Integrated circuit design changes using through-silicon vias
A method for adding an electrical interconnection within a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3-D IC) is disclosed. The method may include creating, within a design file of a 3-D IC that specifies a layout for a first chip of the 3-D IC, design data corresponding to a set of through-silicon via (TSV) reservation areas. The method may also include receiving an engineering change order (ECO) and releasing, in response to the ECO, at least one TSV reservation area for reuse. The method may also include adding, by re-using at least one TSV reservation area, an electrical interconnection within the design file of the first chip of the 3-D IC.
1. A computer-implemented method for adding an electrical interconnection within a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3-D IC), the method comprising:
creating, within a design file that specifies a layout of a first chip of the 3-D IC for storage in a non-transitory medium in communication with a computer system, design data corresponding to a set of through-silicon via (TSV) reservation areas;
receiving at a computer system, an engineering change order (ECO);
releasing, by the computer system, in response to the ECO, at least one TSV reservation area of the set of TSV reservation areas; and
adding, in the at least one TSV reservation area created within the design file of the first chip of the 3-D IC, design data specifying at least one TSV element configured to create an electrical interconnection for connecting chips within the 3 D IC,
wherein said adding said design data within the design file of the first chip of the 3-D IC to create an electrical interconnection within the 3-D IC further comprises:
adding, at the computer system, in response to a specification within the ECO of at least one new TSV element connecting the first chip and a second chip of the 3-D IC, to a list of spare TSVs, design data corresponding to at least one of a spare TSV, a TSV reservation area, and a released TSV reservation area within the first chip; and
assigning, to a net used to electrically interconnect the first chip and the second chip of the 3-D IC, a spare TSV from the list of spare TSVs; and
wherein said assigning, to a net, a TSV from the list of spare TSVs further comprises at least one member of a group consisting of: determining, using a channel routing algorithm, a length of a routed net that includes the TSV, and determining, using a net timing algorithm, a signal propagation delay of a routed net that includes the TSV; and further comprises
swapping, in response to net timing constraints within an ECO and to one of a length of a routed net and a signal propagation delay of a routed net, an assigned TSV with a previously assigned TSV.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein adding design data to the design file of the first chip to create an electrical interconnection within the 3-D IC further comprises adding, to the first chip, design data for ECO logic circuits that are electrically connected to chip logic circuits of the first chip and that are coupled the spare TSV from the list of spare TSVs.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein adding design data to the design file of the first chip to create an electrical interconnection for connecting chips within the 3-D IC further comprises adding logic for coupling, by routing wires on the first chip, the spare TSV from the list of spare TSVs to the ECO logic circuits of the first chip.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein assigning, to a net, a spare TSV from the list of spare TSVs further comprises adding logic for fabricating, in response to the spare TSV from the list of spare TSVs being located in a TSV reservation area, at least one TSV element in the TSV reservation area in the first chip of the 3-D IC.