editor's blog
Subscribe Now

Triple Patterning Explosion

The type of patterning to be used at a given technology node is determined layer-by-layer. At 10 nm, SADP is planned for metals, but contacts are looking like they’ll require triple patterning, according to Mentor’s David Abercrombie.

We’ve talked about LELE coloring before, and algorithms exist to automatically color a circuit with linear scaling – twice as big a circuit takes twice as long to color. But when you go to LELELE, it’s no longer linear: it’s np-complete. Beyond 30 features to be colored, the algorithm isn’t going to finish in a lifetime.

So coloring algorithms are instead being approached using heuristics and constraints. For instance, it’s generally considered better to balance the colors so that there are roughly the same number of features on each color. That eliminates all of the gazillion possible decompositions that don’t meet that criterion.

There is also some concern that different decompositions might have different litho effects. It’s not known yet whether this will be an issue, but that would certainly complicate matters, since the algorithm would now have to take lithographic distortions into effect – as if it didn’t already have enough to think about.

Leave a Reply

featured blogs
May 14, 2025
If you're based in Coimbatore and you're looking for a bright and highly motivated ASIC/FPGA intern, I have great news!...

featured paper

How Google and Intel use Calibre DesignEnhancer to reduce IR drop and improve reliability

Sponsored by Siemens Digital Industries Software

Through real-world examples from Intel and Google, we highlight how Calibre’s DesignEnhancer maximizes layout modifications while ensuring DRC compliance.

Click here for more information

featured chalk talk

Reliability: Basics & Grades
Reliability is cornerstone to all electronic designs today, but how reliability is implemented and determined can vary widely by different market segments. In this episode of Chalk Talk, Amelia Dalton and Sam Accardo from the YAGEO Group explore the definition of reliability for electronic components, investigate the different grades of reliability offered by the YAGEO Group and the various steps that the YAGEO Group is taking to ensure the greatest reliability of their components.
Aug 15, 2024
53,576 views