Patent ID: 9501610
Filing Date: 2016-11-22
CPC Classification: G06F

Claim Text:
1. A method for designing an integrated circuit (“IC”), comprising: (a) designing the IC to meet a voltage dependent frequency specification, the IC design including feedback circuitry for controlling a power supply voltage to a fabricated instance of the IC design; (b) characterizing a fabrication process for corner lots for the IC design at a range of power supply voltage levels achievable by the feedback circuitry; and (c) validating the IC design against the fabrication process if the frequency specification is achievable for essentially all instances of the IC design fabricated in accordance with the fabrication process by adjustment of the power supply voltage levels applied to such instances of the IC design within the range of the power supply voltage levels achievable by the feedback circuitry, and repeating (b) when essentially all fabricated instances of the IC design do not meet the frequency specification, wherein the feedback circuitry in each IC resulting from the IC design is operable to respectively adjust the power supply voltage of each IC resulting from the IC design by reducing the power supply voltage if the IC is from a fast corner lot and increasing power supply voltage if the IC is from a slow corner lot.