A method of handling integrated circuit dies with defects is provided. After forming a plurality of dies on one or more silicon wafers, test equipment may be used to identify defects on the dies and to create corresponding defect maps. The defect maps can be combined to form an aggregate defect map. Circuit design tools may create keep-out zones from the aggregate defect map and run learning experiments on each die, while respecting the keep-out zones, to compute design metrics. The circuit design tools may further create larger keep-out zones and run additional learning experiments on each die while respecting the larger keep-out zones to compute additional design metrics. The dies can be binned into different Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) based on one or more of the computed design metrics. Circuit design tools automatically respect the keep-out regions for these dies to program them correctly in the field.

A method of handling integrated circuit dies with defects is provided. After forming a plurality of dies on one or more silicon wafers, test equipment may be used to identify defects on the dies and to create corresponding defect maps. The defect maps can be combined to form an aggregate defect map. Circuit design tools may create keep-out zones from the aggregate defect map and run learning experiments on each die, while respecting the keep-out zones, to compute design metrics. The circuit design tools may further create larger keep-out zones and run additional learning experiments on each die while respecting the larger keep-out zones to compute additional design metrics. The dies can be binned into different Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) based on one or more of the computed design metrics. Circuit design tools automatically respect the keep-out regions for these dies to program them correctly in the field.

Illustrative embodiments provide a mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit, a method of using the mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit and a method of making the mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit. The mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit includes at least a portion of a programmable transistor array that is programed after fabrication. The programmable transistor array can include at least another portion that is mask programed during fabrication.

Illustrative embodiments provide a mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit, a method of using the mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit and a method of making the mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit. The mixed programmable and application-specific integrated circuit includes at least a portion of a programmable transistor array that is programed after fabrication. The programmable transistor array can include at least another portion that is mask programed during fabrication.

Switchboxes are especially used in integrated circuits with programmable logic (e.g. FPGAs). They are used to establish configurable signal paths between logic blocks. It is especially important to use an efficient structure, i.e. a structure whose chip area is as small as possible and which is able to realize short and fast signal paths. The task of the present invention is to significantly reduce the effort for the interconnection structures while still maintaining good routeability. This is achieved by the fact that there is no longer a switchbox (SB) on each coordinate position. It is particularly advantageous to arrange the SBs in a chessboard-like manner and also to use two SBs of different sizes which are arranged in a superordinate chessboard structure.

Switchboxes are especially used in integrated circuits with programmable logic (e.g. FPGAs). They are used to establish configurable signal paths between logic blocks. It is especially important to use an efficient structure, i.e. a structure whose chip area is as small as possible and which is able to realize short and fast signal paths. The task of the present invention is to significantly reduce the effort for the interconnection structures while still maintaining good routeability. This is achieved by the fact that there is no longer a switchbox (SB) on each coordinate position. It is particularly advantageous to arrange the SBs in a chessboard-like manner and also to use two SBs of different sizes which are arranged in a superordinate chessboard structure.

The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for enhancing adders implemented on an integrated circuit. In particular, arithmetic performed by an adder implemented to receive operands having a first precision is restructured so that a set of sub-adders performs the arithmetic on a respective segment of the operands. More specifically, the adder is restructured, and a decoder determines a generate signal and a propagate signal for each of the sub-adders and routes the generate signal and the propagate signal to a prefix network. The prefix network determines respective carry bit(s), which carries into and/or select a sum at a subsequent sub-adder.

The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for enhancing adders implemented on an integrated circuit. In particular, arithmetic performed by an adder implemented to receive operands having a first precision is restructured so that a set of sub-adders performs the arithmetic on a respective segment of the operands. More specifically, the adder is restructured, and a decoder determines a generate signal and a propagate signal for each of the sub-adders and routes the generate signal and the propagate signal to a prefix network. The prefix network determines respective carry bit(s), which carries into and/or select a sum at a subsequent sub-adder.

A field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) IC chip includes multiple first non-volatile memory cells in the FPGA IC chip, wherein the first non-volatile memory cells are configured to save multiple resulting values for a look-up table (LUT) of a programmable logic block of the FPGA IC chip, wherein the programmable logic block is configured to select, in accordance with its inputs, one from the resulting values into its output; and multiple second non-volatile memory cells in the FPGA IC chip, wherein the second non-volatile memory cells are configured to save multiple programming codes configured to control a switch of the FPGA IC chip.

A field-programmable-gate-array (FPGA) IC chip includes multiple first non-volatile memory cells in the FPGA IC chip, wherein the first non-volatile memory cells are configured to save multiple resulting values for a look-up table (LUT) of a programmable logic block of the FPGA IC chip, wherein the programmable logic block is configured to select, in accordance with its inputs, one from the resulting values into its output; and multiple second non-volatile memory cells in the FPGA IC chip, wherein the second non-volatile memory cells are configured to save multiple programming codes configured to control a switch of the FPGA IC chip.