Dummy Cell Placement Management for Circuit Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Circuit designers face challenges in minimizing device degradation during semiconductor wafer manufacturing, as existing methods lack efficient tools for managing dummy cells to prevent defects and ensure legal placement in circuit designs.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for manipulating circuit designs that includes a dummy cell manager to select, insert, delete, and modify dummy cells based on modification parameters, enforcing design rules and managing connections to ensure legal placement and minimize device degradation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dummy cells are inserted to minimize device degradation, then device reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional cells that must be managed
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell manager automatically performs insertion, deletion, and movement of dummy cells based on design rules and parameters, eliminating the need for manual intervention. The system self-manages the complex task of dummy cell optimization while improving device reliability through systematic placement strategies.
Solution Approach 2:
The system modifies dummy cell parameters such as insertion regions, cell counts, and placement locations based on design rules and manufacturing requirements. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system optimizes device reliability while managing complexity through automated parameter-driven decision making.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple dummy cells are inserted to prevent defects, then manufacturing precision is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates due to increased management overhead
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell manager autonomously handles the insertion, deletion, and movement of dummy cells according to design rules and manufacturing parameters. This automation eliminates manual management overhead while achieving precise dummy cell placement that improves manufacturing precision through systematic optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the circuit design to identify optimal dummy cell insertion regions before actual insertion. By pre-determining placement locations based on design rules and manufacturing requirements, the system simplifies the manufacturing process while ensuring precise dummy cell positioning.
3Reliability
If dummy cells are moved or deleted to optimize design, then device reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional manipulation steps
Solution Approach 1:
The dummy cell manager automatically performs movement and deletion operations based on design rules and optimization criteria. By self-managing these operations without manual intervention, the system improves device reliability through systematic optimization while minimizing time loss through automated decision-making and execution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously optimizes dummy cell placement throughout the design process, performing insertion, movement, and deletion operations in a continuous automated manner. This continuous optimization improves device reliability while reducing time loss by eliminating interruptions and manual re-evaluation cycles.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manipulating a circuit design includes receiving multiple dummy cell modification parameters, selecting, by a computer processor and based on the dummy cell modification parameters, a dummy cell insertion region on a circuit design, and generating, in the dummy cell insertion region, multiple dummy cells. The method further includes selecting a first dummy cell from the dummy cells, determining, by the computer processor and based on a location of the first dummy cell, an illegal overlap with the first dummy cell, and removing, by the computer processor and from the dummy cells, the first dummy cell. The method further includes inserting, by the computer processor, on the circuit design, and after removing the first dummy cell, the dummy cells to obtain a modified circuit design, and presenting the modified circuit design.