Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for assigning nets to metal layers during circuit routing

US6738959B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
5References
35Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 2, 2002
Grant dateMay 18, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 2, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F30/394
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates routing nets between cells in a circuit layout. During operation, the system receives a circuit design to be routed, wherein the circuit design includes multiple circuit blocks that have been placed at specific locations within the circuit layout. Next, the system determines estimated lengths for nets that couple these circuit blocks together. The system then calculates the delay for the nets that couple the circuit blocks using a class one rule. If the delay in a given net is greater than a specified delay, the system inserts a virtual repeater into the given net to decrease the delay.

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