Shift Circuit Periphery Layout for Metal Track Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in semiconductor chip floor planning is the inefficiency in routing signals due to unaligned metal track plans between blocks, leading to bidirectional patterns that increase on-die spacing penalty, reducing scaling and performance.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves shifting the placement of blocks by a calculated offset to align metal track plans, allowing for unidirectional routing patterns without bends or L-shapes, which reduces area penalties and enhances chip performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If blocks are placed with unaligned metal track plans, then routing flexibility is improved, but on-die spacing penalty increases due to bidirectional patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by intentionally misaligning the metal track plans of adjacent blocks in a controlled manner. Specifically, the second block is shifted by a non-integer multiple of its height relative to the first block, creating an asymmetric relationship that optimizes metal track alignment. This asymmetric placement allows metal tracks to maintain unidirectional patterns while accommodating different block dimensions, thereby reducing on-die spacing penalties without sacrificing routing flexibility.
2Area of stationary object
If blocks are shifted to align metal track plans, then area penalty is reduced, but block placement flexibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting the relative position offset between adjacent blocks. The offset is calculated based on specific parameters including block heights, metal track pitches, and desired alignment patterns. By dynamically changing these positional parameters during floor planning, the system achieves optimal metal track alignment that reduces area penalties while maintaining the ability to adapt to different block configurations through parameter adjustment rather than fixed placement rules.
3Manufacturing precision
If unidirectional routing patterns are enforced, then manufacturing precision is improved, but design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and establishing the relative offset positions between adjacent blocks before detailed routing is performed. The floor planning tool determines optimal offsets based on block dimensions and metal track requirements in advance, creating a predefined framework that guides subsequent routing operations. This preliminary positioning ensures that unidirectional metal track patterns can be maintained throughout the design, improving manufacturing precision while containing design complexity through structured upfront planning.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatuses, and methods for efficiently floor planning a semiconductor chip are disclosed. Within either the processor or the memory of a computing system, each of a first block and a neighboring second block has a same height. A first metal track plan for the first block is unaligned with respect to a second metal track plan for the second block. An offset for moving each track of the second metal plan to align with a track of the first metal track plan is determined where the offset is a fraction of the height. The placement of the second block is shifted by the offset with respect to the first block. The shifted placement of the second block allows the first metal track plan for the first block to use a unidirectional pattern across the first block and the second block.