IMPORTING AND EXPORTING CIRCUIT LAYOUTS

• US 20200133924A1
• Filed: 10/30/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: TIEN, Fu An, YING, Changsheng, HUANG, Hsu-Ting, LIU, Ru-Gun
• Granted Patent: US 11,204,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/164 File meta data generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1744 using compression, e.g. sparse files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/34 for reconfigurable circuits, e.g. field programmable gate arrays [FPGA] or programmable logic devices [PLD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/36 Circuit design at the analogue level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes executing, using a computer, a process including a main thread that receives a layout file. The layout file includes a first plurality of tags and compressed information blocks. Each tag of the first plurality is associated with a compressed information block. The method further includes decompressing the compressed information blocks using sub-threads and thereby obtaining decompressed information blocks. The sub-threads are created by the main thread, and each sub-thread corresponds to a compressed information block. The decompressed information blocks are combined into decompressed layout information. The decompressed file is partitioned and each partition is provided to a node of a distributed computing system for performing layout correction. Multiple result files each in a compressed format are obtained from the distributed computing system and the result files are combined to obtain a single result file without decompressing and re-compressing the results from the distributed computing system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

executing, using a computer, a process including a main thread that receives a layout file, the layout file including a first plurality of tags and compressed information blocks, each tag of the first plurality of tags being associated with a compressed information block;

decompressing the compressed information blocks using sub-threads and thereby obtaining decompressed layout information, wherein the sub-threads are created by the main thread, and each sub-thread corresponds to a compressed information block; and

combining the decompressed layout information from each sub-thread to obtain a combined decompressed layout information and storing the combined decompressed layout information in a database.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein, prior to decompressing the compressed information blocks, the method comprises:

identifying the first plurality of tags in the layout file; and

determining that information blocks corresponding to the first plurality of tags are compressed information blocks.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing offsets of the first plurality of tags associated with compressed blocks in a data buffer; and

providing the compressed information blocks to corresponding sub-threads for decompressing.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a layout correction operation on the combined decompressed layout information to obtain a corrected layout file; and

using the corrected layout file for manufacturing a mask.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the layout file includes a second plurality of tags, each associated with an uncompressed information block, and the method comprises combining the uncompressed information blocks with the decompressed layout information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning the combined decompressed layout information into a plurality of partitions; and

providing the plurality of partitions to a distributed computing system, wherein each partition is provided to a computing node of a plurality of computing nodes of the distributed computing system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a corrected layout file from each computing node,

wherein the corrected layout file is in a compressed form and is generated by the computing node by performing a layout correction operation on the partition provided thereto; and

combining the corrected layout files received from the computing nodes, and thereby obtain a single corrected layout file, the single corrected layout file being in a compressed form.

8. A system, comprising:

a memory, storing instructions; and

at least one processor that executes the instructions to;

initiate a process including a main thread that receives a layout file, the layout file including a first plurality of tags and compressed information blocks corresponding to the first plurality of tags, and a second plurality of tags and uncompressed information blocks corresponding to the second plurality of tags;

store offsets of the first plurality of tags in a queue;

initiate a plurality of sub-threads using the main thread, the sub-threads corresponding to the compressed information blocks;

decompress the compressed information blocks using corresponding sub-threads and thereby obtain decompressed information blocks; and

combine the decompressed information blocks with the uncompressed information blocks to obtain decompressed layout information.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to:

identify the first plurality of tags in the layout file; and

determine that information blocks corresponding to the first plurality of tags are compressed information blocks.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to provide the compressed information blocks to the corresponding sub-threads for decompressing.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to store the decompressed layout information in a database.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to:

partition the decompressed layout information into a plurality of partitions; and

provide the plurality of partitions to a distributed computing system, wherein each partition is provided to a computing node of a plurality of computing nodes of the distributed computing system.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to:

receive a corrected layout file from each computing node,

wherein the corrected layout file is in a compressed form and is generated by the computing node by performing a layout correction operation on the partition provided thereto; and

combine the corrected layout files received from the computing nodes, and thereby obtain a single corrected layout file corresponding to the layout file, the single corrected layout file being in a compressed form.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor executes the instructions to:

receive the layout file from a design house, the layout file including geometrical patterns designed for an integrated circuit; and

provide the single corrected layout file to a mask house for generating a mask for fabricating the integrated circuit.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored in a memory which, when executed by a processor cause a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, using a main thread, a layout file including a plurality of tags and information blocks corresponding to the plurality of tags;

identifying a plurality of tags of a first type in the layout file;

determining that information blocks corresponding to the plurality of tags of the first type are compressed information blocks;

initiating a plurality of sub-threads using the main thread, the sub-threads corresponding to the compressed information blocks;

decompressing the compressed information blocks using corresponding sub-threads and thereby obtain decompressed layout information; and

combining the decompressed layout information from the sub-threads to obtain a combined decompressed layout information.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises storing offsets of the plurality of tags associated with the compressed information blocks in a queue.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying a plurality of tags of a second type;

determining that information blocks corresponding to the plurality of tags of the second type are uncompressed information blocks; and

combining the uncompressed information blocks with the decompressed layout information to obtain the combined decompressed layout information.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

partitioning the combined decompressed layout information into a plurality of partitions; and

providing the plurality of partitions to a distributed computing system, wherein each partition is provided to a computing node of a plurality of computing nodes of the distributed computing system.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a corrected layout file from each computing node,

wherein the corrected layout file is in a compressed form and is generated by the computing node by performing a layout correction operation on the partition provided thereto; and

combining the corrected layout files received from the computing nodes, and thereby obtaining a single corrected layout file corresponding to the layout file, the single corrected layout file being in a compressed form.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receive the layout file from a design house, the layout file including geometrical patterns designed for an integrated circuit; and

provide the single corrected layout file to a mask house for generating a mask for fabricating the integrated circuit.