Integrated circuit design is the process through which the electrical components of a circuit are designed, simulated, and stored such that the integrated circuit can be formed on a semiconductor substrate. Application-specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”) are typically designed using a standard cell (or “cell”) methodology in which standard cells are developed having a particular length and width. Each cell can have a different configuration such that the cell performs a certain function, e.g., a buffer, a latch, or a logic function (e.g., AND, OR, etc.). These cells are placed to form a layout according to certain design rules, which include manufacturing constraints that set forth specific spacing between adjacent cells and/or pins for input/output (“I/O”) and power.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds