Multi-Project Reticle Floorplanning and Wafer Dicing∗ Andrew B. Kahng, Ion Mandoiu˘ †, Qinke Wang, Xu Xu, and Alex Z. Zelikovsky‡ CSE Department, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0114 †CSE Department, University of Connecticut, 371 Fairfield Rd., Unit 1155, Storrs, CT 06269-1155 ‡CS Department, Georgia State University, University Plaza, Atlanta, Georgia 30303 fabk,qiwang,
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[email protected] ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Multi-project Wafers (MPW) are an efficient way to share the rising As VLSI feature size continues to shrink in the sub-wavelength costs of mask tooling between multiple prototype and low produc- regime, mask costs are predicted to skyrocket, driven up by the tion volume designs. Packing the different die images on a multi- pervasive use of such advanced Reticle Enhancement Technologies project reticle leads to new and highly challenging floorplanning (RET) as Optical Proximity Correction (OPC) and Phase Shifting formulations, characterized by unusual constraints and complex Masks (PSM) [1, 2, 3]. Indeed, mask cost is predicted to more objective functions. In this paper we study multi-project reticle than double at each technology node and reach $10 million by the floorplanning and wafer dicing problems under the prevalent side- end of the decade [3]. These high mask costs push prototyping and to-side wafer dicing technology. Our contributions include prac- low volume production designs at the limit of economic feasibility, tical mathematical programming algorithms and efficient heuris- increasingly motivating the use of Multiple Project Wafers (MPW), tics based on conflict graph coloring which find side-to-side wafer or “shuttle” runs, which allow customers to share the cost of mask dicing plans with maximum yield for a fixed multi-project reticle tooling [4].