Method for capturing and using design intent in an integrated circuit fabrication process

Abstract

A method for capturing and using design intent within an IC fabrication process. The design intent information is produced along with the design release by a design company. The design release and design intent information are coupled to an IC manufacturing facility where the design release is used for producing the layout of the integrated circuit and the design intent information is coupled to the equipment, especially the metrology equipment, within the IC manufacturing facility. As such, the design intent information can be used to optimize processing during IC fabrication to achieve optimization of the critical characteristics intended by the designer.

1 . A business method for fabricating an integrated circuit comprising: 
 creating a design rule for an integrated circuit processing tool;    using the design rule to develop an integrated circuit that is defined by a design release;    sending the design release to an integrated circuit manufacturing facility that uses the integrated circuit processing tool;    fabricating an integrated circuit in accordance with the design release;    adjusting the fabricating step as performed by the integrated circuit processing tool in response to a comparison between design intent and an attribute obtained from a portion of the integrated circuit being fabricated; and    paying a royalty from the integrated circuit manufacturing facility to the integrated circuit equipment manufacturer for each integrated circuit that is fabricated using the design rule.    
     
     
         2 . The business method of  claim 1 , wherein the design rule specifies an optimal location for circuit elements on the integrated circuit.  
     
     
         3 . The business method of  claim 1 , wherein the design rule specifies a location for dummy structures with respect to circuit elements on the integrated circuit.  
     
     
         4 . The business method of  claim 1 , wherein the design rule is created by at least one of an integrated circuit equipment manufacturer, the integrated circuit manufacturing facility and a third party that is unrelated to the equipment manufacturing facility.  
     
     
         5 . The business method of  claim 1 , wherein said creating step further comprises: 
 generating a list of equipment that is used and/or will be used by the integrated circuit manufacturing facility;    identifying the performance characteristics of the listed equipment;    generating the design rule using the performance characteristics of the listed equipment and device models of integrated circuit structures to be defined by the design rule.