International Business Machines Corporation

Robert Mahlon Averill, Iii

David S Wolpert

Erwin Behnen

Zhuo Li

Charles Jay Alpert

Stephen Thomas Quay

Jose L P Neves

Chin Ngai Sze

Yaoguang Wei

Michael S Gray

Eric Jason Fluhr

Timothy A Schell

Tuhin Mahmud

Adam P Matheny

Michael Alexander Bowen

Joseph J Palumbo

Gerald Strevig, Iii

Mitchell R DeHond

Adam R Jatkowski

Amanda Christine Venton

Aspects of the invention include methods, systems, and computer program products for integrated circuit development using cross-hierarchy antenna condition verification. A method includes obtaining a design of a hierarchical macro distributed between multiple files for an integrated circuit and analyzing, by a design verification tool, a route between at least one child macro and at least one pin of the hierarchical macro as defined in the files. The method further includes determining, by the design verification tool, a plurality of connection characteristics of the at least one child macro and the at least one pin forming the route and calculating, by the design verification tool, an antenna condition for the route based on the connection characteristics. The design of the hierarchical macro is adjusted to remove a violation of an antenna rule based on determining that the antenna condition of the route violates the antenna rule.

Cross-hierarchy antenna condition verification

Methods, systems and computer program products for avoiding Boolean DRC failures during cell placement are provided. Aspects include generating a semiconductor layout by filling a plurality of rows within a macro block with cells including functional cells and fill cells. Aspects also include modifying the semiconductor layout by removing one or more fill cells from the macro block to create a gap. Aspects also include examining a set of cells that border edges of the gap to identify one or more predicted rule violations. Based on the identified one or more predicted rule violations, aspects also include modifying the semiconductor layout to change a shape of the gap to avoid the one or more predicted rule violations.

Fill techniques for avoiding Boolean DRC failures during cell placement

Methods, systems and computer program products for providing fin-based fill cell optimization are provided. Aspects include receiving a semiconductor layout comprising at least a first logic cell, a second logic cell, and a fill cell. A left boundary of the fill cell is adjacent to the first logic cell and a right boundary of the fill cell is adjacent to the second logic cell. Aspects also include determining a number of active left fins, right fins, and active fill cell fins associated with FinFET structures of the first logic cell, second logic cell and fill cell, respectively. Aspects also include comparing the number of active fins to a set of fin rules. Responsive to determining that the semiconductor layout violates the set of fin rules, aspects include modifying the semiconductor layout to change the number of active fill cell fins to satisfy the set of fin rules.

Fin-based fill cell optimization

Examples of techniques for automated attribute propagation and hierarchical consistency checking are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method may include: detecting, by a processor, a non-standard extension during convergence of an integrated circuit logic design; propagating, by the processor, the non-standard extension to each level of a plurality of hierarchies of the integrated circuit design for which a net utilizes a special constraint; and verifying, by the processor, a hierarchy consistency across each level of the plurality of hierarchies.

Automated attribute propagation and hierarchical consistency checking for non-standard extensions

Mechanisms are provided for pruning a layer trait library for use in wire routing in an integrated circuit design process. The mechanisms receive a plurality of wirecodes and a metal stack definition. The mechanisms generate a verbose layer trait library based on all possible combinations of the wirecodes and layers of the metal stack definition. The mechanisms generate a pruned layer trait library by pruning the verbose layer trait library to remove redundant layer traits from the verbose layer trait library. In addition, the mechanisms store the pruned layer trait library for performing wire routing of an integrated circuit design.

Automatic generation of wire tag lists for a metal stack

Some example embodiments include a computer-implemented method for designing an integrated circuit. The computer-implemented method includes receiving a hierarchical network design for the integrated circuit, wherein the hierarchical design comprises a number of components that are coupled together. The computer-implemented method includes detecting that a component of the number of components has at least one of failed timing and incomplete timing based on a problem that comprises at least one of a missing assertion, one or more missing latches, a source driver having an input source slew that is greater than a source slew limit threshold, and a sink having an input sink slew that is greater than a sink slew limit threshold. The computer-implemented method includes replacing the component with a different component that is independent of the problem and testing others components of the number of components based on the different component.

Early design cycle optimization

Early design cycle optimzation

A method, system, and computer program product for hierarchical integrated circuit repartitioning are provided. The method includes receiving parent level placement data for one or more interconnecting elements and designating at least one child to receive a pushdown of the one or more interconnecting elements from the parent level. For each child designated to receive the pushdown of the one or more interconnecting elements, the method further includes determining a physical coverage area of the child, identifying which of the one or more interconnecting elements within the physical coverage area of the child to pushdown into the child, generating an interconnecting element pushdown list for the child, including wiring layer information, and outputting the interconnecting element pushdown list.

Method, system, and computer program product for hierarchical integrated circuit repartitioning

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Wappingers Falls, NY, United States of America

Robert Mahlon Averill, Iii