Method for triple-patterning friendly placement

1. A computer-implemented method for triple-patterning placement, the computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying one or more cells within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning design rule checking (“TP DRC”) rules in a placement region;

adding one or more attributes to a profile of each identified cell;

inserting one or more placement blockages based on the attributes of the each identified cell to produce a design layout; and

manufacturing a set of masks used in integrated circuit fabrication processes based on the design layout.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying one or more cells within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning design rule checking (“TP DRC”) rules comprises:

identifying a cell with the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations in at least one of a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the cell with the triple-patterning DRC violations in the vertical direction comprises:

determining whether one or more patterns of the cell are located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell top boundary or within a pre-defined spacing of a cell bottom boundary; and

adding a cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary or within the pre-defined spacing of the cell bottom boundary.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary, the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a corresponding placement site within the cell.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell bottom boundary, the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages under the cell bottom boundary of a corresponding placement site and one or more neighboring placement sites.

6. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the cell with the triple-patterning DRC violations in the horizontal direction comprises:

determining whether a path exists from a first group of patterns to a second group of patterns through a third group of patterns, wherein the first group of patterns is located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell left boundary, the second group of patterns is located within the predefined spacing to a cell right boundary, and the third group of patterns is located in a region between the first group of patterns and the second group of patterns; and

adding a cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction when the path exists.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a neighbor placement site when the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction.

8. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer program logic stored thereon that, when executed by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations for triple-patterning placement, the operations comprising:

identifying one or more cells within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning design rule checking (TP DRC) rules in a placement region;

adding one or more attributes to a profile of each identified cell;

inserting one or more placement blockages based on the attributes of the each identified cell to produce a design layout;

and

manufacturing a set of masks used in integrated circuit fabrication processes based on the design layout.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 8 , wherein identifying one or more cells within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning design rule checking (TP DRC) rules comprises:

identifying a cell with the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations in at least one of a vertical direction or a horizontal direction.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein identifying the cell with the triple patterning DRC violations in the vertical direction comprises:

determining whether one or more patterns is located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell top boundary or within a pre-defined spacing of a cell bottom boundary; and

adding a cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary or within the pre-defined spacing of the cell bottom boundary.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary, the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a corresponding placement site within the cell.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell bottom boundary, the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages under the cell bottom boundary of a corresponding placement site and one or more neighboring placement sites.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein identifying the cell with the triple patterning DRC violations in the horizontal direction comprises:

determining whether a path exists from a first group of patterns to a second group of patterns through a third group of patterns, wherein the first group of patterns is located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell left boundary, the second group of patterns is located within the predefined spacing to a cell right boundary, and the third group of patterns is located in a region between the first group of patterns and the second group of patterns; and

adding a cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction when the path exists.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the inserting one or more placement blockages comprises:

inserting a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a neighbor placement site when the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction.

15. A system for generating a detailed placement, the system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions for triple-patterning placement;

a processor configured to:

identify a cell within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning DRC rules in at least one of a vertical direction or a horizontal direction;

add one or more attributes to a profile of the cell;

insert one or more placement blockages based on the attributes of the identified cell to produce a design layout;

and

output the design layout to a machine readable storage medium, wherein the outputted design layout is configured to manufacture a set of masks used in integrated circuit fabrication processes;

and

a photolithography unit that uses the sets of masks in an integrated circuit fabrication process.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein to identify a cell within a chip design that includes a plurality of cells with potential risks of violating one or more triple-patterning DRC rules in the vertical direction, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether one or more patterns is located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell top boundary or within a pre-defined spacing of a cell bottom boundary; and

add the cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations is located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary or within the pre-defined spacing of the cell bottom boundary.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations are located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell top boundary, the processor is further configured to:

insert a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a corresponding placement site within the cell.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein when the cell attribute indicates the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations is located within the pre-defined spacing to the cell bottom boundary, the processor is further configured to:

insert a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages under the cell bottom boundary of a corresponding placement site and one or more neighboring placement sites.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein to identify the cell with the triple patterning DRC violations in the horizontal direction, the processor is further configured to:

determine whether a path exists from a first group of patterns to a second group of patterns through a third group of patterns, wherein the first group of patterns is located within a pre-defined spacing to a cell left boundary, the second group of patterns is located within the predefined spacing to a cell right boundary, and the third group of patterns is located in a region between the first group of patterns and the second group of patterns; and

add the cell attribute to the profile of the cell, wherein the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction when the path exists.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

insert a placement blockage from among the one or more placement blockages on a neighbor placement site when the cell attribute indicates that the one or more triple-patterning DRC violations exists in the horizontal direction.