Method, system, and program product to implement colored tiles for detail routing for double pattern lithography

• US 8,375,348 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Raj, Satish Samuel, Salowe, Jeffrey Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): GARBOWSKI, LEIGH M
• Application Number:
  US12/981,062
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 716/126
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/23 using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM]

Abstract

Disclosed are a method, apparatus, and computer program product to implement routing for double patterning lithography using colored space tiles. A three-phase routing scheme is employed, comprising a global router, a C-router, and a detail router. The C-router provides double patterning color seeding for routing tracks in the electronic design. The detail router employs space-tiles to perform double-patterning based routing for wires in the electronic design. Colored space tiles may be utilized to perform the detail routing.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing space-tiles to perform routing of an electronic circuit design, the method implemented with a processor, the method comprising:

identifying a window of interest in a layout;

identifying spacing rules for same color and different color shapes, in which colors for layout objects comprise a first color and a second color, where the first color corresponds to a first manufacturing pattern mask and the second color corresponds to a second manufacturing pattern mask;

forming a space tile having a space-tile contour corresponding to a blockage contour, the space tile having a boundary that is established using the spacing rules; and

associating the space-tile with a selected color, where the space tile defines legal routing paths the layouts objects for associated with the selected color in the window of interest;

wherein at least one of the previous steps is performed using a computer.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the selected color comprises the first color, the second color, or an any color that may correspond to either the first or second color.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the spacing rules for the same color corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having the same color.

4. The of claim 1 in which the spacing rules for the different colors corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having different colors.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the spacing rules comprise width-dependent spacing rules.

6. The method of claim 1 in which an edge of the space-tile corresponds to a legal location to route a centerline of a wire of an appropriate color.

7. The method of claim 1 in which an interior area of the space tile corresponds to a legal location to route wires of an appropriate color.

8. The method of claim 1 in which spacing rules distances for the same color are larger than spacing rule distances for different colors.

9. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a method for implementing space-tiles to perform routing of an electronic circuit design, the method comprising:

identifying a window of interest in a layout;

identifying spacing rules for same color and different color shapes, in which colors for layout objects comprise a first color and a second color, where the first color corresponds to a first manufacturing pattern mask and the second color corresponds to a second manufacturing pattern mask;

forming a space tile having a space-tile contour corresponding to a blockage contour, the space tile having a boundary that is established using the spacing rules; and

associating the space-tile with a selected color, where the space tile defines legal routing paths for the layout objects associated with the selected color.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 in which the selected color comprises the first color, the second color, or an any color that may correspond to either the first or second color.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 in which the spacing rules for the same color corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having the same color.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 in which the spacing rules comprise width-dependent spacing rules.

14. The computer program product of claim 9 in which an edge of the space-tile corresponds to a legal location to route a centerline of a wire of an appropriate color.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 in which an interior area of the space tile corresponds to a legal location to route wires of an appropriate color.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 in which spacing rules distances for the same color are larger than spacing rule distances for different colors.

12. The of computer program product 9 in which the spacing rules for the different colors corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having different colors.

17. A system for implementing space-tiles to perform routing of an electronic circuit design, comprising:

a processor;

a memory for holding programmable code; and

wherein the programmable code includes instructions for identifying spacing rules for same color and different color shapes, in which colors for layout objects comprise a first color and a second color, where the first color corresponds to a first manufacturing pattern mask and the second color corresponds to a second manufacturing pattern mask, forming a space tile having a space-tile contour corresponding to a blockage contour, the space tile having a boundary that is established using the spacing rules, and associating the space-tile with a selected color, where the space tile defines legal routing paths the layout objects for associated with the selected color.

18. The system of claim 17 in which the selected color comprises the first color, the second color, or an any color that may correspond to either the first or second color.

19. The system of claim 17 in which the spacing rules for the same color corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having the same color.

20. The system of claim 17 in which the spacing rules for the different colors corresponds to ½

expected wire width plus a spacing rule distance for objects having different colors.

21. The system of claim 17 in which the spacing rules comprise width-dependent spacing rules.

22. The system of claim 17 in which an edge of the space-tile corresponds to a legal location to route a centerline of a wire of an appropriate color.

23. The system of claim 17 in which an interior area of the space tile corresponds to a legal location to route wires of an appropriate color.

24. The system of claim 17 in which spacing rules distances for the same color are larger than spacing rule distances for different colors.