Automated Track Pattern Generation for Electronic Circuit Designs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of design rules in electronic circuit designs makes it nearly impossible to manually determine legal track patterns, especially when multiple legal widths are involved, due to the vast number of possible combinations and constraints in self-aligned double patterning processes.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use a computer to identify viable implementing options for track patterns by consulting databases and matrices, inserting intermediate tracks if necessary, to ensure compliance with design rules, thereby automating the process of arranging tracks with specific widths in electronic circuit designs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual determination of track patterns is attempted, then human understanding and control are maintained, but the process becomes nearly impossible due to the vast number of combinations and constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary computational system that mediates between the designer's intent and the complex design rules. This system automatically evaluates track patterns against multiple constraints (width relationships, spacing rules, SADP compatibility) and identifies viable implementing options, thereby resolving the contradiction by shielding the user from complexity while maintaining design control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/manual process of track pattern determination with an automated computational system. The system uses algorithms to evaluate design rules, consult databases of legal track patterns, and automatically insert intermediate tracks when necessary, substituting human manual analysis with machine-based automated reasoning and pattern recognition.
2Productivity
If automated track pattern implementation is used, then efficiency and compliance are improved, but the extent of automation increases system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-computing and storing legal track patterns in databases before actual design implementation. The system pre-evaluates all possible track combinations against design rules and SADP constraints, organizing them into ready-to-use reference data structures. This preliminary preparation enables rapid automated implementation during actual track pattern generation without requiring complex real-time computations.
3Reliability
If intermediate tracks are inserted to ensure compliance, then design rule adherence is improved, but the number of tracks and pattern complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies self-service by automatically detecting when design rules require intermediate tracks and autonomously inserting them without manual intervention. The computational system monitors track pattern compliance in real-time, identifies violations of width relationships or spacing rules, and self-corrects by inserting appropriate intermediate tracks, thereby maintaining reliability while minimizing the increase in track quantity through intelligent, rule-based decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for implementing track pattern for electronic designs are disclosed. The method identifies a first track in a design and viable implementing options for the first track. When adding a second track to the track pattern, the method determines whether the second track corresponds to the viable implementing options for the track. The second track is inserted to the track pattern and situated immediately adjacent to the first track if the second track is determined to correspond to a viable implementing option for the first track. One or more intermediate tracks may be inserted immediately adjacent to the first track before inserting the second track to produce a legal track pattern. Tracks may be removed from a track pattern. One or more intermediate tracks may be inserted into the space occupied by a track being removed to ensure track pattern's compliance with design rules after the track removal.