A new triple-layer OTC channel router

We propose a new algorithm for a triple-layer over-the-cell (OTC) routing in an irregular cell area. While other OTC routers assume that the cell structure is restricted to a certain type such as uniform height, our OTC router accepts both standard cells and custom cells. Our OTC channel routing consists of five steps: (i) double-layer routing, (ii) track-to-metal3 transformation, (iii) segment-to-metal3 transformation, (iv) segment-to-metal1 transformation, and (v) triple-layer routing. We prove that the transformation steps can be executed in linear time. The effectiveness of our algorithm is demonstrated through physical circuit layouts with fully customized cells. Our algorithm is applied to route MCNC benchmark circuits and Deutsch´s difficult problem resulting in a significant reduction in channel area