Patent ID: 9721056
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: G06F

Claim:
1. A computer implemented method for designing an integrated circuit (IC), the computer implemented method comprising: dividing, using the computer, a wire disposed in the IC into a plurality of segments, each of the plurality of segments having a length extending from a first end point to a second end point; for each of at least a subset of the plurality of segments, forming, using the computer, an associated wide segment that does not overlap any adjacent objects; and replacing, using the computer, each of the at least the subset of the plurality of segments with the associated wide segment to form a widened wire, wherein forming a wide segment comprises: expanding the segment to form an expanded segment that includes the first and the second end points and has a size such that the expanded segment overlaps with at least one adjacent object; identifying adjacent objects that overlap with the expanded segment; for each of the identified object, forming an expanded object, the expanded object having a shape and size to enclose the identified object with additional spacing around the perimeter of the object; and reducing the size of the expanded segment to form the wide segment that does not overlap any of the expanded objects.