INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DESIGN METHOD, SYSTEM AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

• US 20200134120A1
• Filed: 09/20/2019
• 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: LO, Wan-Yu, WANG, Chung-Hsing, LIN, Chin-Shen, YANG, Kuo-Nan
• Granted Patent: US 10,997,347 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/10 Numerical modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/20 Configuration CAD, e.g. designing by assembling or positioning modules selected from libraries of predesigned modules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/06 Power analysis or power optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/08 Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2119/12 Timing analysis or timing optimisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• 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

In a method, based on an operating condition of a region of an integrated circuit (IC), a first relationship between a temperature and heating power of the region is determined. Based on a cooling capacity of the region, a second relationship between the temperature and cooling power of the region is determined. Based on the first relationship and the second relationship, it is determined whether the region is thermally stable. In response to a determination that the region is thermally unstable, at least one of a structure or the operating condition of the region is changed. At least one of the determination of the first relationship, the determination of the second relationship, the determination of thermally stability of the region, or the change of at least one of the structure or the operating condition of the region is executed by a processor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

based on an operating condition of a region of an integrated circuit (IC), determining a first relationship between a temperature and heating power of the region of the IC;

based on a cooling capacity of the region of the IC, determining a second relationship between the temperature and cooling power of the region of the IC;

based on the first relationship and the second relationship, determining whether the region of the IC is thermally stable; and

in response to a determination that the region of the IC is thermally unstable, changing at least one of a structure or the operating condition of the region of the IC,

wherein at least one of the determining the first relationship, the determining the second relationship, the determining whether the region of the IC is thermally stable, or the changing is executed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the changing comprises changing the structure of the region of the IC by at least one of

altering placement of at least one cell in the region of the IC,

adding dummy patterns in or around the region of the IC, or

replacing at least one cell in the region of the IC with another cell having a same function but with lower heating power.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

the changing comprises changing the operating condition of the region of the IC by lowering at least one of operating voltage, operating frequency, or loading of the region of the IC.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the region of the IC comprises at least one standard cell retrieved from a cell library.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the determining whether the region of the IC is thermally stable comprises

in response to the first and second relationships having at least one common point, determining that the region of the IC is thermally stable, and

in response to the first and second relationships having no common point, determining that the region of the IC is thermally unstable.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the first and second relationships having one or more common points at one or more corresponding power values, outputting an indication that a lowest power value among the one or more corresponding power values is a maximum allowable power value of the region of the IC.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein

the region is one of a plurality of regions of the IC, and

the method further comprises outputting a target total power of the IC, the target total power corresponding to a sum of maximum allowable power values of the plurality of regions of the IC.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the first and second relationships having only one common point, outputting an indication to add an external cooling device to the IC in use.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein

the determining the first relationship comprises repeatedly performing, at each iteration among a plurality of iterations, operations including

calculating leakage power and the heating power of the region at a temperature value,

calculating a temperature increment corresponding to the calculated leakage power, and

based on the calculated temperature increment, updating the temperature value for a next iteration among the plurality of iterations.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein

at each iteration among the plurality of iterations,

the calculating the heating power of the region comprises using the following equation

P_Heating=P_Switching+P_Internal+P_Leakage

where P_Leakage is the leakage power of the region,

P_Heating is the heating power of the region,

P_Switching is switching power of the region, and

P_Internal is internal power of the region.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein

at each iteration among the plurality of iterations,

the calculating the temperature increment comprises using the following equation

12. A system, comprising a processor configured to

determine a heating power characteristic of a region of an integrated circuit (IC), by repeatedly performing, at each iteration among a plurality of iterations, operations including

calculating leakage power and heating power of the region at a temperature value,

calculating a temperature increment corresponding to the calculated leakage power, and

based on the calculated temperature increment, updating the temperature value for a next iteration among the plurality of iterations,

based on a cooling capacity of the region, determine a cooling power characteristic of the region,

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having at least one common point, determine that the region is thermally stable, and

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having no common point,

determine that the region is thermally unstable, and

change at least one of a structure or an operating condition of the region.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to

at each iteration among the plurality of iterations,

calculate the heating power of the region, using the following equation

P_Heating=P_Switching+P_Internal+P_Leakage

where P_Leakage is the leakage power of the region,

P_Heating is the heating power of the region,

P_Switching is switching power of the region, and

P_Internal is internal power of the region.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to

at each iteration among the plurality of iterations,

calculate the temperature increment, using the following equation

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having one common point,

output an indication to add an external cooling device to the IC in use.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having multiple common points at corresponding different power values,

output an indication that a lowest power value among the corresponding different power values is a maximum allowable power value of the region of the IC.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having no common point, change the structure of the region of the IC by at least one of

altering placement of at least one cell in the region of the IC,

adding dummy patterns in or around the region of the IC, or

replacing at least one cell in the region of the IC with another cell having a same function but with lower heating power.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having no common point,

change the operating condition of the region of the IC by lowering at least one of operating voltage, operating frequency, or loading of the region of the IC.

19. A computer program product, comprising a non-transitory, computer-readable medium containing instructions therein which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to

determine a heating power characteristic of a standard cell to be included in an integrated circuit (IC), by repeatedly performing, at each iteration among a plurality of iterations, operations including

calculating leakage power and heating power of the standard cell at a temperature value,

calculating a temperature increment corresponding to the calculated leakage power, and

based on the calculated temperature increment, updating the temperature value for a next iteration among the plurality of iterations,

based on a thermal resistance of the standard cell, determine a cooling power characteristic of the standard cell,

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having at least one common point, determine that the standard cell is thermally stable, and

in response to the heating and cooling power characteristics having no common point,

determine that the standard cell is thermally unstable, and

change at least one of a structure or an operating condition of the standard cell,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to

calculate the temperature increment of the standard cell, using the following equation

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to

calculate the heating power of the standard cell, using the following equation

P_Heating=P_Switching+P_Internal+P_Leakage

where Heating P_Heating is the heating power of the standard cell,

P_Switching is switching power of the standard cell, and

P_Internal is internal power of the standard cell.