Patent ID: 8407647

Claim:
A method for designing an integrated circuit (IC), the method comprising: identifying, by a computer, an initial aspect ratio for a block that implements the IC, the initial aspect ratio being reflective of a ratio of a dimension of the block along a first direction and along a second direction; evaluating, by the computer, a demand ratio for the block, the demand ratio being reflective of a ratio of a conductive wiring demand along the first direction and a conductive wiring demand along the second direction; evaluating, by the computer, first-direction and second-direction routing resources needed for routing the circuitry in the block based at least on the demand ratio for the block; determining, by the computer, an area needed for an available routing layer based at least on the routing resources; and deriving, by the computer, desired dimensions for the block along at least one of the first direction and the second direction based at least on the area needed.