Automatic integrated circuit routing using spines
First Claim
1. A method for routing at least one interconnect of an integrated circuit comprising:
- identifying at least two pins to couple;
by using a computer, calculating a route area having a boundary so that the at least two pins touch the boundary, wherein the route area has a rectangular shape and is bounded by a first, second, third, and fourth side, the third side is opposite of the first side, the fourth side is opposite of the second side, the first side is longer than the second side, the first and third sides extend in a first direction, the second and fourth sides extend in a second direction, and the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction;
routing a spine interconnect extending in the first direction at least a length from a first pin to a second pin in the first direction; and
routing a plurality of stitching interconnects in the second direction to couple the first pin and second pin to the spine interconnect.
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Abstract
A method and technique of routing interconnects of an integrated circuit providing improved routing quality. In an embodiment of the invention, the technique provides linear spine interconnect routing. In memory array blocks, such as in DRAM and SRAM memory designs, connected pins are generally separated by large distances in a first direction and small distances in a second direction, or a spine or channel region. A route area is defined within the spine region. In one embodiment, obstacles in the route area are identified and corresponding forbidden areas are demarcated. The linear spine interconnect is routed in the first direction within the route area while avoiding the forbidden areas. Pins are connected to the spine interconnect by stitching interconnects. Stitching interconnects are generally routed in the second direction.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for routing at least one interconnect of an integrated circuit comprising:
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identifying at least two pins to couple; by using a computer, calculating a route area having a boundary so that the at least two pins touch the boundary, wherein the route area has a rectangular shape and is bounded by a first, second, third, and fourth side, the third side is opposite of the first side, the fourth side is opposite of the second side, the first side is longer than the second side, the first and third sides extend in a first direction, the second and fourth sides extend in a second direction, and the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction; routing a spine interconnect extending in the first direction at least a length from a first pin to a second pin in the first direction; and routing a plurality of stitching interconnects in the second direction to couple the first pin and second pin to the spine interconnect. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 21, 22, 23)
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12. A method for routing a plurality of nets of an integrated circuit comprising:
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identifying pins to couple for each net; by using a computer, calculating a route area for each net to comprise positions in a first direction of the pins for such net, wherein a boundary of the route area comprises at least a first side and a second side, the first side is opposite of the second side, and each of the pins touches the first or second side; determining for each route area if at least one forbidden area is located within the route area; routing outside of the at least one forbidden area a plurality of spine interconnects extending in a first direction the entire length of each corresponding route area in the first direction; and routing a plurality of stitching interconnects in a second direction to couple each of the pins to the corresponding spine interconnect, wherein the at least one forbidden area being an area to include at least one obstacle and extending in the first direction an entire length of the corresponding route area in the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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17. A method of routing at least one interconnect of an integrated circuit comprising:
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by using a computer, identifying at least two pins to couple, wherein each pin has a position in a first direction and a position in a second direction, orthogonal to the first direction; calculating a route area having a boundary, the route area extending a distance in the first direction to comprise positions in the first direction of the at least two pins, wherein the at least two pins are on the boundary of the route area; determining if at least one forbidden area is located within the route area, wherein the at least one forbidden area extends in the first direction the entire length of the route area in the first direction and comprises at least one obstacle; routing a spine interconnect extending in the first direction at least a length from a first pin to a second pin in the first direction, wherein the spine interconnect is placed outside of the at least one forbidden area; and routing a plurality of stitching interconnects in the second direction to couple the first pin and second pin to the spine interconnect, wherein a position in the second direction of the spine interconnect is at an available position, outside the at least one forbidden area, based on a function of the at least two pins. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification