by a plurality of wires, such as wires 111 and 112. The surface to which the die 113 is connected is referred to as the "surface" of the interposer 123.

[0019] The interposer 123 electrically connects the die 113 and the mounting substrate 140. Wiring and vias such as a signal line 121, a power supply line (not shown), and a ground line 122 are formed within the interposer 123. In addition, a plurality of solder balls such as solder balls 131 and 132 are arranged on the back surface of the interposer 123, and the interposer 123 is mounted on the mounting substrate 140 by these solder balls.

[0020] The components consisting of the die 113, the interposer 123, and the mounting substrate 140 are called a semiconductor chip or a semiconductor package. The figure shows a specific semiconductor chip (or semiconductor package) among the various components arranged in the semiconductor device 100.

[0021] For example, an axis perpendicular to the substrate plane of the mounting substrate 140 is defined as the "Z-axis," and a predetermined axis parallel to the substrate plane is defined as the "X-axis." An axis perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis is defined as the "Y-axis." In the figure, "a" indicates a cross-sectional view seen from the Y-axis direction.

[0022] The above-mentioned solder balls 131 and wires 111 are connected to signal lines 121. When the circuit in the die 113 or the mounting board 140 is driven, a signal current flows through the wires 111, signal lines 121, and solder balls 131. Furthermore, the solder balls 132 and wires 112 are connected to a ground line 122. A return current flows through these when the circuit is driven. The arrows marked "a" in the figure indicate the direction of the current (signal current and return current).

[0023] As shown in b and c in the figure, a magnetic field is generated by the loop current (signal current or return current) flowing through the loop-shaped path formed by the signal line 121 and the ground line 122, and the strength and direction of the magnetic field are represented by the magnetic moment. The black arrow in b in the figure indicates the magnetic moment. c in the figure shows the magnetic moment and loop current as viewed from the Y-axis direction when the magnetic moment is oriented in the Y-axis direction.

[0024] In the semiconductor device 100, a layer including the die 113 and wires is referred to as the conductor layer 110, and a layer including wiring and vias such as the signal line 121 and the ground line 122 in the interposer 123 is referred to as the conductor layer 120. A layer on which a plurality of solder balls such as the solder balls 131 and 132 are arranged is referred to as the conductor layer 130. As illustrated in the figure, the semiconductor device 100 can be considered to include stacked conductor layers 110, 120, and 130. These conductor layers are electrically connected as described above.

[0025] 2A and 2B are diagrams illustrating an example of magnetic moments according to the first embodiment of the present technology. In the figure, a is a perspective view illustrating the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 110 including the die 113 and the wire. In the figure, b is a perspective view illustrating the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 130 including the solder ball.

[0026] As shown in a and b in the figure, the direction of the magnetic moment in the magnetic field generated by the conductor layer 110 and the direction of the magnetic moment in the magnetic field generated by the conductor layer 130 are opposite to each other, and they cancel each other out.

[0027] Here, electromagnetic radiation from the semiconductor device 100 is mainly generated by current flowing through wires, vias, and solder balls. This electromagnetic radiation can be modeled using magnetic moments, as described in IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) 62433. For example, if a loop current on an X-Y plane centered at the origin generates a magnetic moment from the origin to an observation point P on an X-Z plane, the magnetic field at the observation point P can be expressed by the following equation:

[0028] In Equation 1, Hr represents the magnetic field in the direction from the origin to the observation point P. I represents a loop-shaped current, and S represents the area of ​​the loop through which the current flows. θ represents the angle between the magnetic moment and the Z axis, and r represents the distance from the origin to the observation point P. f represents the frequency.

[0029] By simplifying Equation 1 and Equation 2, we obtain the following equation: H = (I × f ２ ×S) / r...Formula 3

[0030] From Equation 3, the strength of the magnetic field H increases as the distance r to the observation point decreases, and also increases as the current I increases. Therefore, the smaller r becomes due to high-density packaging, the greater the noise caused by the magnetic field. Furthermore, the greater the current I becomes due to more sophisticated devices, the greater the noise caused by the magnetic field.

[0031] As described in Patent Document 1, if the loop area S is reduced, noise can be reduced from Equation 3. However, in the case of a multi-pin structure with two or more terminals that supply power, the area of ​​some of the loops may end up being larger than expected, which may prevent sufficient noise reduction.

[0032] In contrast, as described above, in semiconductor device 100, the magnetic moment in the magnetic field formed by conductor layer 110 and the magnetic moment in the magnetic field formed by conductor layer 130 cancel each other out. By designing in this way, the strength of the magnetic field obtained by combining the magnetic fields formed by conductor layer 110 and 130 becomes extremely small, and noise caused by this magnetic field can be sufficiently reduced.

[0033] Although the semiconductor device 100 is designed to cancel out the magnetic moment due to the loop current formed by the signal current and the return current, the design is not limited to this. The magnetic moment due to the loop current formed by the power supply current and the return current can also be designed.

[0034] Furthermore, among the conductor layers 110, 120, and 130, the conductor layer 110 and the conductor layer 130 are designed so that their magnetic moments cancel each other out, but this configuration is not limiting. Two-layer combinations other than the conductor layer 110 and the conductor layer 130 can also be designed so that their magnetic moments cancel each other out.

[0035] The conductor layer 110 is an example of a first conductor layer set forth in the claims, and the conductor layer 130 is an example of a second conductor layer set forth in the claims.

[0036] Next, a method for designing the semiconductor device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described.

[0037] [Configuration Example of Information Processing Device] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing device 200 according to the first embodiment of the present technology. The information processing device 200 includes a processing unit 205 and a display unit 250. The processing unit 205 includes a data holding unit 210, an electromagnetic field analysis unit 220, a magnetic moment acquisition unit 230, a magnetic field strength determination unit 240, and a design modification unit 260. The information processing device 200 is assumed to be, for example, a personal computer. The function of the processing unit 205 is realized, for example, by installing a circuit design application in the information processing device 200. The information processing device 200 executes at least a part of the process of designing the semiconductor device 100 in accordance with an operation signal from a user.

[0038] The data holding unit 210 holds design data, such as design data for the semiconductor device 100 and data related to design constraints. The design data includes, for example, data indicating the arrangement of bonding pads, vias, and solder balls on the conductor layers 110, 120, and 130, and the circuit configuration.

[0039] The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 determines the magnetic field distribution of each of the plurality of conductor layers (e.g., conductor layers 110 and 130) by electromagnetic field analysis based on the design data. The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 displays the magnetic field distribution of each layer on the display unit 250. The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 also supplies the determined magnetic field distribution to the magnetic moment acquisition unit 230 and the magnetic field strength determination unit 240.

[0040] The magnetic moment acquisition unit 230 determines the magnetic moment within the magnetic field of each of the plurality of conductor layers based on the magnetic field distribution. The magnetic moment acquisition unit 230 displays the magnetic moment of each layer on the display unit 250. As a method for determining the magnetic moment from the magnetic field distribution, for example, the method described in "Yang Zhong, et.al., A New Reconstruction Method for a Source Above an Arbitrarily Shaped Ground Plane, IEEE 2020" can be used.

[0041] The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 determines the strength of the magnetic field obtained by combining the magnetic fields of the multiple conductor layers, and determines whether the difference between the resulting magnetic field strength and the minimum value under the design constraints is less than the allowable value (in other words, whether the magnetic field strength is approximately the minimum value). The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 displays the combined magnetic field distribution and the determination result on the display unit 250.

[0042] The user refers to the information displayed on the display unit 250 and performs operations to change the design as necessary. For example, the user refers to the magnetic moments of each layer, and if they do not cancel each other out, attempts to change the design so that they cancel each other out.

[0043] The design modification unit 260 modifies the design data in accordance with an operation signal from the user. Although the user manually modifies the design, the information processing device 200 can also automatically modify the design.

[0044] 4 is a diagram for explaining a method for analyzing a magnetic field distribution according to the first embodiment of the present technology. The information processing device 200 obtains the magnetic field distribution of an analysis target when, for example, a conductor layer that does not correspond to the analysis target is surrounded by a perfect conductor in an analysis model.

[0045] For example, the conductor layer 110 is the object of analysis. In the analysis model, the information processing device 100 covers the periphery of the conductor layer 120 with a perfect conductor 151, and the periphery of the conductor layer 130 with a perfect conductor 152. The ground terminal (such as a pad) of the conductor layer 120 is connected to the perfect conductor 151, and the ground solder ball of the conductor layer 130 is connected to the perfect conductor 152. In this way, by shielding the conductor layers 120 and 130 that are not the object of analysis, the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 can analyze only the magnetic field distribution of the conductor layer 110 that is the object of analysis.

[0046] 5 is a diagram showing an example of a magnetic field distribution and a magnetic moment before a design change in the first embodiment of the present technology. In the figure, "a" shows an example of a magnetic field distribution of the conductor layer 110, and "b" shows an example of a magnetic field distribution of the conductor layer 130. In the figure, "c" shows an example of a magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic field distribution of "a" in the figure, and "d" shows an example of a magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic field distribution of "b" in the figure. In the figure, "e" shows an example of a magnetic field distribution obtained by combining the magnetic field distributions of "a" and "b" in the figure.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 1C and Fig. 1D, the magnetic moments of the conductor layers 110 and 130 are oriented in different directions but do not cancel each other out. In this case, the combined magnetic field strength shown in Fig. 1C is high, resulting in increased noise due to the magnetic field. The user can refer to the screen of the information processing device 200 to determine the orientation of the magnetic moments of each layer and make design changes so that the magnetic moments cancel each other out.

[0048] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a magnetic field distribution and a magnetic moment after a design change in the first embodiment of the present technology. In the figure, "a" shows an example of a magnetic moment and a loop current of the conductor layer 110 after the design change, and "b" shows an example of a magnetic moment and a loop current of the conductor layer 130 after the design change. In the figure, "c" shows an example of a magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic field distribution of "a" in the figure, and "d" shows an example of a magnetic moment obtained from the magnetic field distribution of "b" in the figure. In the figure, "e" shows an example of a magnetic field distribution obtained by combining the magnetic field distributions of "a" and "b" in the figure.

[0049] As shown in Fig. 1C and 1D, after the design change, the magnetic moment of the conductor layer 110 and the magnetic moment of the conductor layer 130 are opposite in direction and cancel each other out, thereby sufficiently reducing the combined magnetic field strength and reducing noise.

[0050] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of ball arrangement and magnetic moment before and after a design change according to the first embodiment of the present technology. In the figure, "a" is a perspective view illustrating an example of the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 130 before the design change. In the figure, "b" is a plan view illustrating an example of the arrangement of solder balls on the conductor layer 130 before the design change.

[0051] Focus is placed on solder ball 131, which carries a signal current, and solder ball 132, which carries a return current. As shown in the example of b in the figure, when observed from the Z-axis direction, solder ball 132 is placed to the immediate left of solder ball 131. In this case, a loop current flowing through these solder balls generates a magnetic moment pointing downward on the paper surface.

[0052] For example, the user operates the information processing device 200 to make a design change to swap the positions of the solder balls 131 and 132 .

[0053] In the figure, "c" is a perspective view showing an example of the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 130 after the design change, and "d" is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of solder balls on the conductor layer 130 after the design change.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 1c and 1d, the design change reverses the direction of the loop current and magnetic moment compared to before the design change. As shown in Fig. 1c through 1d, the direction of the magnetic moment can be changed by changing the placement of the solder balls. In addition, the direction of the magnetic moment can also be changed by changing the placement of wires and vias or by changing the circuit configuration.

[0055] 8 is a diagram for explaining a method for determining the minimum value of the magnetic field strength in the first embodiment of the present technology. In the figure, a is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of solder balls before optimization. In the figure, b is a graph showing an example of the fluctuation of the magnetic field strength due to a design change. In the figure, c is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of solder balls after optimization.

[0056] Various design constraints are imposed on the design parameters of the conductor layer. These design parameters include the type, number, and position of solder balls, wires, and vias. The type of current passing through these layers can be, for example, whether it is a signal current (or signal current) or a return current.

[0057] For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, it is assumed that an arrangement of four solder balls 131 through which a signal current flows and four solder balls 132 through which a return current flows is required on a conductor layer 130. Other conductor layers also have various design constraints for each design parameter, such as the type, number, and position of wires and vias. When making design changes, the user changes these design parameters under the design constraints.

[0058] The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 in the information processing device 200 stores the set design parameters and the post-combination magnetic field strength in association with each other. The vertical axis of the graph (b) in the figure indicates the post-combination magnetic field strength, and the horizontal axis indicates the design parameters. The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 stores two or more plots on this graph and, through curve fitting, determines the curve function that best fits the group of plots. The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 then determines the minimum value of the magnetic field strength under the constraint conditions as the global optimal solution based on the function. The magnetic field strength determination unit 240 determines whether the difference between the current post-combination magnetic field strength and the determined optimal solution (i.e., the minimum value) is less than a predetermined tolerance. The curve (b) in the figure indicates the curve obtained through curve fitting.

[0059] In the figure, c shows an example of the arrangement of solder balls corresponding to the optimum solution.

[0060] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device 200 according to the first embodiment of the present technology. This operation is started, for example, when a predetermined application for circuit design is executed.

[0061] The information processing device 200 analyzes and displays the magnetic field distribution of each conductor layer (step S901). The information processing device 200 then converts the magnetic field distribution of each conductor layer into a magnetic moment and displays the result (step S902). The user determines whether the magnetic moments of each layer cancel each other out (step S903). If the magnetic moments cancel each other out (step S903: Yes), the information processing device 200 determines whether the difference between the combined magnetic field strength and the minimum value under the design constraints is less than the allowable value (in other words, whether the magnetic field strength is approximately the minimum value) (step S904). The determination in step S903 can also be made by the information processing device 100 instead of the user.

[0062] If the magnetic moments do not cancel each other out (step S903: No), or if the magnetic field strength is not substantially at the minimum value (step S904: No), the information processing device 200 displays the combined magnetic field distribution and the judgment result (step S905).The information processing device 200 then changes the design data in accordance with the user's operation signal (step S906), and repeatedly executes steps S901 and subsequent steps.

[0063] On the other hand, if the magnetic field strength is not substantially at the minimum value (step S904: Yes), the information processing device 200 displays the combined magnetic field distribution and the determination result (step S907), and ends the operation for circuit design.

[0064] As shown in the figure, the circuit is optimized by repeating steps S901 to S906. In this cycle, the information processing device 200 calculates and displays the magnetic moment for each conductor layer, allowing the user to efficiently design the semiconductor device 100 with reduced noise.

[0065] The method including the steps illustrated in the figure is an example of a design method described in the claims. Also, the program for causing a computer to execute the steps illustrated in the figure is an example of a program described in the claims.

[0066] 10 is an example of a display screen 500 of the magnetic field distribution of each layer according to the first embodiment of the present technology. As illustrated in the drawing, the information processing device 200 obtains and displays the magnetic field distribution of each of the conductor layer 110 and the conductor layer 130.

[0067] 11 shows an example of a display screen of magnetic moments according to the first embodiment of the present technology. The information processing device 200 calculates and displays, for example, M1, which is the magnetic moment of the conductor layer 110, and M2, which is the magnetic moment of the conductor layer 130.

[0068] For example, as shown in display screen 501 a in the same figure, the information processing device 200 decomposes each of the magnetic moments M1 and M2 into vectors Mx, My, and Mz in an orthogonal coordinate system of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, and displays these vector quantities.

[0069] Alternatively, as shown on a display screen 502 in FIG. 5b, the information processing device 200 displays each of the magnetic moments M1 and M2 as an arrow symbol in three-dimensional space.

[0070] 12 shows an example of a display screen 503 of the magnetic field distribution after synthesis according to the first embodiment of the present technology. As shown in the figure, the information processing device 200 displays a synthesized magnetic field distribution of each of the conductor layers.

[0071] 10 to 12 are examples of some of the screens displayed by the information processing device 200, and the information processing device 200 can display various screens for circuit design in addition to the above-mentioned screens as needed.

[0072] As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present technology, the information processing device 200 displays the magnetic moment of each conductor layer, allowing the user to easily design a semiconductor device 100 with reduced noise.

[0073] In the first embodiment described above, the information processing device 200 determines the magnetic distribution of the object to be analyzed by shielding the object to be analyzed, but the present invention is not limited to this analysis method. The information processing device 200 in this modification of the first embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that an excitation source is connected to a conductor layer other than the object to be analyzed.

[0074] 13 is a diagram for explaining a method for analyzing a magnetic field distribution in a modification of the first embodiment of the present technology. The information processing device 200 in the first modification of the first embodiment obtains a magnetic field distribution of an analysis object when an excitation source is connected to a terminal of a conductor layer that does not correspond to the analysis object in an analysis model.

[0075] For example, the conductor layer 110 is the object of analysis among the conductor layers 110, 120, and 130. The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 performs calculations by dividing the structure of the object of analysis into multiple mesh-like areas using an algorithm such as the finite-difference time-domain method (FDTD).

[0076] As shown in the example of a in the figure, excitation sources such as V1, V2, V3, and V4 are connected to the terminals (solder balls 163, 164, and 165, pad 161, etc.) within the divided areas. For example, a voltage is applied as the excitation source. This allows the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 to calculate the energy of all meshes and derive the magnetic field distribution of any surface.

[0077] The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 acquires the excitation source V1' at the boundary between the conductor layers 110 and 120 from the energy information of the mesh.

[0078] Then, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 connects an excitation source V1' to each of the terminals of the conductor layer that is not the analysis target. For example, the excitation source V1' is connected to terminals such as the pad 162 of the conductor layer 120 and the solder balls 163, 164, and 165. As a result, no potential difference occurs between the pad 162 and the solder balls 163, 164, and 165, and no current flows through the conductor layers 120 and 130. Therefore, the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 can obtain only the magnetic field distribution of the conductor layer 110, excluding electromagnetic radiation from the conductor layers 120 and 130.

[0079] In this way, according to the modified example of the first embodiment of the present technology, the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 connects an excitation source to a terminal of a conductor layer that is not the object of analysis, and therefore can obtain only the magnetic field distribution of the object of analysis.

[0080] 2. Second Embodiment In the first embodiment described above, the magnetic moment of each of two layers such as the conductor layers 110 and 130 is calculated, but it is also possible to calculate the magnetic moment of each of three or more conductor layers.

[0081] 14 is a diagram showing an example of magnetic moments before and after synthesis according to the second embodiment of the present technology. The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 of this second embodiment obtains the magnetic field distribution of the conductor layer 120 in addition to the magnetic field distributions of the conductor layers 110 and 130. The magnetic moment acquisition unit 230 then acquires the magnetic moments of the conductor layers 110, 120, and 130. The conductor layers 110, 120, and 130 are examples of the first, second, and third conductor layers set forth in the claims.

[0082] In the figure, a indicates the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 110, b indicates the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 120, and c indicates the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer .

[0083] The magnetic moment acquisition unit 230 combines the magnetic moments of two of the three conductor layers, for example, the magnetic moments of the conductor layers 120 and 130.

[0084] In the figure, d indicates the magnetic moment and loop current of the conductor layer 110, and e indicates the combined magnetic moment and loop current. The electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 displays these magnetic moments on the display unit 250. From then on, the same processing as in the first embodiment is executed.

[0085] In addition, even when there are four or more conductor layers, the electromagnetic field analysis unit 220 can similarly combine and display multiple magnetic moments among them. Also, a modified example of the first embodiment can be applied to the second embodiment.

[0086] As described above, the information processing device 200 synthesizes and displays the magnetic moments of two of the three layers, so the user can refer to the display screen to understand the direction of the magnetic moments in the same way as in the case of two layers, and can design efficiently.

[0087] As described above, according to the second embodiment of the present technology, the information processing device 200 combines and displays the magnetic moments of two of the three layers, allowing the user to efficiently perform design.

[0088] Note that the above-described embodiment shows an example for realizing the present technology, and the matters in the embodiment and the matters specifying the invention in the claims correspond to each other. Similarly, the matters specifying the invention in the claims and the matters in the embodiment of the present technology having the same name correspond to each other. However, the present technology is not limited to the embodiment, and can be realized by applying various modifications to the embodiment within the scope of the gist thereof.

[0089] The processing procedures described in the above embodiments may be considered as a method having a series of these procedures, or as a program for causing a computer to execute the series of procedures, or as a recording medium for storing the program. Examples of such a recording medium include a CD (Compact Disc), an MD (MiniDisc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a memory card, and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc.

[0090] The effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be obtained.

[0091] The present technology may also be configured as follows: (1) An information processing device including a processing unit that performs processing to determine a first magnetic moment in a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment in a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer. (2) The information processing device according to (1), wherein the processing unit includes: an electromagnetic field analysis unit that determines distributions of the first and second magnetic fields from design data of each of the first and second conductor layers; and a magnetic moment acquisition unit that determines the first and second magnetic moments based on the distributions of the first and second magnetic fields. (3) The information processing device according to (2), wherein the processing unit further includes a design modification unit that modifies the design data. (4) The information processing device according to (2) or (3), wherein the processing unit further includes a magnetic field strength determination unit that determines whether a difference between a magnetic field strength of a magnetic field obtained by combining the first and second magnetic fields and a predetermined minimum value is less than a tolerance value. (5) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the electromagnetic field analysis unit determines the magnetic field distribution of the analysis target when one of the first and second conductor layers that does not correspond to the analysis target is shielded. (6) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (4), wherein the electromagnetic field analysis unit determines the magnetic field distribution of the analysis target when a predetermined excitation source is connected to a terminal of one of the first and second conductor layers that does not correspond to the analysis target. (7) The information processing device according to any one of (2) to (6), wherein the magnetic moment acquisition unit further determines a third magnetic moment formed by a third conductor layer stacked on the second conductor layer and a magnetic moment obtained by combining two of the first, second, and third magnetic moments. (8) The information processing device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the processing unit causes a display unit to display each of the first and second magnetic moments. (9) A method for designing a semiconductor device, comprising a procedure in which an information processing device determines a first magnetic moment within a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment within a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer.(10) A program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for an information processing device to calculate a first magnetic moment in a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment in a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer. (11) A semiconductor device comprising: a first conductor layer that generates a first magnetic field having a first magnetic moment; and a second conductor layer that is stacked on the first conductor layer and that generates a second magnetic field having a second magnetic moment that cancels out the first magnetic moment.

[0092] 100 Semiconductor device 110, 120, 130 Conductor layer 111, 112 Wire 113 Die 121 Signal line 122 Ground line 123 Interposer 131, 132, 163 to 165 Solder ball 140 Mounting substrate 151, 152 Perfect conductor 161, 162 Pad 200 Information processing device 205 Processing unit 210 Data holding unit 220 Electromagnetic field analysis unit 230 Magnetic moment acquisition unit 240 Magnetic field strength determination unit 250 Display unit 260 Design change unit

Claims

1. An information processing device having a processing unit that performs processing to determine a first magnetic moment in a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment in a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer.

2. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit comprises: an electromagnetic field analysis unit that determines the distribution of the first and second magnetic fields from the design data of each of the first and second conductor layers; and a magnetic moment acquisition unit that determines the first and second magnetic moments based on the distribution of the first and second magnetic fields.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said processing section further comprises a design modification section for modifying said design data.

4. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the processing unit further comprises a magnetic field strength determination unit that determines whether or not the difference between the magnetic field strength of the magnetic field obtained by combining the first and second magnetic fields and a predetermined minimum value is less than an allowable value.

5. The information processing device according to claim 2, wherein said electromagnetic field analysis unit determines the magnetic field distribution of said analysis object when one of said first and second conductor layers that is not the analysis object is shielded.

6. An information processing device according to claim 2, wherein the electromagnetic field analysis unit determines the magnetic field distribution of the object of analysis when a predetermined excitation source is connected to a terminal of the conductor layer that is not the object of analysis out of the first and second conductor layers.

7. An information processing device as described in claim 2, wherein the magnetic moment acquisition unit further obtains a third magnetic moment formed by a third conductor layer stacked on the second conductor layer and a magnetic moment obtained by combining two of the first, second and third magnetic moments.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit causes a display unit to display each of the first and second magnetic moments.

9. A method for designing a semiconductor device, comprising a procedure in which an information processing device determines a first magnetic moment within a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment within a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer.

10. A program for causing a computer to execute a procedure in which an information processing device determines a first magnetic moment within a first magnetic field formed by a first conductor layer and a second magnetic moment within a second magnetic field formed by a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer.

11. A semiconductor device comprising: a first conductor layer that forms a first magnetic field having a first magnetic moment; and a second conductor layer that is stacked on the first conductor layer and forms a second magnetic field having a second magnetic moment that cancels out the first magnetic moment.