3D Hierarchical Visualization for IC Electrical Issue Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current software tools for designing and analyzing integrated circuits face challenges in visualizing and interpreting complex electrical effects due to the hiding of underlayers by overlayers in two-dimensional layouts, making it difficult to identify and isolate localized electrical issues in nanoscale circuits.
Innovation Solution
A system and technique for 3D hierarchical visualization-based analysis of integrated circuits, allowing for semitransparent layer viewing, zooming, rotating, and color-mapping of physical features to electrical results, enabling the identification and isolation of interblock electrical issues and providing tools for localized 'what-if' analysis and engineering change orders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If two-dimensional layout visualization is used, then the overall circuit structure can be displayed, but underlayers are hidden by overlayers making it difficult to view and interpret localized electrical effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional layout visualization to three-dimensional visualization, adding the Z-dimension to represent different layout layers. This dimensional change allows simultaneous viewing of multiple layers without occlusion, enabling engineers to detect localized electrical effects while maintaining context of the overall circuit structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary visualization system that maps electrical simulation results onto the three-dimensional layout structure. This intermediary layer provides contextual information about electrical effects (such as voltage drops, current density, or signal integrity issues) directly at their spatial location, making them visible and interpretable without requiring engineers to mentally correlate separate simulation data with layout structures.
2Ease of operation
If overlayers are made transparent or hidden in 2D layout, then underlayers become visible, but contextual interpretation of electrical effects is complicated
Solution Approach 1:
By adding the third dimension, the patent eliminates the need to make overlayers transparent or hidden. All layers remain simultaneously visible at their correct spatial positions, preserving complete contextual information about electrical effects while providing unobstructed views of underlying structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs color-mapping to visually encode electrical simulation results on the three-dimensional layout. Different colors or intensity levels represent different electrical parameters (such as voltage levels, current density, or timing violations), enabling engineers to quickly interpret electrical effects while maintaining full layer visibility and spatial context.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If 3D hierarchical visualization is implemented, then localized electrical effects can be isolated and interpreted, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements hierarchical segmentation of the circuit layout into manageable levels (such as top-level chip view, block-level views, and detailed cell-level views). This segmentation allows engineers to navigate from overall structure to localized electrical effects systematically, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining the ability to detect and analyze issues at appropriate levels of detail.
Solution Approach 2:
The three-dimensional visualization system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it displays the physical layout structure, visualizes electrical simulation results, provides navigation and zoom capabilities, and enables interactive analysis. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate tools into a single unified system, managing complexity through integration rather than proliferation of separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A system or technique provides for a hierarchical visual-based analysis of electrical integrated circuit system simulation results. A three-dimensional or 3D visualization may be used to identify and conduct an analysis of the integrated circuit. An analysis is done on a specific feature of the integrated circuit that is visible in the three-dimensional visualization. The specific feature may be one that is obscured by other layers of the integrated circuit visualization.