Data structure for fine-grid multi-level VLSI routing and method for storing the data structure in a computer readable medium

The present invention relates to integrated circuit design, and more specifically to a data structure and method for routing interconnections between components of an integrated circuit. Provided is a data structure containing wiring information for an integrated circuit and a method for storing the same in a computer readable medium. In one embodiment of the present invention storage of the data structure is achieved by mapping said integrated circuit into memory locations of said medium as a wiring plane having a plurality of data points arranged in a grid. Each of the plurality of data points having state information associated therewith, which includes a plurality of attributes. Subsections of the grid are associated with memory locations in the computer readable medium to form a plurality of tiles. Specifically the tiles and data points are arranged so that a sub-portion of the data points associated with one of the plurality of tiles have common attributes.