Library Cell Wiring Offset Optimization for Design Rule Compliance
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Solution Overview
Problem
During the manufacturing of integrated circuit devices, conductors in metallization layers can be improperly spaced, leading to short circuits or insufficient overlap, causing design rule violations that affect the reliability and performance of the circuits.
Innovation Solution
The method involves automatically identifying and offsetting conductors in the second wiring layer to all possible positions, while maintaining the original cell's functionality and alignment, to determine the optimal placement that minimizes design rule violations, and altering the cell or pitch to achieve the lowest number of violations, thereby optimizing the integrated circuit design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conductors are placed closer together to increase circuit density, then productivity and space utilization improve, but spacing rule violations increase causing short circuits and reliability degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary offset analysis on the second wiring layer conductors before final placement, evaluating multiple offset positions in advance to predict and prevent spacing rule violations. By calculating violations for each offset position beforehand, the system selects optimal conductor positions that maximize circuit density while maintaining reliability compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where violation metrics from offset analysis are used to adjust conductor positions. The violation calculation results feed back into the placement optimization process, allowing iterative refinement of conductor positions to achieve both high density and rule compliance.
2Reliability
If conductor overlap is reduced to prevent short circuits, then reliability improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to tighter spacing constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary offset analysis to determine safe conductor positions before manufacturing. By evaluating all possible offset positions and calculating violations in advance, the system establishes precise placement guidelines that ensure reliability while accounting for manufacturing tolerances.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the offset position parameter of conductors in the second wiring layer to optimize both reliability and manufacturability. By selecting specific offset values from the evaluated positions, the system achieves reliable spacing while maintaining compatibility with manufacturing precision capabilities.
3Reliability
If the second wiring layer conductors are offset from their original positions, then spacing violations are reduced improving reliability, but device complexity increases due to additional analysis and adjustment steps
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the conductor optimization problem by evaluating each offset position independently. By dividing the analysis into discrete offset steps and calculating violations for each segment separately, the system manages complexity while achieving comprehensive reliability optimization across the entire wiring layer.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses automated algorithms to perform the offset analysis and violation calculations without manual intervention. The self-service approach handles the complexity of evaluating multiple offset positions and selecting optimal configurations, reducing the burden on designers while improving reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Original cell design rule violations with respect to a second wiring layer are identified, while conductors of the second wiring layer are in an original position. The conductors of the second wiring layer are offset into different offset positions, and then the process of identifying violations is repeated for each of the offset positions. With this, metrics are generated for the original cell for the original position and each of the offset positions. Then, the original cell or the pitch of the second wiring layer are altered to produce alterations. The processes of identifying violations, offsetting conductors in the second wiring layer, repeating the identification of violations for all offsets, and generating metrics are repeated for each of the alterations. The original cell or one of the alterations is then selected, based on which cell produces the lowest number of violations of the design rules.