Integrated Circuit Design Corners for Multi-Criteria Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits (ICs) designed for stringent specifications often include unnecessary features and increased costs due to being optimized for the most demanding application, limiting their effectiveness and efficiency in less stringent environments, as they may not meet the specific requirements of various use applications.
Innovation Solution
A method for designing ICs that accommodates multiple sets of criteria by considering manufacturing variation, allowing IC products to be tailored for different use applications through statistical analysis and simulation, resulting in reduced unnecessary features and manufacturing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IC design is optimized for stringent specifications to meet demanding application requirements, then reliability and performance are improved, but device complexity and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating different design corners that target specific application requirements rather than uniformly optimizing for all possible conditions. Each corner is tailored to meet the specific reliability and performance needs of particular applications, avoiding the inclusion of features that are not needed for those specific uses.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by defining multiple design corners with different parameter sets (voltage, temperature, frequency, power consumption) that correspond to different application scenarios. This allows the IC design to be optimized for specific parameter ranges rather than attempting to meet all possible stringent specifications simultaneously.
2Reliability
If IC design is optimized for stringent specifications to meet demanding application requirements, then reliability is improved, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces manufacturing costs by creating design corners that target specific application requirements, avoiding the need to manufacture all ICs to the highest specification level. This allows for differentiated production where ICs are manufactured to meet the specific needs of particular applications, reducing unnecessary manufacturing complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables cost-effective manufacturing by using parameter changes to define different design corners. By varying parameters such as voltage thresholds, temperature ranges, and frequency specifications, the same manufacturing process can produce ICs suitable for different applications without requiring separate production lines for each specification level.
3Adaptability or versatility
If IC design includes features for all possible applications, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves universality by creating a framework of design corners that can accommodate multiple applications. Rather than building a single complex design that attempts to handle all possible scenarios, the patent establishes a universal methodology where different design corners represent different application scenarios, allowing the same IC design process to serve multiple purposes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent reduces device complexity by applying local quality through targeted design corners for specific applications. Each design corner includes only the features and parameters necessary for that particular application, eliminating overhead features that would be present in a universal design attempting to cover all possible uses.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples described herein provide a method for designing an integrated circuit (IC) for meeting different sets of criteria. In an example, different sets of criteria are identified for an IC design. The IC design is designed to meet the different sets of criteria based on expected manufacturing variation. The IC design is caused to be manufactured as IC products. At least some of the IC products are caused to be tested. The IC products are characterized as meeting respective ones of the different sets of criteria based on testing the at least some of the IC products.