Lateral Fill Insertion for DRC Clean Multi-Patterning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of electronic design implementations due to constrained routing track arrangements and multiple-patterning lithographic processes makes it difficult to manually generate legal track patterns that comply with design rules, especially with a large number of permissible wire widths and repetitive patterns.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for implementing DRC clean multi-patterning process nodes with lateral fills, which identifies design rules, shapes, and characteristics to automatically insert lateral fill shapes along routing tracks, ensuring compliance with design rules and improving layout for manufacturing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If manual generation of legal track patterns is attempted, then design rule compliance may be achieved, but the process becomes nearly impossible due to the sheer number of different possible legal combinations of routing tracks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex track pattern generation problem into smaller sub-problems by identifying and processing individual routing tracks and their associated design rules separately. The system divides the electronic design into manageable portions, applying design rule checks to each segment independently rather than attempting to analyze all possible combinations simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements automated self-service by using computer-readable instructions to automatically generate and verify legal track patterns without manual intervention. The electronic design automation tool autonomously identifies compliant routing track arrangements, eliminating the need for manual figure-out processes while ensuring design rule compliance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the number of permissible wire widths is increased to provide more design flexibility, then adaptability improves, but the complexity of generating legal track patterns increases dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptability by allowing the system to automatically adjust to different numbers of permissible wire widths without changing its fundamental operation. The electronic design automation tool dynamically processes whatever number of wire widths are specified, adapting its analysis and generation processes to the specific design requirements while maintaining manageable complexity through automation.
3Ease of manufacture
If repetitive track patterns are used to simplify design, then ease of manufacture improves, but any additions or removal of tracks propagate throughout the entire pattern requiring re-verification of all design rules
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-identifying and storing information about repetitive track patterns and their associated design rule requirements. The system prepares verification data in advance, so when modifications are made to repetitive patterns, the impact can be quickly assessed without re-verifying the entire design from scratch.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that automatically detect and report design rule violations when tracks are added or removed from repetitive patterns. The electronic design automation tool provides immediate feedback about which specific design rules are affected by modifications, allowing designers to quickly understand and correct issues without manual propagation analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are techniques for implementing DRC clean multi-patterning process nodes with lateral fills. These techniques identify design rules governing multi-patterning and track patterns by accessing a rule deck to retrieve the design rules, identify a first shape and a second shape sandwiching a space and characteristics of the first and second shapes by examining design data of the electronic design, insert one or more lateral fill shapes in the space by implementing the one or more lateral fill shapes along one or more routing tracks of a legal track pattern while automatically complying with the design rules, and perform post-lateral fill or post-layout operations to improve the layout and to prepare the layout for manufacturing.