Automated Repetitive Track Pattern Generation for Electronic Circuit Designs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of design rules in electronic circuit designs, particularly with self-aligned double patterning processes, makes it impractical to manually generate legal track patterns with multiple legal widths, as repetitive track patterns must comply with numerous design rules and constraints, and small changes can propagate throughout the design.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use a computer to identify legal track patterns, repeat them in periods, and adjust for compliance with design rules, incorporating modules for track pattern processing, database maintenance, and evaluation to ensure repetitive track patterns adhere to governing design rules.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual generation of track patterns is attempted, then human control and understanding are maintained, but the complexity of design rules makes it nearly impossible to generate legal track patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-verification by automatically checking generated track patterns against design rules and constraints, identifying violations, and performing corrections without human intervention. The computer system serves itself by maintaining databases of legal combinations and automatically ensuring compliance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical processes of track pattern generation with automated computer-based systems that use algorithms to generate, validate, and correct track patterns, substituting human cognitive effort with computational processes.
2Productivity
If repetitive track patterns are implemented to simplify design, then design consistency is improved, but violations of design rules can propagate throughout the entire repetitive structure
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by checking each generated repetitive track pattern against design rules, identifying violations, and automatically correcting them. The computer system continuously monitors and adjusts the patterns to ensure compliance, using the results of each check to inform subsequent corrections.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary validation and correction of track patterns before they are fully implemented. By checking for design rule violations in advance and making corrections beforehand, the system prevents errors from propagating through the repetitive structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the number of legal width values is increased to provide more design options, then design flexibility is improved, but the number of possible track combinations becomes nearly impossible to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The computer system performs multiple functions: generating track patterns, validating against design rules, identifying violations, and performing corrections. This multi-functional approach manages the complexity of numerous track combinations by consolidating all necessary operations into a single automated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system manages complexity by dynamically adjusting parameters such as track widths and spacing based on design rules and constraints. The computer automatically modifies these parameters to generate legal combinations, transforming the management of complex parameter spaces into an automated optimization process.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for implementing repetitive track patterns for electronic designs are disclosed. The method determines a track pattern within a period and repeats the track pattern for a number of times to form repetitive track patterns. Compliance with photomask designation design rules and track pattern design rules by both the track pattern and the repetitive track patterns is maintained by adding one or more intermediate tracks. A track may be added or removed from the track pattern or replaced by another track associated with a different width by using one or more intermediate tracks. The method may validate a period and replace an invalid period with a valid period. During the identification of the tracks in a track pattern for constructing repetitive track patterns, the method also forward predicts a predetermined number of tracks or predicts one or more tracks for a predetermined distance.