Automated Tracking Cell Location in Hierarchical Circuit Layouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual searching for tracking cells in integrated circuit designs, such as SRAM, is time-consuming and inefficient, leading to reduced checking coverage and increased resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
An automated program utilizing number information and gdt files to identify tracking cells within SRAM macros, employing Perl regexes and geometric operations to infer and convert instance positions across layout hierarchy levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual searching methods are used to locate tracking cells, then resource consumption is reduced, but checking coverage decreases and time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical searching with an automated computer-based system that uses gdt files and Perl regex patterns to automatically locate and identify tracking cells. This substitution eliminates human effort and time while achieving complete checking coverage through systematic automated scanning of the layout database.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces gdt files as an intermediary data structure that stores pre-processed layout information, and Perl regex patterns as intermediaries to match and identify tracking cell instances. These intermediaries enable efficient automated searching without requiring direct manual inspection of the original layout data.
2Productivity
If manual searching methods are used to locate tracking cells, then computational resources are saved, but checking coverage and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing by creating gdt files that contain pre-extracted layout information before the actual tracking cell search begins. This preliminary action organizes the data in advance, enabling the automated Perl regex-based search to operate efficiently on structured information rather than raw layout data, thus improving productivity while managing resource consumption.
3Productivity
If automated programs are used to identify tracking cells, then checking efficiency increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential information needed for tracking cell identification by using Perl regex patterns to match specific patterns in the gdt files. This extraction approach focuses the automated program on relevant data elements only, reducing the effective complexity of the searching logic while maintaining high checking efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for finding instances in a circuit layout are described. A method of finding instances comprises assigning an initial name and an initial position to a tracking cell in a bottom instance of a plurality of instances determining whether the initial name corresponds to a name of a top instance of the plurality of instances, determining a position parameter and a number information for converting the initial name and the initial position in the bottom instance to another instance greater than the bottom instance, and reporting the position of the instance greater than the bottom instance to a user, via a graphical user interface (GUI). An integrated circuit is fabricated based on the circuit layout.