# US 2014/0157222 A1 · Estimating power supply of a 3d ic > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0157222 A1 - Document ID: US20140157222A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/071,898 - Filed: 2013-11-05 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Wen Yin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140157222A1 ## CPC - G06F 30/367: Design verification, e.g. using simulation, simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis [SPICE], direct methods or relaxation methods - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Embodiments of present invention include a method and apparatus of estimating power supply of a 3D IC. The method particularly includes obtaining current information and layout information of circuit modules contained in a specific region of the 3D IC, gridding the specific region so as to form at least one three-dimensional grid having a plurality of side edges along chip stacking direction of the 3D IC, determining current of at least one of the plurality of side edges based on the current information and layout information of the circuit modules, and estimating power supply of the 3D IC based on the current of the at least one side edge. With the method and apparatus embodiments of the invention, power supply of a 3D IC may be effectively estimated and analyzed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of estimating power supply of a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC), comprising: obtaining current information and layout information of circuit modules contained in a specific region of the 3D IC; gridding the specific region so as to form at least one three-dimensional grid having a plurality of side edges along chip stacking direction of the 3D IC; determining current of at least one side edge of the plurality of side edges based on the current information and layout information of the circuit modules; and estimating power supply of the 3D IC based on the current of the at least one side edge. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein obtaining current information of the circuit modules comprises: obtaining types of the circuit modules; and querying a circuit module information library based on the types of the circuit modules, thereby obtaining current information of the circuit modules. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining current of at least one side edge comprises: determining, based on layout information of circuit modules, distances from the circuit modules to the at least one side edge, thereby determining current distribution weights of the circuit modules to the at least one side edge; performing weighted summation on current of at least a portion of the circuit modules, and taking result of summation as current of the at least one side edge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein determining current of at least one side edge comprises: distributing current to the at least one three-dimensional grid based on current information and layout information of the circuit modules; calculating current of the at least one side edge based on current distributed to the at least one three-dimensional grid. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method according to claim 4, wherein distributing current to the at least one three-dimensional grid comprises: determining, based on layout information of a circuit module j involved in a three-dimensional grid k in the at least one three-dimensional grid, a volume ratio of volume of that circuit module j falling within the three-dimensional grid k with respect to total volume of that circuit module j; summing current of respective circuit modules involved in the three-dimensional grid k with the volume ratio as weight, thereby determining current distributed to the three-dimensional grid k. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein calculating current of the at least one side edge based on current distributed to the at least one three-dimensional grid comprises: distributing current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges; determining, for a side edge i in the at least one side edge, three-dimensional grids associated with that side edge i, and; superposing current distributed to the side edge i from respective three-dimensional grids associated with the side edge i, thereby determining current of the side edge i. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein distributing current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges comprises: evenly distributing current distributed to the three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein distributing current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges comprises: for a circuit module j contained in a three-dimensional grid k, calculating distances from the circuit module j to respective side edges of the three-dimensional grid k based on layout information of that circuit module j; determining current distribution weights of respective side edges based the calculated distances, and; distributing a portion of current of the three-dimensional grid k that is corresponding to the circuit module j to respective side edges based on the determined current distribution weights. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, wherein distributing current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges comprises: for a plurality of circuit modules contained in a three-dimensional grid k, calculating a barycenter common to the plurality of circuit modules based on layout information of the circuit modules; calculating distances from that barycenter to respective side edges of the three-dimensional grid k, and; determining current distribution weights of respective side edges based the calculated distances; distributing total current of the three-dimensional grid k to respective side edges based on the determined current distribution weights. ### Claim 10 An apparatus of estimating power supply of a three dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC), comprising: an information obtaining unit configured to obtain current information and layout information of circuit modules contained in a specific region of the 3D IC; a gridding unit configured to perform gridding on the specific region so as to form at least one three-dimensional grid having a plurality of side edges along chip stacking direction of the 3D IC; a current determining unit configured to determine current of at least one side edge of the plurality of side edges based on the current information and layout information of the circuit modules; and an estimating unit configured to estimate power supply of the 3D IC based on the current of the at least one side edge. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the information obtaining unit is configured to: obtain types of the circuit modules; and query a circuit module information library based on the types of the circuit modules, thereby obtaining current information of the circuit modules. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the current determining unit is configured to: determine, based on layout information of the circuit modules, distances from the circuit modules to the at least one side edge, thereby determining current distribution weights of the circuit modules to the at least one side edge, and; perform weighted summation on current of at least a portion of circuit modules, and take result of summation as current of the at least one side edge. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the current determining unit comprises: a grid current distributing sub-unit configured to distribute current to the at least one three-dimensional grid based on current information and layout information of the circuit modules; a side edge current calculating sub-unit configured to calculate current of the at least one side edge based on current distributed to the at least one three-dimensional grid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the grid current distributing sub-unit is configured to: determine, based on layout information of a circuit module j involved in a three-dimensional grid k in the at least one three-dimensional grid, a volume ratio of volume of that circuit module j falling within the three-dimensional grid k with respect to total volume of that circuit module j, and; sum current of respective circuit modules involved in the three-dimensional grid k with the volume ratio as weight, thereby determining current distributed to the three-dimensional grid k. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the side edge current calculating sub-unit is configured to: distribute current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edge; determine, for a side edge i in the at least one side edge, three-dimensional grids associated with the side edge i, and; superpose current distributed to the side edge i from respective three-dimensional grids associated with the side edge i, thereby determining current of the side edge i. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the side edge current calculating sub-unit is configured to: evenly distribute current distributed to a three-dimensional grid to its relevant side edges. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the side edge current calculating sub-unit is configured to: for a circuit module j contained in a three-dimensional grid k, calculate distances from the circuit module j to respective side edges of the three-dimensional grid k based on layout information of the circuit module j; determine current distribution weights of respective side edges based the calculated distances, and; distribute a portion of current of the three-dimensional grid k that is corresponding to the circuit module j to respective side edges based on the determined current distribution weights. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the side edge current calculating sub-unit is configured to: for a plurality of circuit modules contained in a three-dimensional grid k, calculate a barycenter common to the plurality of circuit modules based on layout information of the circuit modules; calculate distances from the barycenter to respective side edges of the three-dimensional grid k; determine current distribution weights of respective side edges based the calculated distances, and; distribute total current of the three-dimensional grid k to respective side edges based on the determined current distribution weights.