Method and apparatus for creating and managing waiver descriptions for design verification

• US 9,032,346 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2011
• Issued: 05/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Globalfoundries Singapore Pte Limited (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Globalfoundries Singapore Pte Limited (GlobalFoundries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Filippi, Raymond A., Soh, Paul, Tan, Hui May
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitmore, Stacy
• Application Number:
  US13/111,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 716100-102, 716/106, 716/107, 716/139, 716/52, 716/54
• US Class Current: 716/107
• 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

Methods are provided to facilitate automated creation and management of design rule checking or DRC waiver descriptions. Embodiments include receiving a plurality of first checksums corresponding to respective first geometric element violations waived in association with a block of an integrated circuit design, the first checksums being based on a first version of at least one design verification rule and/or of the block, receiving a second checksum corresponding to a second geometric element violation associated with the block, the second checksum being based on a second version of the design verification rule and/or of the block, determining whether the second checksum corresponds to at least one of the first checksums, and, if the second checksum does not correspond to at least one first checksum, generating a waiver request for the second geometric element error.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of first checksums corresponding to respective first geometric element errors waived on a per geometric element violation basis for each corresponding first checksum where each respective geometric element is part of a block of an integrated circuit design and each respective geometric element relates to edges, polygons, shapes, and/or vertices of a structure defining a portion of a physical integrated circuit, the plurality of first checksums being based on a first version of at least one design verification rule;

receiving a second checksum corresponding to a second geometric element error associated with the block, the second checksum being based on a second version of the at least one design verification rule;

determining whether the second checksum corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first checksums; and

generating, if the second checksum does not correspond to at least one of the plurality of first checksums, a waiver request for the second geometric element error,

wherein at least one step of said method is executed by a processor and the processor utilizes one or more parameters associated with waived geometric element violations for generating regression information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in response to the waiver request, an indication that the second geometric element error comprises a false geometric element error.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

storing, in response to receiving the indication, a plurality of third checksums,

wherein the plurality of third checksums correspond to waivers of the respective first geometric element errors and the second geometric element error.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

storing the plurality of third checksums in association with an identifier associated with a cell of the block.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the identifier comprises one or more checksums corresponding one or more DRC error polygons in the block.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the identifier comprises a name corresponding to the cell of the block.

7. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

generating waiver information characterizing the respective first geometric element errors and the second geometric element error.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

formatting the waiver information in accordance with an ASCII format.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the regression information includes one or more checksum values that enable subsequent design verification operations to uniquely identify recurring geometric element violations that have already been waived.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the second checksum does not correspond to at least one of the plurality of first checksums, the second geometric element error is stored as a discrepancy geometric element violation.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the regression information is stored in a repository and revised through a regression information modification process utilizing the stored discrepancy geometric element violations.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of first checksums corresponding to respective first geometric element errors waived on a per geometric element violation basis for each corresponding first checksum where each respective geometric element is part of a first version of a block of an integrated circuit design and each respective geometric element relates to edges, polygons, shapes, and/or vertices of a structure defining a portion of a physical integrated circuit;

receiving a second checksum corresponding to a second geometric element error waived in association with a second version of the block;

determining whether the second checksum corresponds to at least one of the plurality of first checksums; and

generating, if the second checksum does not correspond to at least one of the plurality of first checksums, a waiver request for the second geometric element error,

wherein at least one step of said method is executed by a processor and the processor utilizes one or more parameters associated with waived geometric element violations for generating regression information.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, in response to the waiver request, an indication that the second geometric element error comprises a false geometric element error.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

storing, in response to receiving the indication, a plurality of third checksums,

wherein the plurality of third checksums correspond to waivers of the respective first geometric element errors and the second geometric element error.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

storing the plurality of third checksums in association with an identifier associated with a cell of the second version of the block.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the identifier comprises a checksum corresponding to the cell of the second version of the block.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the identifier comprises a name corresponding to the cell of the second version of the block.

18. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

generating waiver information characterizing the respective first geometric element errors and the second geometric element error.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

formatting the waiver information in accordance with an ASCII format.

20. A method comprising:

analyzing, based on at least one design verification rule, layout data corresponding to an integrated circuit including a block of intellectual property having at least one geometric element relating to edges, polygons, shapes, and/or vertices of a structure defining at least one portion of a physical integrated circuit;

generating, if the at least one geometric element relating to edges, polygons, shapes, and/or vertices of the structure defining the least one portion of the physical integrated circuit violates the at least one design verification rule, at least one geometric element error for each violation by the at least one geometric element on a per geometric element violation basis;

comparing the at least one geometric element error with waiver information stored in association with a version of the block; and

disregarding the at least one geometric element error if the at least one geometric element error corresponds to at least some of the waiver information,

wherein at least one step of said method is executed by a processor and the processor utilizes one or more parameters associated with waived geometric element violations for generating regression information.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein the waiver information is further stored in association with a version of the at least one design verification rule.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

retrieving the waiver information based on one or more of the version of the block and the version of the at least one verification rule.

23. A method according to claim 20, wherein the waiver information is formatted in accordance with an ASCII format.