US 11,455,455 B1 · 3D coupling control rules for auto-routing

Abstract

A method for controlling crosstalk between multiple noise generating wiring tracks and a quiet wiring track by determining a parallel common run length and determining the number of threshold lengths into which the maximum parallel common run length is divided. The space between the quiet wiring track and each wiring track of the noise generating wiring tracks is determined. Multiple metal wiring track structures on one metal wiring level of and multiple metal wiring track structures on another metal wiring level of an integrated circuit that are formed as segments that have various distances between the metal wiring track structures of one wiring level and multiple metal wiring track structures of the other wiring level to form a stair-step or ladder structure that controls individually the spacing applied between multiple active noise wiring track structures and one quiet wiring track structure.

Claims40

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit comprising:

a plurality of active metal wiring track structures on at least one metal wiring level of the integrated circuit wherein the plurality of active metal wiring track structures carry noise generating signals;
and
at least one quiet wiring track structure on one of the at least one metal wiring level of the integrated circuit carrying a voltage or signal susceptible to the noise generated by the noise generating signals;
wherein each of the plurality of active metal wiring track structures is formed as segments that have various distances between each of the plurality of active metal wiring track structures on at least one wiring level;
wherein each of the plurality of metal wiring track structures of the at least one metal wiring level forms a stair step or ladder structure that controls individually the spacing applied between multiple active noise wiring track structures and one quiet wiring track structure thus achieving a three-dimensional control of a noise coupling capacitance;
wherein the individual common parallel run length threshold controlling the spacing is applied to the active noise wiring track structures length;
wherein the stair-step or ladder structure takes advantage of a stack height of the metal layer and controls the spacing between the active noise wiring track structure combinations independently, for controlling noise coupling to the at least one quiet wiring track structure.

4 more elements

A method for generating capacitive coupling control and routing rules for a plurality of active noise wiring track structures and at least one quiet wiring track structure placed upon an integrated circuit, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

retrieving technology specifications for fabrication of the integrated circuit from a processing rules database in a computer system;
initializing a counting variable for iterating the method for the number of threshold length segments of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
a) calculating the threshold length of one threshold length segment of one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures;
b) calculating the maximum capacitive coupling between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
c) calculating a spacing between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
d) calculating the horizontal spacing of the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on other wiring layers;
e) determining if the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length;
when the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length, incrementing the counting variable and iterating the steps of a), b), c), d) and e);
when the counting variable is equal to the number of divisions of total length, generating the capacitive coupling rules as digitized program code and storing the digitized program code of the coupling rules in a non-transitory machine readable information storage medium that retains a wiring rules library for use in a computer system executing an auto-routing program to create the plurality of active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on the integrated circuit.

8 more elements

A non-transitory machine readable information storage medium configured for retaining program code recorded upon the non-transitory machine readable information storage medium that when retrieved is decoded and executed on a computer system performs a method for generating capacitive coupling control and routing rules for a plurality of active noise wiring track structures and at least one quiet wiring track structure placed upon an integrated circuit, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

retrieving technology specifications for fabrication of the integrated circuit from a processing rules database in a computer system;
initializing a counting variable for iterating the method for the number of threshold length segments of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
a) calculating the threshold length of one threshold length segment of one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures;
b) calculating the maximum capacitive coupling between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
c) calculating a spacing between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
d) calculating the horizontal spacing of the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on other wiring layers;
e) determining if the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length;
when the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length, incrementing the counting variable and iterating the steps of a), b), c), d), and e);
when the counting variable is equal to the number of divisions of total length, generating the capacitive coupling rules as digitized program code and storing the digitized program code of the coupling rules in a non-transitory machine readable information storage medium that retains a wiring rules library for use in a computer system executing an auto-routing program to create the plurality of active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on the integrated circuit.

8 more elements

A computer system comprising a non-transitory machine readable information storage medium that retains program code that when decoded and executed on a processor of the computer system performs a method for controlling crosstalk between a plurality of active noise wiring track structures and at least one quiet wiring track structure wherein the method comprises the steps of:

retrieving technology specifications for fabrication of the integrated circuit from a processing rules database in a computer system;
initializing a counting variable for iterating the method for the number of threshold length segments of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
a) calculating the threshold length of one threshold length segment of one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures;
b) calculating the maximum capacitive coupling between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
c) calculating a spacing between the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure;
and
d) calculating the horizontal spacing of the one threshold length segment of the one of the plurality active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on other wiring layers;
e) determining if the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length;
when the counting variable is not equal to the number of divisions of total length, incrementing the counting variable and iterating the steps of a), b), c), d), and e);
when the counting variable is equal to the number of divisions of total length, generating the capacitive coupling rules as digitized program code and storing the digitized program code of the coupling rules in a non-transitory machine readable information storage medium that retains a wiring rules library for use in a computer system executing an auto-routing program to create the plurality of active noise wiring track structures and the at least one quiet wiring track structure on the integrated circuit.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

3D coupling control rules for auto-routing

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3D coupling control rules for auto-routing

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Abstract

Claims40