Patent ID: 8010929
Filing Date: 2011-08-30
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method of defining wiring directions in a design layout of an integrated circuit (“IC”), the design layout comprising a plurality of wiring layers, the method comprising: identifying a first region on a wiring layer comprising a set of pins, wherein the first region comprises a first local preferred wiring direction that is different than a second local preferred wiring direction associated with a second region on the wiring layer; identifying at least one pin on the wiring layer that is adjacent to the first region; at a computing device, determining whether the first region increases a cost associated with routing the identified pin; modifying a shape of the first region when the first region increases the cost associated with routing the identified pin; and discarding the first region when the modification of the first region does not reduce the cost associated with routing the identified pin by a predetermined threshold value.