Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-11-13
Nelms, David (Department: 2818)
Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor
Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design
C716S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317864
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a system and a method for graphic layout modification.
In designing a layout of a large-scale semiconductor integrated circuit or a printed wiring board, use is made of an automatic graphic layout modification system.
A conventional automatic graphic layout modification system compresses layout in a longitudinal direction and/or a lateral direction of a board on a display.
However, the conventional automatic graphic layout modification system can not compress the layout in a diagonal direction and can not handle a diagonal wire.
Another conventional automatic graphic layout modification system compresses layout in diagonal direction of a board on a display.
However, the automatic graphic layout modification system can not compress the layout located on a plurality of layers layered on one another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a graphic layout modification system which is capable of compressing a graphic layout with a plurality of components placed on opposite surfaces on a display.
It is another object of this invention to provide a graphic layout modification system which is capable of performing a compaction in a diagonal direction and achieving a free diagonal wire on a display.
Other object of this invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
On describing the gist of this invention, it is possible to understand that a graphic layout modification system modifies a layout pattern of at least one layer with a plurality of components placed in a two-dimensional space by moving and replacing the components in each layout pattern.
According to the gist of this invention, the system comprises a layout data converting section supplied with layout data representative of the placement of the components for decomposing each component into segments per layer plane to prepare segment data in which those segments belonging to a single common device are assigned with a common moving group number. A movement designating section designates the movement of at least one of the components as a movement-designated component by entering a diagonal movement target direction and an initial moving distance. a calculating section calculates, in order to move the components in the movement target direction, a moving group relative movement limit length within which a first component is movable towards a second component which is adjacent to the first component in the diagonal movement target direction with a wire interposed therebetween. The calculating section subtracts the moving group relative movement limit length from a first moving distance of the first component to obtain a difference and memorizes the difference as a second moving distance of the second component. A moving section moves the components by the second moving distance to place the second component. A wire compacting section calculates routing limit position data representative of a routing limit position determined by pulling the wire between the first and the second components around the second component in the diagonal movement target direction. A rerouting section trims and reroutes the wire within a routing limit range determined by the routing limit position. The components are moved as a chain reaction in the diagonal movement target direction, by substituting the movement-designated component and the initial moving distance for the first component and the first moving distance, respectively, at a first time, and replacing the second component and the second moving distance for a new first component and a new first distance, respectively at and after second times, to obtain a resultant layout which is displayed on a display unit.
According to another gist of this invention, a graphic layout modification method comprises the steps of receiving layout data representative of the placement of the components, decomposing each component into segments per layer plane, and preparing segment data in which those segments belonging to a single common component are assigned with a common moving group number; designating the movement of at least one of the components as a movement-designated component by entering a diagonal movement target direction and an initial moving distance; calculating, in order to move the components in the movement target direction, a moving group relative movement limit length within which a first component is movable towards a second component which is adjacent to the first component in the diagonal movement target direction with a wire interposed therebetween, subtracting the moving group relative movement limit length from a first moving distance of the first component to obtain a difference, and memorizing the difference as a second moving distance of the second component; moving the component by the second moving distance to place the second component; calculating routing limit position data representative of a routing limit position determined by pulling the wire between the first and the second components around the second component in the diagonal movement target direction; and trimming and replacing the wire within a routing limit range determined by the routing limit position. The components are moved as a chain reaction in the diagonal movement target direction, by substituting the movement-designated component and the initial moving distance for the first component and the first moving distance, respectively, at a first time, and replacing the second component and the second moving distance for a new first component and a new first distance, respectively at and after second times, to obtain a resultant layout which is displayed on a display section.
According to still another gist of this invention, an information recording medium records a layout data converting program supplied with layout data representative of the placement of the components for decomposing each component into segments per layer plane to prepare segment data in which those segments belonging to a single common component are assigned with a common moving group number; movement designating program for designating the movement of at least one of the components as a movement-designated component by entering a diagonal movement target direction and an initial moving distance; a program for calculating, in order to move the components in the movement target direction, a moving group relative movement limit length within which a first component is movable towards a second component which is adjacent to the first component in the diagonal movement target direction with a wire interposed therebetween, for subtracting the moving group relative movement limit length from a first moving distance of the first component to obtain a difference, and for memorizing the difference as a second moving distance of the second component; a program for moving the components by the second moving distance to place the second component; a wire compacting program for calculating routing limit position data representative of a routing limit position determined by pulling the wire between the first and the second components around the second component in the diagonal movement target direction; and a rerouting program for trimming and replacing the wire within the routing limit range determined by the routing limit position; the components being moved as a chain reaction in the diagonal movement target direction, by substituting the movement-designated component and the initial moving distance for the first component and the first moving distance, respectively, at a first time, and replacing the second component and the second moving distance for a new first component and a new first distance, respectively at and after second times, to obtain a resultant layout which is displayed on a display section.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4070710 (1978-01-01), Sukonick et al.
patent: 5051930 (1991-09-01), Kuwabara et al.
patent: 5353401 (1994-10-01), Iizawa et al.
patent: 5495567 (1996-02-01), Iizawa et al.
patent: 5649081 (1997-07-01), Nakajima et al.
pat
Kikuchi Hideo
Yato Arata
Le Thong
NEC Corporation
Nelms David
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
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