Wire tapering under reliability constraints
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsSriram Mysore, Wilsin Gosti
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and systems provide a tool to assist a designer in selecting interconnect widths which improve both signal time propagation and maintain a reliable conductor. Downstream capacitance(s) of interconnects is evaluated, and a current which the interconnect conducts is also evaluated. The capacitance and current information is used to determine a conductor width which maintains physical reliability. The methods and systems also allow the conductor widths to be determined based upon signal propagation concerns, such that in interconnect networks where signal timing is critical, the conductor widths can be reduced while maintaining a reliable conductor.
Claims17
A method of determining interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- calculating a minimum width of directed interconnects having a defined electrical current path, the minimum width is calculated based upon a determined downstream capacitance and an electrical current value;
- for each undirected interconnect in the network having an ambiguous electrical current path direction:
- determining a first downstream capacitance in a first interconnect direction, determining a second downstream capacitance in a second interconnect direction which is opposite the first interconnect direction, and calculating a first interconnect width based upon the first and second downstream capacitances;
- and
- after the first interconnect width is calculated for each undirected interconnect, calculating additional widths for the undirected interconnects until a convergence is reached such that the additional widths remain constant.
A method of selecting interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- determining a first width of an interconnect wire based upon electrical power requirements of the interconnect wire;
- determining a second width of the interconnect wire based upon signal propagation timing requirements;
- and
- selecting a final width of the interconnect wire such that the final width is either equal to the first width if the first width is greater than the second width, or equal to the second width if the second width is greater than the first width.
A method of determining interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- determining a first width of an interconnect wire based upon electrical power requirements of the interconnect wire, wherein the electrical power requirements are established based upon at least one calculated downstream capacitance and a maximum electrical current conducted through the interconnect wire;
- determining a second width of the interconnect wire based upon signal propagation timing requirements;
- and
- selecting a final width of the interconnect wire such that the final width is either equal to the first width if the first width is greater than the second width, or equal to the second width if the second width is greater than the first width.
A method of determining interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- for each undirected interconnect in the network which has a defined electrical current path:
- calculate a downstream capacitance for the undirected interconnect, calculating maximum electrical current value which is conducted through the undirected interconnect, and calculating a width of directed interconnects, the width is calculated based upon the downstream capacitance and the maximum electrical current value;
- for each undirected interconnect in the network having an ambiguous electrical current path direction:
- determining a first downstream capacitance in a first interconnect direction, determining a second downstream capacitance in a second interconnect direction which is opposite the first interconnect direction, and calculating a first interconnect width based upon a greater of the first and second downstream capacitances;
- and
- after the first interconnect width is calculated for each undirected interconnect, calculating additional widths for the undirected interconnects until a convergence is reached such that the additional widths remain constant.
A machine readable storage medium which includes instructions to instruct a processor to determine interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- calculating a width of directed interconnects having a defined electrical current path, the width is calculated based upon a determined downstream capacitance and an electrical current value;
- for each undirected interconnect in the network having an ambiguous electrical current path direction:
- determining a first downstream capacitance in a first interconnect direction, determining a second downstream capacitance in a second interconnect direction which is opposite the first interconnect direction, and calculating a first interconnect-width based upon the first and second downstream capacitances;
- and
- after the first interconnect width is calculated for each undirected interconnect, calculating additional widths for the undirected interconnects until a convergence is reached such that the additional widths remain constant.
A machine readable storage medium which includes instructions to instruct a processor to select interconnect wire widths in a wiring network, the method comprising:
- determining a first width of an interconnect wire based upon electrical power requirements of the interconnect wire;
- determining a second width of the interconnect wire based upon signal propagation timing requirements;
- and
- selecting a final width of the interconnect wire such that the final width is either equal to the first width if the first width is greater than the second width, or equal to the second width if the second width is greater than the first width.
A machine readable storage medium which includes instructions to instruct a computer to determine interconnect wire widths in a wiring network according to the method comprising:
- determining a first width of an interconnect wire based upon electrical power requirements of the interconnect wire, wherein the electrical power requirements are established based upon at least one calculated downstream capacitance and a maximum electrical current conducted through the interconnect wire;
- determining a second width of the interconnect wire based upon signal propagation timing requirements;
- and
- selecting a final width of the interconnect wire such that the final width is either equal to the first width if the first width is greater than the second width, or equal to the second width if the second width is greater than the first width.
A processing system comprising:
- a processor for determining a first width of an interconnect wire based upon electrical power requirements of the interconnect wire, wherein the electrical power requirements are established based upon at least one calculated downstream capacitance and a maximum electrical current conducted through the interconnect wire, the processor determines a second width of the interconnect wire based upon signal propagation timing requirements, the processor selects a final width of the interconnect wire such that the final width is either equal to the first width if the first width is greater than the second width, or equal to the second width if the second width is greater than the first width;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor for storing the final width of the interconnect wire.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.