Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing electronic circuit designs with electro-migration awareness

• US 9,330,222 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: White, David, McSherry, Michael, Fischer, Ed, Yanagida, Bruce, Gopalakrishnan, Prakash
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Kamini S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Johnson, Cedric D
• Application Number:
  US12/982,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20120022846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 703/14, 703/13, 716/123, 716/113, 716/10, 716/11, 716/100, 716/111, 716/115
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/394 Routing G06F30/396 takes precedence
• 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

Disclosed are methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for implementing electronic circuit designs with electro-migration awareness. Some embodiments perform schematic level simulation(s) to determine electrical characteristics, identifies physical parasitics of a layout component, determines the electrical or physical characteristics associated to electro-migration analysis on the component, and determines whether the component meets EM related constraint(s) while implementing the physical design of the electronic circuit in some embodiments. Some embodiments further determine adjustment(s) to the component or related data where the EM related constraints are not met and/or and present the adjustment(s) in the form of hints. Various data and information, such as currents in various forms or voltages, are passed between various schematic level tools and physical level tools.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, comprising:

using at least one processor that is programmed for performing a process comprising;

implementing an interconnect by identifying, determining, or updating physical data of the interconnect of a partial physical design that represents the electronic circuit design;

characterizing an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect;

providing electro-migration information for the interconnect, while the interconnect is being implemented in the partial physical design, to a physical implementation tool to implement the interconnect in the partial physical design by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the electronic circuit design includes a layout that is represented by the partial physical design, and at least one circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implementing, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the process further comprising:

displaying the electrical characteristic associated with the physical data of the interconnect or storing the electrical characteristic in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium.

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

identifying or determining an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the act of identifying or determining the electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic comprises:

determining whether the electrical characteristic or other data related to the electro-migration related constraint meets a requirement of the electro-migration related constraint for the interconnect.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, the process further comprising:

identifying or determining one or more relevant geometric parameters related to the interconnect; and

identifying or determining whether to analyze the interconnect using the electro-migration related constraint based at least in part upon the one or more relevant geometric parameters.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 3, in which the electro-migration related constraint is determined based at least in part upon a shape or a set of shapes on a net at a time when the net is created or completed.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the process further comprising:

ensuring correctness of the physical data or other data that are related to the electro-migration related constraint.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

performing simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level;

creating a net on the partial physical design; and

determining the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, in which the act of using the solver comprises:

using at least the electrical parasitic to construct a matrix;

decomposing the matrix into an upper triangular matrix and a lower triangular matrix;

using forward and backward substitution to solve for a second electrical characteristic; and

characterizing the electrical characteristic for the interconnect by using at least the second electrical characteristic.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 9, in which the matrix comprises an electrical conductance matrix, and the second characteristic comprises a voltage at a point in the partial physical design.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, in which the electrical characteristic comprises at least one of a maximum current and an RMS current.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

identifying or generating thermal data and a schematic of the electronic circuit design;

generating a netlist; and

specifying one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic further comprises:

performing a simulation at a schematic level to determine one or more schematic level electrical characteristics; and

determining the electrical characteristic at a physical level based at least in part upon the one or more schematic level electrical characteristic and the electrical parasitic using a solver.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

identifying thermal data for the interconnect;

mapping the electrical characteristic at a physical level to a schematic level electrical characteristic at a schematic level;

reducing the electrical parasitic; and

specifying one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

receiving one or more electrical data from a user; and

determining the electrical characteristic based at least in part upon the one or more electrical data from the user by using a solver.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the process further comprising:

determining an adjustment to the physical data or to the interconnect based at least in part upon the electro-migration related constraint.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, the process further comprising:

determining whether the adjustment causes one or more violations of one or more design rules or one or more constraints.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, the process further comprising:

displaying a hint based at least in part upon the adjustment to a user.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 18, in which the hint is generated for application of the adjustment or for fixing the one or more violations.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the partial physical design does not pass a layout versus schematic check or verification.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 1, in which the act of characterizing the electrical parasitic or the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic is performed before or at a time of creation of a net or modification of an existing net.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical parasitic is done before storing one or more shapes that are created or modified and constitute the net in a database.

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

verifying the electrical characteristic after completion of creation or modification of a net or a partial net and before creation or modification of a second net in the partial physical design.

24. A system for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, comprising:

at least one processor that is to;

implement an interconnect by identify, determine, or update physical data of the interconnect of a partial physical design that represents the electronic circuit design;

characterize an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect;

provide electro-migration information for the interconnect, while the interconnect is being implemented in the partial physical design, to a physical implementation tool to implement the interconnect in the partial physical design by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the electronic circuit design includes a layout that is represented by the partial physical design, and at least one circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implement, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

25. The system of claim 24, in which the at least one processor is further to:

display the electrical characteristic associated with the physical data of the interconnect or storing the electrical characteristic in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

identify or determine an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic;

or

ensure correctness of the physical data or other data that are related to the electro-migration related constraint.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor that is to characterize the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic is further to:

perform simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level; and

determine the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the at least one processor that is to characterize the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic is further to:

identify or generate thermal data and a schematic of the electronic circuit design;

generate a netlist;

specify one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners;

perform a simulation at a schematic level to determine one or more schematic level electrical characteristics; and

determine the electrical characteristic at a physical level based at least in part upon the one or more schematic level electrical characteristic and the electrical parasitic using a solver.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one processor that is to characterize the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic is further to:

identify thermal data for the interconnect;

map the electrical characteristic at a physical level to a schematic level electrical characteristic at a schematic level;

reduce the electrical parasitic; and

specify one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners.

29. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a sequence of instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform a process for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, the process comprising:

using at least one processor that is programmed for performing the process that comprises;

identifying, determining, or updating physical data of an interconnect of a partial physical design of the electronic circuit design;

characterizing an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect;

providing electro-migration information for the interconnect, while the interconnect is being implemented, to a physical implementation tool to implement the interconnect in the partial physical design by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the partial physical design represents a layout of the electronic circuit design, and at least one circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implementing, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 29, the process further comprising at least one of:

displaying the electrical characteristic associated with the physical data of the interconnect or storing the electrical characteristic in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium;

identifying or determining an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic; and

ensuring correctness of the physical data or other data that are related to the electro-migration related constraint.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the process for performing the process for characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic further comprises:

performing simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level; and

determining the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the process for characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic further comprises:

identifying or generating thermal data and a schematic of the electronic circuit design;

generating a netlist;

specifying one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners;

performing a simulation at a schematic level to determine one or more schematic level electrical characteristics; and

determining the electrical characteristic at a physical level based at least in part upon the one or more schematic level electrical characteristic and the electrical parasitic using a solver.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 29, wherein the at least one processor programmed for performing the process for characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic is further programmed for performing the process that comprises:

identifying thermal data for the interconnect;

mapping the electrical characteristic at a physical level to a schematic level electrical characteristic at a schematic level;

reducing the electrical parasitic; and

specifying one or more simulation parameters or one or more analysis points or corners.

34. A computer implemented method for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, comprising:

using at least one processor that is programmed for performing a process comprising;

identifying, determining, or updating physical data of a interconnect of a partial physical design of the electronic circuit design;

characterizing an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect

providing electro-migration information, while the interconnect is being implemented in the partial physical design, to a physical design implementation tool by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the partial physical design represents a layout of the electronic circuit design, and at least one circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implementing, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

35. The computer implemented method of claim 34, the process further comprising:

identifying or determining an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic.

36. The computer implemented method of claim 34, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

performing simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level;

creating a net on the partial physical design; and

determining the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

37. The computer implemented method of claim 34, in which the partial physical design comprises only one or more nets and does not pass a layout versus schematic check or verification.

38. The computer implemented method of claim 34, in which the act of characterizing the electrical parasitic or the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic is performed before creation of a net.

39. The computer implemented method of claim 34, further comprising:

verifying the electrical characteristic after completion of creation or modification of a net or a partial net and before creation or modification of a second net in the partial physical design.

40. A system for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, comprising:

at least one processor that is to;

identify, determine, or update physical data of a interconnect of a partial physical design of the electronic circuit design;

characterize an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect;

provide electro-migration information, while the interconnect is being implemented in the partial physical design, to a the physical design implementation tool by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the partial physical design represents a layout of the electronic circuit design, and at least one circuit component circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implement, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

41. The system of claim 40, the at least one processor is further to:

identify or determine an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one processor that is to characterize the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic is further to:

perform simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level;

create a net on the partial physical design; and

determine the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

43. The system of claim 40, in which the partial physical design comprises only one or more nets and does not pass a layout versus schematic check or verification.

44. The system of claim 40, in which the at least one processor characterizes the electrical parasitic or characterizes the electrical characteristic before creation of a net.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one processor is further to:

verify the electrical characteristic after completion of creation or modification of a net or a partial net and before creation or modification of a second net in the partial physical design.

46. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereupon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to execute a method for implementing an electronic circuit design with electro-migration awareness, the method comprising:

using at least one processor that is programmed for performing a process comprising;

identifying, determining, or updating physical data of a interconnect of a partial physical design of the electronic circuit design;

characterizing an electrical parasitic that is associated with the physical data of the interconnect;

providing electro-migration information, while the interconnect is being implemented in the partial physical design, to a the physical design implementation tool by at least characterizing an electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic, wherein

the partial physical design represents a layout of the electronic circuit design, and at least one circuit component circuit component is absent from a net including the interconnect in the partial physical design representing the layout, wherein the layout does not pass a layout-versus-schematic check with a corresponding schematic design due to absence of the at least one circuit component from the layout; and

implementing, at an electro-migration aware design automation module stored at least partially in memory and functioning in conjunction with at least the at least one processor of a computing system, the net including the interconnect at least by applying an adjustment to the interconnect based in part or in whole upon the electro-migration information for the interconnect while saving one or more computing resources when the electro-migration information is determined to violate one or more electro-migration related constraints.

47. The article of manufacture of claim 46, the process further comprising:

identifying or determining an electro-migration related constraint that is associated with the electrical characteristic.

48. The article of manufacture of claim 46, wherein the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic that is associated with the electrical parasitic comprises:

performing simulation on the electronic circuit design at a schematic level;

creating a net on the partial physical design; and

determining the electrical characteristic by using a solver.

49. The article of manufacture of claim 46, in which the partial physical design comprises only one or more nets and does not pass a layout versus schematic check or verification.

50. The article of manufacture of claim 46, in which the act of characterizing the electrical parasitic or the act of characterizing the electrical characteristic is performed before creation of a net.

51. The computer implemented method of claim 46, further comprising:

verifying the electrical characteristic after completion of creation or modification of a net or a partial net and before creation or modification of a second net in the partial physical design.