1. A method of noise analysis and correction of noise violations for an integrated circuit design comprising steps of:
(a) receiving as input a standard parasitic exchange file for an integrated circuit design;
(b) parsing the standard parasitic exchange file to generate a resistance graph;
(c) generating a representation of the resistance graph to determine noise critical nets;
(d) generating a list of only noise critical nets from the representation of the resistance graph;
(e) selecting a victim net from the list of only noise critical nets;
(f) calculating a value of total crosstalk noise in the selected victim net from all aggressor nets relative to the selected victim net; and
(g) generating as output the value of total crosstalk noise in the selected victim net for correcting a noise violation.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) comprises generating one of a resistance tree and a resistance star tree as the representation of the resistance graph.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises filtering the nets in the representation of the resistance graph to exclude nets that are not subject to false switching from crosstalk noise.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) comprises filtering the nets in the representation of the resistance graph to include nets that drive logical stages that drive noise critical nets.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a peak noise and a drop noise for the selected net.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein step (f) comprises comparing the peak noise and the drop noise to a peak noise threshold and a drop noise threshold for the selected victim net to determine whether a noise violation may occur in the selected net.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein step (g) comprises generating a report of a noise violation if the peak noise threshold or the drop noise threshold is exceeded.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein step (g) comprises reporting a name of the selected victim net, the peak noise, the drop noise, and names of significant aggressor nets and their respective contributions to the total noise.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a crosstalk noise VXm coupled into the selected victim net by an aggressor by the following formulas:
VX
m
=
V
dd
\u2062
\u03c4
cm
\u03c4
T
\xb7
(
\u03c4
T
\u03c4
m
)
\u03c4
m
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
\u2260
0
\u2062
\u2062
and
VX
m
=
V
dd
\u2062
\u03c4
cm
\u03c4
T
\xb7
\u2147
–
1
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
=
0.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a ratio rm of a coupling capacitance Ccm to a total net capacitance CvT so that the crosstalk noise VXm is given by:
VX
m
=
r
m
\xb7
V
dd
\xb7
(
\u03c4
T
\u03c4
m
)
\u03c4
m
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
\u2260
0
\u2062
\u2062
and
VX
m
=
r
m
\xb7
V
dd
\xb7
\u2147
–
1
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
=
0.
11. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of selecting an equivalent transient resistance of an aggressor net as an aggressor driver resistance for worst case, best case, and nominal case operating condition from a cell library.
12. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of determining values of a peak noise threshold and a drop noise threshold for the selected net and storing the values in a cell library.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein step (g) further comprises correcting a noise violation in the integrated circuit design by modifying a floorplan of the integrated circuit design wherein modifying the floorplan comprises at least one of increasing driver power of the selected victim net, decreasing driver power of an aggressor net, inserting a buffer in the victim net to reduce net delay, inserting a buffer in at least one of the aggressor nets to reduce net delay, and re-routing the victim net and its aggressors.
14. A computer program product for analyzing noise and correcting noise violations for an integrated circuit design comprising:
a medium for embodying a computer program for input to a computer; and
a computer program embodied in the medium for causing the computer to perform steps of:
(a) receiving as input a standard parasitic exchange file for an integrated circuit design;
(b) parsing the standard parasitic exchange file to generate a resistance graph;
(c) generating a representation of the resistance graph to determine noise critical nets;
(d) generating a list of only noise critical nets from the representation of the resistance graph;
(e) selecting a net from the list of only noise critical nets;
(f) calculating a value of total crosstalk noise in the selected net from all aggressor nets relative to the selected net; and
(g) generating as output the value of total crosstalk noise in the selected net for correcting a noise violation.
15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (c) comprises generating one of a resistance tree and a resistance star tree as the representation of the resistance graph.
16. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (d) comprises filtering the nets in the representation of the resistance graph to exclude nets that are not subject to false switching from crosstalk noise.
17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (d) comprises filtering the nets in the representation of the resistance graph to include nets that drive logical stages that drive noise critical nets.
18. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a peak noise and a drop noise for the selected net.
19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein step (f) comprises comparing the peak noise and the drop noise to a peak noise threshold and a drop noise threshold for the selected net to determine whether a noise violation may occur in the selected net.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein step (g) comprises generating a report of a noise violation if the peak noise threshold or the drop noise threshold is exceeded.
21. The computer program product of claim 20 wherein step (g) comprises reporting a name of the selected net, the peak noise, the drop noise, and names of significant aggressor nets and their respective contributions to the total noise.
22. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a crosstalk noise VXm coupled into the selected net by an aggressor by the following formulas:
VX
m
=
V
dd
\u2062
\u03c4
cm
\u03c4
T
\xb7
(
\u03c4
T
\u03c4
m
)
\u03c4
m
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
\u2260
0
\u2062
\u2062
and
VX
m
=
V
dd
\u2062
\u03c4
cm
\u03c4
T
\xb7
\u2147
–
1
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
=
0.
23. The computer program product of claim 22 wherein step (f) comprises calculating a ratio rm of a coupling capacitance Ccm to a total net capacitance CvT so that the crosstalk noise VXm is given by:
VX
m
=
r
m
\xb7
V
dd
\xb7
(
\u03c4
T
\u03c4
m
)
\u03c4
m
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
\u2260
0
\u2062
\u2062
and
VX
m
=
r
m
\xb7
V
dd
\xb7
\u2147
–
1
if
\u2062
\u2062
\u03c4
m
–
\u03c4
T
=
0.
24. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising a step of selecting an equivalent transient resistance of an aggressor net as an aggressor driver resistance for worst case, best case, and nominal case operating conditions from a cell library.
25. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising a step of determining values of a peak noise threshold and a drop noise threshold for the selected net and storing the values in a cell library.
26. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein step (g) further comprises correcting a noise violation in the integrated circuit design by modifying a floorplan of the integrated circuit design wherein modifying the floorplan comprises at least one of:
increasing driver power of the selected victim net;
decreasing driver power of an aggressor net;
inserting a buffer in the victim net to reduce net delay;
inserting a buffer in at least one of the aggressor nets to reduce net delay; and
re-routing the victim net and its aggressors.
27. A method of noise analysis and correction of noise violations for an integrated circuit design comprising steps of:
(a) receiving as input a standard parasitic exchange file for an integrated circuit design;
(b) parsing the standard parasitic exchange file to generate a resistance graph;
(c) generating a list of only noise critical nets from the representation of the net resistance graph;
(d) calculating a value of total crosstalk noise in a selected victim net in the list of noise critical nets from all aggressor nets relative to the selected victim net; and
(e) generating as output the value of total crosstalk noise in the selected victim net for correcting a noise violation.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method of cleaning a semiconductor processing equipment, said method comprising:
introducing a first precursor to a dissociator;
dissociating said first precursor to create a first plurality of radicals;
introducing a first portion of said first plurality of radicals to said equipment, a second portion of said first plurality of radicals re-associating to create less reactive elements;
introducing said less reactive elements to said equipment;
dissociating said less reactive elements to form a second plurality of radicals in said equipment;
introducing a second precursor comprising oxygen into said equipment, wherein said second precursor bypasses said dissociator; and
using the first and second portions of the first plurality of radicals and constituents of the second precursor to clean the equipment, wherein the oxygen combines with carbon on the equipment to form COy.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said dissociating said first precursor provides at least 75% dissociation efficiency, whereby PFCs in an exhaust from said system equipment are reduced.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said second portion of said first plurality of radicals is greater than said first portion of said first plurality of radicals.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first precursor comprises a fluorinated species capable of supplying atomic fluorine.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second plurality of radicals includes cleaning ions.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said cleaning ions include at least one of F ions or Cl ions.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said dissociating said less reactive elements creates physical sputtering.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said less reactive elements include at least one of F2 or Cl2.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said dissociating said first precursor includes forming a first plasma and said dissociating said less reactive elements includes forming a second plasma.
10. A semiconductor equipment cleaning system comprising:
a housing;
a remote dissociator configured to dissociate a first gas remote from said housing, said dissociation forming a second gas;
a gas delivery system to introduce a portion of said first gas, a portion of said second gas, a third gas comprising oxygen, and a re-associated portion of said second gas into said housing, the third gas bypassing the dissociator;
a local dissociator configured to dissociate said re-associated portion of said second gas;
a controller for controlling said remote dissociator, said gas delivery system, and said local dissociator; and
a memory coupled to said controller, said memory comprising a computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of said semiconductor cleaning system, said computer-readable program comprising:
instructions directing said remote dissociator to dissociate said first gas;
an instruction to control said gas delivery system; and
an instruction directing said local dissociator and said remote dissociator to dissociate a re-associated portion of said second gas.
11. A method for cleaning a deposition chamber, the method comprising:
delivering a first precursor gas and a second precursor gas into a remote dissociator;
dissociating at least part of the first precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a first plurality of radicals are formed;
dissociating at least part of the second precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a second plurality of radicals are formed that are different from the first plurality of radicals;
flowing a first portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the first portion of the first plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber;
flowing a second portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the second portion includes radicals associated to form less reactive elements;
flowing a portion of the second plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the portion of the second plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber; and
dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber, wherein the dissociated less reactive elements react to clean the deposition chamber;
wherein the first precursor gas comprises fluorine, and the second precursor gas comprises chlorine.
12. A method for cleaning a deposition chamber, the method comprising:
delivering a first precursor gas and a second precursor gas into a remote dissociator;
dissociating at least part of the first precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a first plurality of radicals are formed;
dissociating at least part of the second precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a second plurality of radicals are formed that are different from the first plurality of radicals;
flowing a first portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the first portion of the first plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber;
flowing a second portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the second portion includes radicals associated to form less reactive elements;
flowing a portion of the second plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the portion of the second plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber; and
dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber, wherein the dissociated less reactive elements react to clean the deposition chamber;
wherein dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber is performed prior to flowing a portion of the second plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, and wherein dissociating the second precursor gas is performed exclusively in the remote dissociator.
13. A method for cleaning a deposition chamber, the method comprising:
delivering a first precursor gas and a second precursor gas into a remote dissociator;
dissociating at least part of the first precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a first plurality of radicals are formed;
dissociating at least part of the second precursor gas in the remote dissociator, wherein a second plurality of radicals are formed that are different from the first plurality of radicals;
flowing a first portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the first portion of the first plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber;
flowing a second portion of the first plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the second portion includes radicals associated to form less reactive elements;
flowing a portion of the second plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the portion of the second plurality of radicals react to clean the deposition chamber; and
dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber, wherein the dissociated less reactive elements react to clean the deposition chamber;
wherein dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber, is performed after flowing a portion of the second plurality of radicals into the deposition chamber.
14. A method for cleaning a deposition chamber contaminated with carbon and silicon based contaminants, the method comprising:
delivering NF3 gas into a remote dissociator;
dissociating at least part of the NF3 gas in the remote dissociator, wherein fluorine radicals are formed;
flowing a first portion of the fluorine radicals into the deposition chamber;
flowing a second portion of the fluorine radicals into the deposition chamber, wherein the second portion includes fluorine radicals associated to form less reactive elements;
dissociating at least part of the less reactive elements in the deposition chamber to form additional fluorine radicals, wherein the fluorine radicals react with the silicon based contaminants on the deposition chamber; and
flowing oxygen into the deposition chamber, wherein the oxygen reacts with the carbon based elements in the chamber;
wherein the silicon and carbon based contaminants comprise a BLOK residue.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the BLOK residue reacts with the fluorine radicals to form SiFx, and with the oxygen to create COy.
16. The method of claim 14, wherein the oxygen is at least partially dissociated to create oxygen radicals.
17. The method of claim 14, wherein the carbon and silicon based contaminants are residue from deposition of an SiC material performed in the deposition chamber during a preceding deposition process.
18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a semiconductor cleaning system, said semiconductor cleaning system comprising an equipment, a remote dissociator, a local dissociator, and a gas delivery system configured to introduce a gas from said remote dissociator into said equipment, said computer-readable program including instructions for operating said semiconductor cleaning system in accordance with the following:
delivering a first precursor gas comprising fluorine and a second precursor gas comprising chlorine into the remote dissociator;
dissociating at least part of the first precursor gas in the remote dissociator to form a first plurality of radicals;
dissociating at least part of the second precursor gas in the remote dissociator to form a second plurality of radicals different from the first plurality of radicals, the first and second plurality of radicals adapted for reacting with different chemical compounds on the equipment; and
dissociating less reactive elements in the local dissociator, wherein the less reactive elements are formed from a portion of the first plurality of radicals that combine in the gas delivery system.