Via coloring methods and systems

A method comprising:

• identifying prospective zones for placement of one or more vertical interconnect access pads (via) in a cell, wherein each of the prospective zones comprises one or more poly pitches;
• assigning a first color for a particular poly pitch of a first identified zone of the identified prospective zones or assigning a first color sequence for one or more sections of the first identified zone based on the first identified zone having a color interaction with a second identified zone;
• determining if a first zone-to-zone distance comprises the color interaction, wherein the color interaction corresponds to a distance less than a same-mask distance, wherein the first zone-to-zone distance is a distance between the first identified zone and the second identified zone;
• and
• in response to a determination of the color interaction, assigning a second color for a corresponding poly pitch of the second identified zone with respect to the first poly pitch or assigning a second color sequence for one or more sections of the second identified prospective zone for placement, wherein the second color sequence is configured to shift the first color sequence of the first identified zone by one color placement.

A method comprising:

• identifying prospective zones for placement of one or more vertical interconnect access pads (via) in a cell, wherein each of the prospective zones comprises one or more poly pitches;
• and
• assigning a first color for a particular poly pitch of a first identified zone of the identified prospective zones or assigning a first color sequence for one or more sections of the first identified zone based on the first identified zone having a color interaction with a second identified zone,
• wherein each of the prospective zones for via placement are identified based on a common cell functionality including one or more of a diffusion connection region, a poly connection region, a power rail connection region, or a grouping of metal track connection regions.

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory accessible to the processor, the memory storing instructions that are executable by the processor to perform operations comprising:
• identifying prospective zones for via placement in a cell, wherein each of the prospective zones correspond to different regions of via connectivity including a power rail connection region, an active connection region, and a poly connection region;
• assigning different colors to each identified prospective zone by assigning a different color to each of the prospective zones that correspond to the different regions of via connectivity including a first color to the power rail connection region, a second color to the active connection region, and a third color to the poly connection region;
• determining if a first zone-to-zone distance comprises a distance less than a same-mask distance, wherein a first zone-to-zone distance is a distance between a first identified zone for via placement and a second identified zone for via placement;
• and
• in response to a determination that the first zone-to-zone distance comprises the distance less than the same-mask distance, assigning a shifted color sequence for one or more sections of the second identified zone for via placement.