Patent ID: 7698671

Claim:
A method for designing a semiconductor integrated circuit having air gaps formed therein, the method comprising: the input step of receiving circuit data on the semiconductor integrated circuit, design constraints as to design of the semiconductor integrated circuit, air gap information on air gap creation in the circuit data, and an air gap volume constraint specifying an allowable range for an air gap volume value; the calculation step of calculating via a processor, the sum total of the values of the volumes of air gaps created in the circuit data according to the air gap information; the detection step of detecting that the sum total of the air gap volume values calculated in the calculation step falls outside the allowable range specified by the air gap volume constraint; and the optimization step of, upon detection in the detection step that the sum total of the air gap volume values falls outside the allowable range, optimizing the circuit data so that the design constraints are satisfied and the sum total of the air gap volume values falls within the allowable range.