Computer aided method of circuit extraction

• US 20030084409A1
• Filed: 10/10/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TechInsights, Inc. (M3, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Insights Incorporated (Informa PLC)
• Inventors: Abt, Jason, Begg, Stephen, Kapler, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,583 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/398 Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36

Abstract

A method and apparatus for extracting circuit design information from a pre-existing semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or at least a portion thereof is described. It includes imaging at least a portion of two or more physical layers of the pre-existing IC to obtain stored electronic images of the physical IC layers, converting the stored electronic images of the physical IC layers to a vector format, horizontally and vertically aligning the vector format data of the electronic images of the physical IC layers, and providing a multi-layer display of the aligned vector data. A net-list or schematic is generated from the multi-layer display of the vector data. The netlist and/or schematic may be generated as a number of individual pages by providing a template of circuit elements and placing a circuit element over a portion of the display corresponding to the circuit element. The template of circuit elements may include transistors, logic gates or complex circuit blocks. The vector data may be altered to correct errors in the images or manipulated to correct the alignment of the images. In addition, the schematic may be traced to the image of the physical IC layer.

Claims

1. A method of extracting circuit design information from a pre-existing semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), or at least a portion thereof, comprising the steps of:

a. imaging at least a portion of two or more physical layers of the pre-existing IC to obtain stored electronic images of the physical IC layers;

b. converting the stored electronic images of the physical IC layers to a vector format;

c. horizontally and vertically aligning the vector format data of the electronic images of the physical IC layers; and

d. providing a multi-layer display of the aligned vector data.

2. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 1 which further includes:

e. generating a net-list or schematic from the multi-layer display of the vector data.

3. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 2 wherein each electronic stored image comprises two or more discrete overlapping images stitched together to form an image of the physical IC layer.

4. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 2 wherein step e. comprises:

e.1. providing a template of circuit elements; and

e.2. placing a circuit element over a portion of the display corresponding to the circuit element.

5. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 4 wherein the template of circuit elements includes transistors and logic gates.

6. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 4 wherein the template of circuit elements includes complex circuit blocks.

7. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 2 wherein the method further comprises altering the vector data to correct errors in the images.

8. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 7 wherein the method further comprises tracing a schematic to the image of the physical IC layer.

9. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 2 wherein the method further includes manipulating the vector data to correct the alignment of the images.

10. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 9 wherein the method further comprises tracing a schematic to the image of the physical IC layer.

11. A method of extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 2 wherein step e. includes generating the net-list as a number of individual pages.

13. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 11 which further comprises:

means for generating a net-list or schematic from the multi-layer display of the vector data.

14. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 13 wherein each electronic stored image comprises two or more discrete overlapping images stitched together to form an image of the physical IC layer.

15. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 13 wherein the net-list or schematic generating means comprises:

means for providing a template of circuit elements; and

means for placing a circuit element over a portion of the display corresponding to the circuit element.

16. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 15 wherein the template of circuit elements includes transistors and logic gates.

17. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 15 wherein the template of circuit elements includes complex circuit blocks.

18. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 15 which further comprises means for altering the vector data to correct errors in the images.

19. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 18 further comprising means for tracing a schematic to the image of the physical IC layer.

20. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 13 which further comprises means for manipulating the vector data to correct the alignment of the images.

21. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information as claimed in claim 20 which further comprises means for tracing a schematic to the image of the physical IC layer.

12. Apparatus for extracting circuit design information from a pre-existing semiconductor integrated circuit (IC), or at least a portion thereof, comprising:

means for imaging at least a portion of two or more physical layers of the pre-existing IC to obtain stored electronic images of the physical IC layers;

means for converting the stored electronic images of the physical IC layers to a vector format;

means for horizontally and vertically aligning the vector data of the electronic images of the physical IC layers;

means for providing a multi-layer display of the vector data.