IP Library Granted Patent US 7,979,830
Granted Patent B2
US 7,979,830 · App. 12/213,963 · Granted Jul 12, 2011

Layout design method for a semiconductor integrated circuit

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,979,830
App. No.
12/213,963
Granted
Jul 12, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of designing a layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a hard macro includes acquiring a condition for permitting wirings with respect to a given region within the hard macro, and searching a passing wiring that passes through the given region among the wirings that are arranged on the semiconductor integrated circuit. The method further includes allowing a normal passing wiring that satisfies the condition to pass through the hard macro, and wiring a defaulting passing wiring that does not satisfy the condition so as to bypass the hard macro among the searched passing wirings.

Claims (46)

1. A method, performed in a processor in a computer, of designing a layout of a semiconductor integrated circuit having a hard macro, comprising:

acquiring circuit information of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and an admissibility condition for permitting a wiring with respect to a given region within the hard macro to avoid a malfunction of the hard macro when wirings are arranged in the given region to pass through the hard macro;

searching, using said processor, N passing wirings, N being a positive integer, which pass through the given region among wirings which are arranged in the semiconductor integrated circuit;

determining whether each of the N passing wirings satisfies the admissibility condition; and

wiring a normal passing wiring which satisfies the admissibility condition among the N passing wirings so as to pass through the hard macro, and a defaulting passing wiring which does not satisfy the admissibility condition so as to bypass the hard macro.

2. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable capacitance value, and

wherein a capacitance value of a coupling capacitor which is formed between the normal passing wiring and a wiring of the hard macro in the given region is equal to or lower than the allowable capacitance value.

3. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 2 , wherein the capacitance value of the coupling capacitance comprises a capacitance formed by an overlap portion corresponding to the given region and the wiring of the hard macro in the given region.

4. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable resistance value, and

wherein a resistance value of the normal passing wiring in the given region is equal to or lower than the allowable resistance value.

5. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 4 , wherein the resistance value represents a resistance value of a wiring which overlaps the normal passing wiring and the given region.

6. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable wiring number, and

wherein the determining allows I passing wirings, I being a positive integer equal to or lower than the allowable wiring number, among the N passing wirings to pass through the hard macro.

7. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable area,

wherein the determining allows I passing wirings, J being a positive integer, among the N passing wirings to pass through the hard macro, and

wherein a total area of the J passing wirings equal to or lower than the allowable area.

8. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 7 , wherein the total area represents an area of a portion which overlaps the J passing wirings and the given region.

9. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the searching searches the N passing wirings by temporarily arranging the wirings in accordance with the circuit information, and

wherein the determining comprises:

searching K defaulting passing wirings, K being a positive integer, which does not satisfy the admissibility condition among the N passing wirings;

temporarily rearranging (N-K) passing wirings upon the K not being zero; and

allowing the rearranged (N-K) passing wirings to pass through the hard macro upon the rearranged (N-K) passing wirings satisfying the admissibility condition.

10. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit information comprises a net list, said net list comprising circuits that constitute the hard macro.

11. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit information comprises a floor plan representing coordinates of a location where the semiconductor integrated circuit is arranged.

12. The method of designing a layout of a semiconductor according to claim 1 , wherein the admissibility condition comprises information for permitting a predetermined wiring with respect to the given region and coordinates representative of a region that is subject to said information.

13. A computer program product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising code that, when executed, causes a computer to perform a method, comprising:

acquiring circuit information of the semiconductor integrated circuit, and an admissibility condition for permitting a wiring with respect to a given region within a hard macro to avoid a malfunction of the hard macro when wirings are arranged in the given region to pass through the hard macro;

searching N passing wirings, N being a positive integer, which pass through the given region among wirings which are arranged in the semiconductor integrated circuit;

determining whether each of the N passing wirings satisfies the admissibility condition; and

wiring a normal passing wiring which satisfies that admissibility condition among the N passing wirings so as to pass through the hard macro, and a defaulting passing wiring which does not satisfy the admissibility condition so as to bypass the hard macro.

14. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable capacitance value, and

wherein a capacitance value of a coupling capacitor which is formed between the normal passing wiring and a wiring of the hard macro in the given region is equal to or lower than the allowable capacitance value.

15. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable resistance value, and

wherein a resistance value of the normal passing wiring in the given region is equal to or lower than the allowable resistance value.

16. The computer program product according to claim 15 , wherein the resistance value represents a resistance value of a wiring which overlaps the normal passing wiring and the given region.

17. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable wiring number, and

wherein the determining allows J passing wirings, J being a positive integer equal to or lower than the allowable wiring number, among the N passing wirings to pass through the hard macro.

18. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the admissibility condition includes an allowable area,

wherein the determining allows J passing wirings, J being a positive integer, among the N passing wirings to pass through the hard macro, and

wherein a total area of the J passing wirings equal to or lower than the allowable area.

19. The computer program product according to claim 18 , wherein the total area represents an area of a portion which overlaps the J passing wirings and the given region.

20. The computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the searching searches the N passing wirings by temporarily arranging the wirings in accordance with the circuit information, and

wherein the determining comprises:

searching K defaulting passing wirings, K being a positive integer, which does not satisfy the admissibility condition among the N passing wirings;

temporarily rearranging (N-K) passing wirings upon the K not being zero; and

allowing the rearranged (N-K) passing wirings to pass through the hard macro upon the rearranged (N-K) passing wirings satisfying the admissibility condition.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 28, 2010
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 025214/0304 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 26, 2008
From: KATSUZAWA, MITSUYUKI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021216/0869 →