Manufacturing control based on a final design structure incorporating both layout and client-specific manufacturing information
View Patent ↗Disclosed are embodiments of an improved design method, the results of which are a final design structure for an integrated circuit that incorporates, not only layout information, but also client-specific manufacturing information (e.g., import/export information, service requests, processing directives, purchase order requirements, design rule information, etc.) in the same data format in hierarchical form. Also disclosed are embodiments of a manufacturing control method and system. In these embodiments, a final design structure, such as that described above, is received at tape-in. The information contained therein (particularly, the client-specific manufacturing information) is sorted by type and then forwarded to the appropriate tools within the manufacturing facility for processing. By providing the client-specific manufacturing information directly to each manufacturing facility in the final design structure in conjunction with the layout information, the embodiments eliminate the need for independent information gathering by each manufacturing facility.
1. A design method comprising:
generating, by a computer system, a design structure for an integrated circuit, said design structure comprising at least layout information for said integrated circuit and client-specific manufacturing information for said integrated circuit, said client-specific manufacturing information comprising client-specific service requests for services to be performed by a manufacturing facility during manufacturing of said integrated circuit, client-specific processing directives for processing to be performed by said manufacturing facility during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit and purchase order requirements for said integrated circuit;
storing, by said computer system on a machine-readable medium, said design structure for said integrated circuit in a data format that represents said layout information and said client-specific manufacturing information in hierarchical form with different types of said client-specific manufacturing information at different data format levels in said data format;
storing, by said computer system on said machine-readable medium, an index of said client-specific manufacturing information by type and data format level for subsequent sorting and use by said manufacturing facility, said index mapping said different types of said client-specific manufacturing information to said different data format levels of said data format;
releasing said machine-readable medium to said manufacturing facility;
accessing an updated final design structure created by said manufacturing facility based on feedback information received by said manufacturing facility during processing of said final design structure; and
updating final design structures provided to other manufacturing facilities based on said updated final design structure created by said manufacturing facility.
2. The design method of claim 1 , said data format comprising any one of graphic data system (GDS) II format and open artwork system interchange standard (OASIS) format.
3. The design method of claim 1 , said client-specific manufacturing information further comprising import/export information, said import/export information comprising at least one of import/export forms, an export control classification number, an international traffic arms number and a harmonized system classification number.
4. The design method of claim 1 ,
said client-specific service requests comprising at least one of a service request for backside grinding, a service request for dicing, a service request for formation of kerf structures for in-process testing,
said client-specific processing directives comprising processing directives for at least one of effective channel length striping, threshold voltage splitting, and custom processing, and
said purchase order requirements comprising at least a number of wafers.
5. The design method of claim 1 , said client-specific manufacturing information further comprising client-specific design rule information comprising at least one of client-submitted logs, a design rule checking deck version used, and ground rules checked.
6. A manufacturing control method comprising:
accessing, by a computer system from a machine-readable medium, a design structure for an integrated circuit,
said design structure comprising at least layout information for said integrated circuit and client-specific manufacturing information for said integrated circuit,
said client-specific manufacturing information comprising client-specific service requests for services to be performed by a manufacturing facility during manufacturing of said integrated circuit, client-specific processing directives for processing to be performed by said manufacturing facility during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit and purchase order requirements for said integrated circuit,
said design structure being stored on said machine-readable medium in a data format that represents said layout information and said client-specific manufacturing information in hierarchical form with different types of said client-specific manufacturing information at different data format levels in said data format, and
said machine-readable medium further storing an index of said client-specific manufacturing information by type and data format level, said index mapping said different types of said client-specific manufacturing information to said different data format levels of said data format;
sorting, by said computer system, said client-specific manufacturing information from said layout information in said design structure, said sorting being performed using said index;
selecting, based on said different types of said client-specific manufacturing information, at least one selected tool of said manufacturing facility requiring said client-specific manufacturing information; and
forwarding, by said computer system, said client-specific manufacturing information to said at least one selected tool of said manufacturing facility for use during manufacturing of said integrated circuit to ensure that said services requests, said processing directives and said purchase order requirements are met.
7. The method of claim 6 , said data format comprising any one of graphic data system (GDS) II format and open artwork system interchange standard (OASIS) format.
8. The method of claim 6 ,
said client-specific service requests comprising at least one of a service request for backside grinding, a service request for dicing, a service request for formation of kerf structures for in-process testing,
said client-specific processing directives comprising processing directives for at least one of effective channel length striping, threshold voltage splitting, and custom processing, and
said purchase order requirements comprising at least a number of wafers.
9. The method of claim 8 ,
said client-specific manufacturing information further comprising import/export information comprising at least one of import/export forms, an export control classification number, an international traffic arms number and a harmonized system classification number, and
said forwarding of said client-specific manufacturing information to said at least one selected tool comprising forwarding said import/export information to an export control and compliance tool.
10. The method of claim 8 , said forwarding of said client-specific manufacturing information to said at least one selected tool comprising forwarding said at least one of said client-specific service requests, said client-specific processing directives and said purchase order requirements to at least one fabrication tool that performs at least one fabrication process during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit such that said any of said client-specific service requests, said client-specific processing directives and said purchase order requirements are met.
11. The method of claim 8 ,
said client-specific manufacturing information comprising client-specific design rule information comprising at least one of client-submitted logs, a design rule checking deck version used, and ground rules checked, and
said forwarding of said client-specific manufacturing information to said at least one selected tool comprising forwarding said client-specific design rule information to a design rule checking tool that receives said layout information and said client-specific design rule information and performs design rule checking.
12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving, by said computer system, feedback information from said at least one selected tool during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit to allow for updating of said design structure.
13. A manufacturing control system comprising:
a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing a design structure for an integrated circuit,
said design structure comprising at least layout information for said integrated circuit and client-specific manufacturing information for said integrated circuit,
said client-specific manufacturing information comprising client-specific service requests for services to be performed by a manufacturing facility during manufacturing of said integrated circuit, client-specific processing directives for processing to be performed by said manufacturing facility during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit and purchase order requirements for said integrated circuit,
said design structure being stored on said machine-readable medium in a data format that represents said layout information and said client-specific manufacturing information in hierarchical form with different types of said client-specific manufacturing information at different data format levels in said data format, and
said machine-readable medium further storing an index of said client-specific manufacturing information by type and data format level, said index mapping said different types of said client-specific manufacturing information to said different data format levels of said data format; and
at least one processor comprising:
a parsing tool accessing said design structure and sorting said client-specific manufacturing information from said layout information in said design structure using said index; and
a logistics tool selecting, based on said different types of said client-specific manufacturing information, at least one selected tool of said manufacturing facility requiring said client-specific manufacturing information, said logistics tool further forwarding said client-specific manufacturing information to said at least one selected tool for use during manufacturing of said integrated circuit to ensure that said service request, said processing directives and said purchase order requirements are met.
14. The system of claim 13 , said data format comprising any one of graphic data system (GDS) II format and open artwork system interchange standard (OASIS) format.
15. The system of claim 13 ,
said client-specific manufacturing information further comprising import/export information comprising at least one of import/export forms, an export control classification number, an international traffic arms number and a harmonized system classification number, and
said logistics tool forwarding said import/export information to an export control and compliance tool.
16. The system of claim 13 ,
said client-specific service requests comprising at least one of a service request for backside grinding, a service request for dicing, a service request for formation of kerf structures for in-process testing,
said client-specific processing directives comprising processing directives for at least one of effective channel length striping, threshold voltage splitting, and custom processing,
said purchase order requirements comprising at least a number of wafers, and
said logistics tool forwarding said at least one of said client-specific service requests, said client-specific processing directives and said purchase order requirements to at least one fabrication tool that performs at least one fabrication process during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit such that said one of said at least one of said client-specific service requests, said client-specific processing directives and said purchase order requirements are met.
17. The system of claim 13 ,
said client-specific manufacturing information further comprising client-specific design rule information comprising at least one of client-submitted logs, a design rule checking deck version used, and ground rules checked, and
said logistics tool forwarding said client-specific design rule information to a design rule checking tool that receives said layout information and said client-specific design rule information and performs design rule checking.
18. The system of claim 13 , said at least one processor further comprising a feedback tool receiving feedback information from said at least one selected tool during said manufacturing of said integrated circuit to allow for updating of said design structure.