Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090031259 | OBTAINING A FEASIBLE INTEGER SOLUTION IN A HIERARCHICAL CIRCUIT LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION - An approach that obtains a feasible integer solution in a hierarchical circuit layout optimization is described. In one embodiment, a hierarchical circuit layout and ground rule files are received as input. Constraints in the hierarchical circuit layout are represented as an original integer linear programming problem. A relaxed linear programming problem is derived from the original integer linear programming problem by relaxing integer constraints and using relaxation variables on infeasible constraints. The relaxed linear programming problem is solved to obtain a linear programming solution. A subset of variables from the relaxed linear programming problem is rounded to integer values according to the linear programming solution. Next, it is determined whether all the variables are rounded to integer values. Unrounded variables are iterated back through the deriving of the integer linear programming problem, solving of the relaxed linear programming problem, and rounding of a subset of variables. A modified hierarchical circuit layout is generated in response to a determination that all the variables are rounded to integer values. | 01-29-2009 |
20090037850 | POLYGONAL AREA DESIGN RULE CORRECTION METHOD FOR VLSI LAYOUTS - A method of polygonal area design rule correction for use in an electronic design automation tool for governing integrated circuit (IC) design layouts using one-dimensional (1-D) optimization, with steps of analyzing IC design layout data to identify violating polygons, partitioning violating polygons into rectangles in a direction of optimization, formulating an area constraint for each violating polygon to formulate a global linear programming (LP) problem that includes each constraint for each violating polygon and solving the global LP problem to obtain a real-valued solution. A next LP problem is created for each area constraint, and solved. The creating a next and solving the next LP problem and solving are repeated until the last “next LP problem” is solved using constraints and objectives representing sums or differences of no more than two optimization variables. | 02-05-2009 |
20090037851 | CONTEXT AWARE SUB-CIRCUIT LAYOUT MODIFICATION - A method, system and program product for context aware sub-circuit layout modification are disclosed. The method may include defining at least one context for the sub-circuit for each circuit that uses the sub-circuit; in the case that a plurality of contexts are defined, minimizing a number of contexts for the sub-circuit by combining contexts into at least one stage; placing each stage into a staged layout; and modifying the sub-circuit by modifying the staged layout. | 02-05-2009 |
20090064061 | Layout Optimization Using Parameterized Cells - A method of layout optimization containing parameterized cells includes reading a physical design containing parameterized cells, creating a new version for each of usage of a given parameterized cell. The method optimizes physical design shapes of each new version of the parameterized cell by assigning variables to parameters of the parameterized cell according to a desired objective. Then, the method updates the parameters of each new version of the parameterized cell and replaces each new version of the parameterized cell with an instance of the parameterized cell having updated parameters. The method can optionally adjust physical design shapes based on constraints related to the parameters. | 03-05-2009 |
20090100386 | IC Layout Optimization to Improve Yield - Optimizing an integrated circuit design to improve manufacturing yield using manufacturing data and algorithms to identify areas with high probability of failures, i.e. critical areas. The process further changes the layout of the circuit design to reduce critical area thereby reducing the probability of a fault occurring during manufacturing. Methods of identifying critical area include common run, geometry mapping, and Voronoi diagrams. Optimization includes but is not limited to incremental movement and adjustment of shape dimensions until optimization objectives are achieved and critical area is reduced. | 04-16-2009 |
20090158223 | ADAPTIVE WEIGHTING METHOD FOR LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION WITH MULTIPLE PRIORITIES - An adaptive weighting method for layout optimization differentiates different priorities by assigning the weight of a higher priority (p | 06-18-2009 |
20100153892 | METHODS TO OBTAIN A FEASIBLE INTEGER SOLUTION IN A HIERARCHICAL CIRCUIT LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION - An approach that obtains a feasible integer solution in a hierarchical circuit layout optimization is described. In one embodiment, a hierarchical circuit layout and ground rule files are received as input. Constraints in the hierarchical circuit layout are represented as an original integer linear programming problem. A relaxed linear programming problem is derived from the original integer linear programming problem by relaxing integer constraints and using relaxation variables on infeasible constraints. The relaxed linear programming problem is solved to obtain a linear programming solution. Variables are then clustered, and at least one variable from each cluster is rounded to an integer value according to the linear programming solution. Next, it is determined whether all the variables are rounded to integer values. Unrounded variables are iterated back through the deriving of the integer linear programming problem, solving of the relaxed linear programming problem, and rounding of a subset of variables. A modified hierarchical circuit layout is generated in response to a determination that all the variables are rounded to integer values. | 06-17-2010 |
20110265055 | HANDLING TWO-DIMENSIONAL CONSTRAINTS IN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT LAYOUT - A computer-implemented method for handling a plurality of constraints in layout optimization for an integrated circuit (IC) layout is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes building a graph representing the plurality of constraints; marking two-dimensional constraints in the plurality of constraints; generating two-dimensional clusters including groups of the two-dimensional constraints; handling at least one of the two-dimensional clusters, the handling including finding a solution for the two-dimensional constraints in the at least one two-dimensional cluster; repeating the handling for any unprocessed two-dimensional clusters until all of the two-dimensional clusters are handled; and adopting the solution for each of the two-dimensional clusters to solve at least a portion of the plurality of constraints including the two-dimensional clusters. | 10-27-2011 |
20120233576 | SCHEMATIC-BASED LAYOUT MIGRATION - Method, system, computer, etc., embodiments receive an original integrated circuit design into a computerized device. The methods herein automatically replace at least some of the original cells within the original integrated circuit design with replacement cells using the computerized device. Each of the replacement cells has an initial cell size that is unassociated with any specific design size. The methods herein automatically change the original design size of the integrated circuit design to a changed design size, and automatically individually change the initial cell size of each of the replacement cells to different sizes. At least two different replacement cells are changed from the initial cell size by different size reduction amounts based on different amounts of space required within the changed design size for each of the replacement cells. | 09-13-2012 |
20120311517 | PARALLEL SOLVING OF LAYOUT OPTIMIZATION - Solutions for optimizing an integrated circuit layout for implementation in an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method is disclosed including: obtaining a plurality of hierarchical constraints in mathematical form, the plurality of hierarchical constraints defining a first integrated circuit layout; partitioning the plurality of hierarchical constraints into groups according to one or more partitioning rules; determining whether a boundary condition exists between two of the groups, and distributing a slack or a gap between the two of the groups in the case that the boundary condition exists; creating a plurality of integer linear programming problems associated with each of the groups; determining a solution for each of the plurality of integer linear programming problems; and integrating each solution together to form a second integrated circuit layout. | 12-06-2012 |
20130074025 | POST TIMING LAYOUT MODIFICATION FOR PERFORMANCE - A mechanism is provided for post timing layout modification for performance. The mechanism selectively applies layout modification based on timing analysis at the path level. The mechanism applies stress only to transistors that are in a setup critical path without applying stress to transistors in hold critical paths. The mechanism may use a method to apply stress to improve performance of a transistor in a setup critical path, as long as the stress does not also improve performance of a neighboring transistor in a hold critical path. In some instances, the mechanism may apply stress to improve performance of a transistor in a setup critical path while simultaneously degrading performance of a transistor in a hold critical path. | 03-21-2013 |