Hierarchical metal one usage tool for child level leaf cell
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsPeter D. Maroni, Thomas N Indermaur, James Kwok Yue Wai, Jonathan P Lotz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Computer-readable media and methods for designing semiconductor artwork. Basic building blocks, or leaf cells, of an existing piece of semiconductor artwork are transferred to a new piece of semiconductor artwork in order to streamline the design process of the new design. In addition to being transferred, the position of METAL 1 layers within the leaf cells are also analyzed to avert possible design rule violations in the new design.
Claims20
A method for designing semiconductor artwork comprising:
- selecting a lower-level artwork abstraction in an existing, higher-order artwork abstraction;
- determining a boundary within the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction in which to search for the lower-level artwork abstraction;
- recording coordinates of the lower-level artwork abstraction within the boundary;
- converting the coordinates of the lower-level artwork abstraction and of the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction to represent the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction overlaying the lower-level artwork abstraction;
- and
- generating semiconductor artwork using the converted coordinates, wherein the generated semiconductor artwork includes the lower-level artwork abstraction moved within the higher-order artwork abstraction.
A computer-readable medium comprising a plurality of modules to control a processor, the modules including:
- a selection module for selecting a lower-level artwork abstraction in an existing, higher-order artwork abstraction;
- a determination module for determining a boundary within the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction in which to search for the lower-level artwork abstraction;
- a recorder module for recording coordinates of the lower-level artwork abstraction within the boundary;
- a conversion module for converting the coordinates of the lower-level artwork abstraction and of the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction to represent the existing, higher-order artwork abstraction overlaying the lower-level artwork abstraction;
- and
- an application module for using the converted coordinates to generate semiconductor artwork wherein the lower-level artwork abstraction is moved within the higher-order artwork abstraction.
A computer program product, comprising:
- a computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to perform a method, the method including:
- selecting a METAL 1 layer from a leaf cell in an existing, higher-order parent cell;
- determining a boundary within the parent cell in which to search for the leaf cell;
- recording coordinates of leaf cells within the specified boundary;
- converting the coordinates of the leaf cells and of the parent cell to represent the parent cell overlaying the leaf cells;
- and
- generating semiconductor artwork using the converted coordinates, wherein the generated semiconductor artwork includes the lower-level artwork abstraction moved within the higher-order artwork abstraction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.