IP Library Granted Patent US 7,665,053
Granted Patent B2
US 7,665,053 · App. 11/892,533 · Granted Feb 16, 2010

Semiconductor device layout method and layout program

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,665,053
App. No.
11/892,533
Granted
Feb 16, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

It is an aspect of the embodiments discussed herein to provide a semiconductor device layout method and a semiconductor device layout program that enable the minimum necessary decoupling capacitances to be placed efficiently according to a circuit configuration, placement positions, operation timings, and clock tree of functional circuits.

Claims (40)

1. A semiconductor device layout method comprising:

adding, to a first functional circuit that operates at a first timing, a first decoupling capacitor that matches a consumption current;

placing a second functional circuit, operating at a second timing that differs from the timing of the first functional circuit, after the adding the first decoupling capacitor;

verifying whether or not the first decoupling capacitor is adequate for a decoupling capacitance value required of the second functional circuit after the step of placing the second functional circuit; and

if the decoupling capacitance value for the second functional circuit is inadequate, adding a second decoupling capacitor to the second functional circuit after the verifying the decoupling capacitance value of the second functional circuit by a computer.

2. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 1 , wherein

the first functional circuit includes either or both of a synchronous circuit and a clock buffer that operate in synchronization with a clock.

3. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 2 , wherein

the adding the first decoupling capacitor includes:

adding, before placing the synchronous circuit, the first decoupling capacitor to the synchronous circuit based on circuit connection information;

placing the synchronous circuit, to which the first decoupling capacitor has been added, and a clock tree; and

adding the first decoupling capacitor to the clock buffer based on circuit connection information of the clock buffer generated according to the clock tree that has been placed.

4. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

placing a third decoupling capacitor below a trunk power bus before the step of adding the first decoupling capacitor; and

wherein, if another functional circuit is not present in a path leading to the trunk power bus, the adding the first decoupling capacitor includes a step of subtracting the capacitance value of third decoupling capacitor from the capacitance value of the first decoupling capacitor.

5. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

joining the first decoupling capacitor to the first functional circuit to form a single cell in adding the first decoupling capacitor to the first functional circuit.

6. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 1 , wherein

the capacitance values of the first and second decoupling capacitors added to the first and second functional circuits are determined based on output load information.

7. The semiconductor device layout method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

defining a decoupling capacitance value table, in which the capacitance values of the first and second decoupling capacitors are associated with the output load information.

8. A computer readable medium storing a semiconductor device layout program, which when executed on a computer causes the computer to perform a method comprising:

adding, to a first functional circuit that operates at a first timing, a first decoupling capacitor that matches a consumption current;

placing a second functional circuit that operates at a second timing that differs from the timing of the first functional circuit after the adding the first decoupling capacitor;

verifying whether or not the first decoupling capacitor is adequate for a decoupling capacitance value required of the second functional circuit after the placing the second functional circuit; and

if the decoupling capacitance value for the second functional circuit is inadequate, adding a second decoupling capacitor to the second functional circuit after the verifying the decoupling capacitance value of the second functional circuit.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein the first functional circuit includes either or both of a synchronous circuit and a clock buffer that operate in synchronization with a clock.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the adding the first decoupling capacitor includes:

adding, before placing the synchronous circuit, the first decoupling capacitor to the synchronous circuit based on circuit connection information;

placing the synchronous circuit, to which the first decoupling capacitor has been added, and a clock tree; and

adding the first decoupling capacitor to the clock buffer based on circuit connection information of the clock buffer generated according to the clock tree that has been placed.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 8 , said method further comprising:

placing a third decoupling capacitor below a trunk power bus before the step of adding the first decoupling capacitor; and

wherein, if another functional circuit is not present in a path leading to the trunk power bus, the adding the first decoupling capacitor includes subtracting the capacitance value of third decoupling capacitor from the capacitance value of the first decoupling capacitor.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 8 , said method further comprising:

joining the first decoupling capacitor to the first functional circuit to form a single cell in adding the first decoupling capacitor to the first functional circuit.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 8 , wherein

the capacitance values of the first and second decoupling capacitors added to the first and second functional circuits are determined based on output load information.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13 , the method further comprising:

defining a decoupling capacitance value table, in which the capacitance values of the first and second decoupling capacitors are associated with the output load information.

Assignments (4)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 27, 2015
From: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
To: SOCIONEXT INC.
Reel/Frame 035508/0637 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 27, 2010
From: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
To: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
Reel/Frame 024794/0500 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 10, 2008
From: FUJITSU LIMITED
To: FUJITSU MICROELECTRONICS LIMITED
Reel/Frame 021985/0715 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2007
From: TSUJIMOTO, HIROYUKI
To: FUJITSU LIMITED
Reel/Frame 019788/0663 →