Colorless M1 Routing Zone Design for Double Patterning Decomposability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional placement and routing (P&R) technologies for integrated circuits (ICs) using double patterning technology (DPT) face challenges in maintaining high routing efficiency and ensuring M1 back-to-back (B2B) route decomposability, often resulting in reduced chip scaling and circuit performance due to overly restrictive color rules or failure to guarantee decomposability.
Innovation Solution
Designating a routing zone between edge pins and their corners, ensuring that routes placed within this zone are decomposable using a single layer with specific mask resolutions, allowing for M1 B2B routes that connect edge pins separated from corners by a predefined distance based on minimum patterning resolutions, thereby ensuring decomposability and increased routing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional P&R routing technologies utilize color rules to guarantee M1 decomposability, then M1 decomposability is ensured, but routing efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining routing zones with specific geometric constraints before routing occurs. The routing zone is determined based on edge pin positions and corner distances, establishing decomposability conditions in advance. This allows routers to generate M1 B2B routes without complex color rule checking, as the pre-defined zone geometry inherently ensures decomposability into two masks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes geometric parameters by specifying that routes must be placed at predetermined distances from edge pin corners. This parameter constraint (distance from corner) transforms the routing problem from one requiring complex color rule evaluation to one with simple geometric boundaries, enabling efficient routing while guaranteeing decomposability through controlled spatial relationships.
2Productivity
If traditional P&R routing technologies ignore DPT effects to allow additional M1 B2B routes, then routing efficiency improves, but M1 decomposability is not guaranteed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach from ignoring DPT parameters to utilizing specific geometric parameters (distance from corner) that inherently encode decomposability requirements. By defining routing zones based on these parameters, the system achieves both high routing efficiency and guaranteed decomposability without complex color rule enforcement.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing zone acts as an intermediary concept that mediates between the router and the DPT decomposition process. Instead of directly enforcing color rules or ignoring DPT constraints, the patent introduces the routing zone as an intermediate geometric structure that automatically ensures decomposability while allowing efficient route generation within its boundaries.
3Device complexity
If M1 layer geometries follow standard cell designs, then design complexity is reduced, but color rules become particularly difficult to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex color rule enforcement from the routing process and replaces it with simple geometric zone definitions. By taking out the need for color rule checking and replacing it with predetermined routing zones based on corner distances, the system simplifies the implementation while maintaining decomposability guarantees for standard cell M1 geometries.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for enabling functionality in circuit designs utilizing colorless DPT M1 route placement that maintains high routing efficiency and guarantees M1 decomposability of a target pattern and the resulting circuit are disclosed. Embodiments include: determining a boundary abutting first and second cells in an IC; determining a side of a first edge pin in the first cell facing a side of a second edge pin in the second cell; determining a first vertical segment of at least a portion of the side of the first edge pin and a second vertical segment of at least a portion of the side of the second edge pin; designating an area between the first vertical segment and the boundary as a first portion of a routing zone; and designating an area between the second vertical segment and the boundary as a second portion of the routing zone.