A design method encompasses: determining a direction of a subject wiring
level in a multi-level interconnection of semiconductor integrated
circuit as a subject-level priority direction; designing a layout of the
subject wiring level, by placing a subject-level strip extending along
the subject-level priority; generating a subject-level extension
extending in a different direction of the subject-level priority
direction, from a termination of the subject-level strip; allocating
via-holes in the subject-level extension; and designing a layout of a
neighboring wiring level of the subject wiring level, by placing a
neighboring-level strip extending along the same direction as the
subject-level extension extends, so that a termination of the
neighboring-level strip can include the via-holes.