Power Grid Porosity Techniques for Chip Layouts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Modern chip designs require robust power networks that are expensive and consume more routing space due to power straps, necessitating an improvement in physical design implementation of strap pitches in cell layouts.

Innovation Solution

Implementing power grid porosity techniques that analyze and improve the availability of free sites for power rail connections in cell layouts, using a unique methodology to enhance power grid porosity and incorporate a graphical user interface for visualization, thereby increasing the robustness and efficiency of power grid connections.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If power straps are added to create robust power networks, then power supply reliability is improved, but routing space consumption increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidrouting space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the porosity concept to the power grid distribution network by creating a porous power grid structure with strategically placed gaps and optimized strap positions. This allows the power grid to maintain electrical connectivity and power supply reliability while reducing the overall material usage and routing space consumption. The porous structure enables selective conductivity patterns that satisfy power delivery requirements without requiring dense, space-intensive traditional power grid designs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

2Reliability

If power straps are added to create robust power networks, then power supply reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The porous power grid structure reduces manufacturing cost by minimizing the amount of conductive material required while maintaining power supply reliability. The optimized strap placement and strategic gaps reduce material consumption and simplify fabrication processes compared to traditional dense power grid designs, making the solution more cost-effective for manufacturing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #31Porous materials

3Reliability

If power grid porosity is improved by modifying cell layouts, then power grid utilization is enhanced, but design complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower grid utilizationVSAvoiddesign complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by providing design rules and guidelines that pre-determine optimal power grid configurations before final layout completion. The system analyzes cell layouts in advance to identify porosity issues and suggests modifications, allowing designers to incorporate power grid optimizations early in the design process rather than making complex changes later, thereby reducing overall design complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11449116B2Power grid porosity techniques

Publication Date: 2022.09.20 ARM LTD

AI summary

Various implementations described herein refer to a method for providing a cell layout with a power grid distribution network. The method may include analyzing porosity of the cell layout to identify blocked tracks and unblocked tracks. The method may include marking the unblocked tracks as available sites for stitching power rails of the cell layout to the power grid distribution network. The method may include generating a porosity report for the cell layout, and the porosity report may list the available sites as modifiable to enhance power grid porosity of the cell layout.