Patent ID: 7409662

Claim:
A method for designing shielding in integrated circuits, the method comprising: receiving a first input designating a first net segment profile on a first level in an integrated circuit for shielding; determining whether the designated first net segment profile is in electrical communication with other net segment profiles; determining whether the designated net segment profiles determined to be in electrical communication with the first net segment profile for shielding are located in a different level than the first net segment profile; designating net segment profiles determined to be in electrical communication with the first net segment profile for shielding; defining a first shielding profile corresponding to the designated net segment profiles on the first level; defining a second shielding profile corresponding to the designated net segment profiles on the second level; determining which segments of the first shielding profile and the second shielding profile contact features of the integrated circuit; removing segments of the first shielding profile and the second shielding profile determined to contact features in the integrated circuit; determining which segments of the first shielding profile and the second shielding profile are non-continuous; removing segments of the first shielding profile and the second shielding profile determined to be non-continuous; defining vias at the intersections of first shielding profile and the second shielding profile, wherein the vias are operative to connect the first shielding profile on the first level to the second shielding profile on the second level; and outputting the first shielding profile, the second shielding profile, and the vias to a display.