Patent ID: 6920620

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for creating a plurality of integrated circuit (IC) component layouts, each corresponding to a separate one of a plurality of IC components, wherein each IC component layout describes how its corresponding IC component is to be formed within an integrated circuit, the method comprising the steps of: a. storing a reference component layout having a plurality of dimensions; b. defining a plurality of shape parameters for the component layout, wherein each shape parameter is a variable representing a separate corresponding one of the dimensions of the reference component layout; c. receiving first data defining a range of values for at least one of the shape parameters; and d. automatically creating a separate IC component layout corresponding to each of a plurality of differing shape parameter values within said range of values, each IC component layout being a modified version of the reference component layout wherein a dimension corresponding to said one of the shape parameters is of length determined by that IC component layout's corresponding shape parameter value.