Layout of Large Block Synthesis Blocks in Integrated Circuits

Content Provider	The Lens
Abstract	Generating a layout of an integrated circuit chip area from a description of an integrated circuit (IC). The description includes a register-transfer-level (RTL) design. The RTL design is partitioned in large blocks for synthesis of large block synthesis (LBS) blocks. The description of the IC further includes a floorplan for the IC, wherein each LBS block to be synthesized is assigned to a respective rectilinear shape in the floorplan and the rectilinear shapes do not overlap each other.
Related Links	https://www.lens.org/lens/patent/012-426-409-682-371/frontpage
Language	English
Publisher Date	2019-09-17
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Patent
Jurisdiction	United States of America
Date Applied	2018-10-30
Agent	Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.c. William A. Kinnaman, Jr., Esq.
Applicant	Ibm
Application No.	201816174845
Claim	A computer system comprising: a memory; and one or more processors in communication with the memory, wherein the computer system is configured to perform a method, said method comprising: generating, by the one or more processors, a layout of an integrated circuit chip area from a description of an integrated circuit (IC), the description comprising a register-transfer-level (RTL) design, wherein the RTL design is partitioned into large blocks for synthesis of large block synthesis (LBS) blocks, the description of the IC further comprising a first floorplan for the IC, wherein LBS blocks to be synthesized are assigned to respective rectilinear shapes in the first floorplan and said rectilinear shapes do not overlap each other, the generating comprising: selecting a pair of the LBS blocks having their cells synthesized and placed according to the RTL design and the first floorplan and routed according to the RTL design; generating a further floorplan in which the rectilinear shapes of the selected LBS blocks overlap each other; generating layouts of the selected LBS blocks, the generating comprising executing synthesis and placement of their cells according to the RTL design and the further floorplan and routing internal interconnects of each of the selected LBS blocks according to the RTL design; based on a first case in which the first value is less than the first target density value and the second value is greater than or equal to the second target density value, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased; and based on a second case in which the second value is less than the first target density value and the first value is greater than or equal to the second target density value, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased; and fabricating an IC chip utilizing the layout. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the overlap of the selected LBS blocks constitutes an overlap shape comprising at least a portion of the first border shape and at least a portion of the second border shape. The computer system of claim 2 , wherein a cross-over shape comprises the first border shape and the second border shape. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein in the further floorplan assignment of portions of the rectilinear shapes outside the cross-over shape assigned to the selected LBS blocks in the first floorplan is the same as in the first floorplan and the cross-over shape comprises interleaved rectilinear shapes which are interchangeably assigned in the further floorplan either to the one of the selected LBS blocks or to the other one of the selected LBS blocks. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the first value being greater than or equal to the first target density value and the second value being greater than or equal to the second target density value and the layout of the one of the selected LBS blocks not complying with a specification comprised in the description of the IC, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased. The computer system of claim 5 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the updating of the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased, repeating the generation of the layouts of the selected LBS blocks. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the first value being greater than or equal to the first target density value and the second value being greater than or equal to the second target density value and the layout of the other one of the selected LBS blocks not complying with the specification comprised in the description of the IC, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased. The computer system of claim 7 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the updating of the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased, repeating the generation of the layouts of the selected LBS blocks. The computer system of claim 3 , wherein the interleaved rectilinear shapes and the overlap shape are generated such that the first value multiplied by a first ratio of a geometric area of the first border shape and an overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the first border shape in the further floorplan is greater than or equal to the first target density value and the second value multiplied by a second ratio of the geometric area of the second border shape and the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the second border shape in the further floor plan is greater than or equal to the second target density value, and wherein the overlap shape and the cross-over shape are rectangular shapes. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein a first border shape comprised in a rectilinear shape assigned to one of the selected LBS blocks and a second border shape comprised in a rectilinear shape assigned to another one of the selected LBS blocks neighbor each other in the first floorplan, wherein a first value of area utilization of the first border shape by therein placed cells of the one of the selected LBS blocks is less than a first target density value and a second value of area utilization of the second border shape by therein placed cells of the other one of the selected LBS blocks is less than a second target density value, and wherein the first and the second border shapes are rectangular shapes. The computer system of claim 1 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on updating the further floorplan, repeating the generation of the layouts of the selected LBS blocks. A computer program product comprising: a computer readable storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising: generating, by the one or more processors, a layout of an integrated circuit chip area from a description of an integrated circuit (IC), the description comprising a register-transfer-level (RTL) design, wherein the RTL design is partitioned into large blocks for synthesis of large block synthesis (LBS) blocks, the description of the IC further comprising a first floorplan for the IC, wherein LBS blocks to be synthesized are assigned to respective rectilinear shapes in the first floorplan and said rectilinear shapes do not overlap each other, the generating comprising: selecting a pair of the LBS blocks having their cells synthesized and placed according to the RTL design and the first floorplan and routed according to the RTL design; generating a further floorplan in which the rectilinear shapes of the selected LBS blocks overlap each other; generating layouts of the selected LBS blocks, the generating comprising executing synthesis and placement of their cells according to the RTL design and the further floorplan and routing internal interconnects of each of the selected LBS blocks according to the RTL design; based on a first case in which the first value is less than the first target density value and the second value is greater than or equal to the second target density value, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased; and based on a second case in which the second value is less than the first target density value and the first value is greater than or equal to the second target density value, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased; and fabricating an IC chip utilizing the layout. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the overlap of the selected LBS blocks constitutes an overlap shape comprising at least a portion of the first border shape and at least a portion of the second border shape. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein a cross-over shape comprises the first border shape and the second border shape. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein in the further floorplan assignment of portions of the rectilinear shapes outside the cross-over shape assigned to the selected LBS blocks in the first floorplan is the same as in the first floorplan and the cross-over shape comprises interleaved rectilinear shapes which are interchangeably assigned in the further floorplan either to the one of the selected LBS blocks or to the other one of the selected LBS blocks. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the interleaved rectilinear shapes and the overlap shape are generated such that the first value multiplied by a first ratio of a geometric area of the first border shape and an overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the first border shape in the further floorplan is greater than or equal to the first target density value and the second value multiplied by a second ratio of the geometric area of the second border shape and the overall geometric area assigned to the other one of the selected LBS blocks in the second border shape in the further floor plan is greater than or equal to the second target density value, and wherein the overlap shape and the cross-over shape are rectangular shapes. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the first value being greater than or equal to the first target density value and the second value being greater than or equal to the second target density value and the layout of the one of the selected LBS blocks not complying with a specification comprised in the description of the IC, updating the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on the updating of the further floorplan such that the overall geometric area assigned to the one of the selected LBS blocks in the cross-over shape is increased, repeating the generation of the layouts of the selected LBS blocks. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein a first border shape comprised in a rectilinear shape assigned to one of the selected LBS blocks and a second border shape comprised in a rectilinear shape assigned to another one of the selected LBS blocks neighbor each other in the first floorplan, wherein a first value of area utilization of the first border shape by therein placed cells of the one of the selected LBS blocks is less than a first target density value and a second value of area utilization of the second border shape by therein placed cells of the other one of the selected LBS blocks is less than a second target density value, and wherein the first and the second border shapes are rectangular shapes. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the generating further comprises: based on updating the further floorplan, repeating the generation of the layouts of the selected LBS blocks.
CPC Classification	ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
Examiner	Naum Levin
Extended Family	123-805-762-009-764 173-644-697-065-362 103-574-329-111-599 182-625-179-505-72X 151-234-169-271-656 108-514-550-803-866 128-443-329-341-199 035-585-712-807-790 022-056-230-445-664 021-061-655-305-974 169-562-756-755-563 012-426-409-682-371 009-687-972-873-131 053-455-413-275-664
Patent ID	10417366
Inventor/Author	Barowski Harry Folberth Harald D Keinert Joachim Saha Sourav
IPC	G06F17/50
Status	Active
Owner	International Business Machines Corporation
Simple Family	123-805-762-009-764 173-644-697-065-362 103-574-329-111-599 182-625-179-505-72X 151-234-169-271-656 108-514-550-803-866 128-443-329-341-199 035-585-712-807-790 022-056-230-445-664 021-061-655-305-974 169-562-756-755-563 012-426-409-682-371 009-687-972-873-131 053-455-413-275-664
CPC (with Group)	G06F2115/08 G06F30/327 G06F30/392 G06F30/394
Issuing Authority	United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Kind	Patent/New European patent specification (amended specification after opposition procedure)