Electrical mask validation
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDaniel Corliss, Derren N. Dunn, Michael A. Guillorn, Shawn P. Fetterolf
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An embodiment of the invention may include a method for ensuring semiconductor design integrity. The method may include analyzing a photomask design for a semiconductor circuit. The photomask may include a primary electrical design necessary for the operation of the semiconductor circuit, and white space, which has no primary electrical design. The method may include inserting a secondary electrical design into the white space of the photomask design for the semiconductor circuit. The secondary electrical design may have known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design.
Claims25
A method for ensuring semiconductor design integrity, the method comprising:
- analyzing one or more photomask designs for a semiconductor circuit, wherein the photomask design has a primary electrical design necessary for the operation of the semiconductor circuit, and white space, wherein the white space has no primary electrical design;
- and
- inserting a secondary electrical design into the white space of the one or more photomask designs for the semiconductor circuit, wherein the secondary electrical design has one or more known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design and wherein the secondary electrical design is electrically isolated from the primary electrical design.
A method for ensuring semiconductor design integrity, the method comprising:
- analyzing one or more photomask designs for a semiconductor circuit, wherein the photomask design has a primary electrical design necessary for the operation of the semiconductor circuit, for available white space, wherein the white space has no primary electrical design;
- and
- inserting a secondary electrical design into the white space of the one or more photomask designs for the semiconductor circuit, wherein the secondary electrical design has one or more known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design and wherein the secondary electrical design is electrically coupled to the primary electrical design.
A method for ensuring semiconductor design integrity, the method comprising:
- analyzing one or more photomask designs for a semiconductor circuit, wherein the photomask design has a primary electrical design necessary for the operation of the semiconductor circuit, and white space, wherein the white space has no primary electrical design;
- and
- inserting a secondary electrical design into the white space of the one or more photomask designs for the semiconductor circuit, wherein the secondary electrical design has one or more known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design and wherein the secondary electrical design comprises covershapes;
- building the semiconductor circuit according to the photomask design;
- analyzing the semiconductor circuit for the one or more known electrical properties of the secondary electrical design;
- comparing the electrical properties of the semiconductor circuit to the one or more known electrical properties of the secondary electrical design;
- and
- validating the semiconductor circuit when the one or more known electrical properties of the secondary electrical design match.
A method for ensuring semiconductor design integrity, the method comprising:
- analyzing one or more photomask designs for a plurality of semiconductor circuits, wherein the photomask design has a primary electrical design necessary for the operation of each one of the plurality semiconductor circuits, and white space between the designs for the plurality of semiconductor circuits, wherein the white space has no primary electrical design;
- and
- inserting a secondary electrical design into the white space of the one or more photomask designs for the semiconductor circuit, wherein the secondary electrical design has one or more known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design.
A semiconductor structure comprising:
- a primary electrical circuit necessary for the operation of the semiconductor circuit, and white space, wherein the white space has no primary electrical circuit;
- and
- a secondary electrical circuit formed in the white space of the primary electrical circuit, wherein the secondary electrical circuit has one or more known electrical properties for validating the semiconductor circuit design.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.