Latch Placement Layout for Multi-Bit Flip Resilience
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current integrated circuit designs are susceptible to multiple bit flips due to external forces, which can lead to data corruption and system outages, and existing error correction mechanisms are inefficient or costly, particularly in advanced technologies like 7 nm and 5 nm FinFETs, where human-engineered placement strategies are inadequate.
Innovation Solution
Automated latch and register placement techniques that consider parity and one-hot checking groups, ensuring latches are not vertically abutting and using integer linear programming to optimize placement, thereby reducing multi-bit flip errors while minimizing power consumption and empty space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If storage elements are grouped into checking groups for error correction, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides storage elements into separate checking groups (e.g., even parity group and odd parity group) with specific placement constraints. Latches are segmented into different groups based on their position, where even latches form one checking group and odd latches form another, allowing independent error detection and correction for each group.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different placement strategies to different locations on the chip. Specifically, latches are placed such that even latches are positioned in certain regions while odd latches are positioned in other regions, creating local variations in placement patterns that optimize both error correction and resource utilization.
2Area of stationary object
If latches are placed closer together to reduce empty space, then area is improved, but susceptibility to multi-bit flips increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments latches into different checking groups with alternating patterns (even, odd, even, odd...). This segmentation ensures that latches from the same checking group are not placed adjacent to each other, reducing the risk that a single physical event will cause multiple bit flips within the same checking group while maintaining high area utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric placement patterns where even latches and odd latches are placed in different spatial configurations. This asymmetric arrangement breaks the symmetry that would otherwise make all latches equally vulnerable to multi-bit flips, creating a placement pattern that is inherently more resistant to correlated errors.
3Manufacturing precision
If automated placement with integer linear programming is used, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual, human-engineered placement strategies with an automated integer linear programming (ILP) based system. The ILP formulation automatically determines optimal latch positions by solving mathematical optimization problems, substituting human judgment and manual placement with algorithmic precision that can handle complex constraints and objectives.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the physical placement problem into a mathematical optimization problem with adjustable parameters. By formulating latch placement as an ILP problem with objective functions and constraints, the system can dynamically adjust placement parameters to optimize for multiple competing goals such as area utilization, power consumption, and error resistance.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and computer program product for bit flip aware latch placement in integrated circuit generation are provided. The method identifies a chip design for an integrated circuit. A set of chip design constraints, associated with the chip design, is identified. A set of checking groups, associated with a plurality of latches to be placed in the chip design, is determined. Based on the set of chip design constraints and the set of checking groups, a placement scheme for the plurality of latches is selected. The method places the plurality of latches within the chip design based on the placement scheme and the set of checking groups.