Thermally Coupled Device Placement for Early EM Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current integrated circuit development methods perform electromigration (EM) evaluation and analysis only after the floorplan layout is created, leading to unnecessary modifications and increased development time when failures are detected.
Innovation Solution
Perform thermally coupled aware device placement during the schematic design stage, determining initial and uplift temperatures for each device based on their proximity and characteristics, and modifying the schematic design if uplift temperatures exceed a threshold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If EM evaluation is performed after floorplan layout creation, then the floorplan can be finalized and routing can be completed, but any EM failures require rework of both floorplan and routing, increasing development time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs thermally coupled aware device placement during the schematic design stage, before floorplan layout creation. This preliminary action identifies EM issues early when devices are still being placed, allowing corrections to be made before the floorplan is finalized, thereby avoiding the need to rework both floorplan and routing later in the development process.
2Productivity
If device placement ignores thermal coupling, then the placement process is simpler and faster, but devices placed close together experience excessive temperature rise above threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The patent calculates uplift temperature for each device based on its specific thermal coupling to neighboring devices. Instead of using a uniform placement approach, the system determines local thermal conditions for each device position, considering the specific devices and their distances to neighbors, thereby managing temperature locally without slowing down the overall placement process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the schematic design by changing device placement positions or selecting different devices based on calculated uplift temperatures. When a device's uplift temperature exceeds a threshold, the system adjusts the placement parameters (position, device selection) to reduce thermal coupling, thereby controlling temperature while maintaining placement efficiency.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces the time spent on creating discarded floorplan layouts by addressing EM issues early in the development process, thereby shortening the overall integrated circuit development time.
Implementation Method 1
determining an initial temperature for each of the plurality of devices, where the initial temperature is due to self-heating
Implementation Method 2
determining, iteratively for each of the plurality of devices, an uplift temperature, where the uplift temperature for a first device of the plurality of devices is determined based on the initial temperature of each of the other plurality of devices and a distance between the first device and each of the other plurality of devices
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include thermally coupled aware device placement in the schematic design stage of the development of an integrated circuit. Aspects of the invention include obtaining a schematic design of a macro, the schematic design including a plurality of devices disposed within the macro. Aspects also include determining an initial temperature for each of the plurality of devices, where the initial temperature due to self-heating. Aspects further include determining, iteratively for each of the plurality of devices, an uplift temperature, where the uplift temperature for a first device of the plurality of devices is determined based on the initial temperature of each of the other plurality of devices and a distance between the first device and each of the other plurality of devices as encoded in the schematic design. Aspects also include modifying the schematic design of the macro based on a determination that the uplift temperature of at least one of the plurality of devices is above a threshold value.