Method and system for performing parasitic capacitance estimations on interconnect data within an integrated circuit

• Main Authors: VILLARRUBIA; PAUL GERARD, MEHROTRA; SHARAD
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.11.1998
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PHYSICS

A method and system for providing parasitic capacitance estimation on interconnect data for an integrated circuit is disclosed. An integrated circuit typically includes a substrate layer and several metal layers. In accordance with the method and system of the present invention, a center wire within one of the several metal layers is first identified. Then, a first capacitance value between a first wire and the center wire as well as a second capacitance value between a second wire and the center wire are determined. The first wire, the second wire, and the center wire are in the same metal layer. Next, a third capacitance value between a third wire and the center wire is determined. This third wire is in a metal layer located directly beneath the center wire. Finally, a fourth capacitance value between a fourth wire and the center wire is determined. The fourth wire is in a metal layer located directly above the center wire. If there are more than one wire within the metal layer directly above the center wire, the fourth capacitance value is distributed among all these wires. By so doing, the total parasitic capacitance for the center wire can be estimated by utilizing the first capacitance value, the second capacitance value, the third capacitance value, and the fourth capacitance value or the distributed fourth capacitance values.