Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for designing integrated circuits according to master slice approach

US5551014A · kind A · utility

17Cited by
11References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 1, 1995
Grant dateAug 27, 1996
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 1, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F30/39
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A CAD system designs mask patterns for use in a master slice integrated circuit processing. The system includes an input device such as a mouse interface, and a display unit for symbolically displaying circuit elements and cells. A first data base stores a net list of circuit design information. A second data base stores data relating to the structure of a master slice bulk and various types of elemental cells formed in the master slice. A processing unit of the CAD system causes the display unit to display both a circuit design scheme and the master slice bulk on a screen of the display unit. The processing unit produces data about the initial positions of a pair of contact hole patterns by which a resistor is defined in a resistive cell region of the master slice, and automatically shifts the contact hole patterns from the initial positions to another position, in order to avoid interference between a wiring pattern on the master slice bulk and the contact hole patterns.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.