Method, apparatus, and system for two-dimensional power rail to enable scaling of a standard cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147714-B2
Application number	US-201615289401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2016
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

At least one method, apparatus and system disclosed involves providing a functional cell for a circuit layout for an integrated circuit device. A determination as to a first location for a two-dimensional portion of a first power rail in a functional cell is made. A first portion of the first power rail is formed in a first direction. A second portion of the first power rail is formed in a second direction in the first location for the two-dimensional portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
determining a first location for an extension of a first power rail in a functional cell;
forming a first extension of said first power rail in a first direction; and
forming a second extension of said first power rail in a second direction in said first location.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one additional extension of said first power rail in said second direction.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
forming said first extension of said first power rail comprises the forming a first extension in a vertical configuration; and
the forming a second extension of said first power rail comprises forming said second extension in a horizontal configuration.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a second location for an extension of said first power rail; and
forming a third extension of said first power rail in said second direction in said second location.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming a first extension in said first power rail in a first direction and the forming a second extension in said first power rail in a second direction comprise:
printing a plurality of mandrel metal forms on a substrate;
adding a plurality of self-aligned double-pattering (SADP) spacers within said mandrel metal forms; and
performing a non-mandrel self-aligned cut processing for forming a plurality of non-mandrel shape in said first direction and said second direction.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a first location for an extension of a second power rail in said functional cell; and
forming a first extension of said second power rail in a first direction; and
forming a second extension of said second power rail in a second direction in said first location.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining a second location for an extension of said second power rail; and
forming a third extension of said second power rail in said second direction in said second location;
determining a third location for an extension of said second power rail; and
forming a fourth extension of said first power rail in said third direction in said third location, wherein said third direction is opposite of said second direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising electrically coupling said first power rail to a power VDD signal and electrically coupling said second power rail to a ground VSS signal.

9. A device, comprising:
a functional cell for forming an integrated circuit, said functional cell comprising:
a first power rail comprising:
a first extension configured in a first dimension; and
a second extension configured in a second dimension, said second extension formed in a predetermined first location.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein said device comprises a plurality of functional cells arranged in an integrated circuit design.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein said second extension is an extension of said first extension.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein:
said first extension of said first power rail is in a vertical configuration; and
said second extension of said first power rail is in a horizontal configuration.

13. The device of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second power rail comprising:
a first extension configured in said first dimension; and
a second extension configured in said second dimension, said second extension formed in a predetermined second location.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein at least one of said second extension of said first power rail, or said second extension of said second power rail comprises a via conforming with at least one cell design rule.

15. The device of claim 13 , wherein said first power rail is operatively coupled to a ground VSS signal and said second power VDD rail is operatively coupled to a power signal.

16. The device of claim 13 , wherein said first dimension of said first power rail and said second power rail is in a horizontal direction and said second dimension is in a vertical direction perpendicular to said first dimension.

17. A system, comprising:
a design unit adapted to:
determine a first location for an extension of a first power rail in a functional cell;
form a first extension of said first power rail in a first direction; and
form a second extension of said first power rail in a second direction in said first location to generate a circuit layout;

a semiconductor device processing system for fabricating an integrated circuit device based upon said circuit layout;
and

a processing controller operatively coupled to said semiconductor device processing system, said processing controller configured to control an operation of said semiconductor device processing system.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein:
said first extension of said first power rail is in a vertical configuration; and
said second extension of said first power rail is in a horizontal configuration.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein said design unit is further configured to
determine a second location for an extension of said first power rail; and
form a third extension of said first power rail in said second direction in said second location.

20. The system of claim 17 , wherein said design unit is further configured to
determine a first location for an extension of a second power rail in said functional cell;
form a first extension of said second power rail in a first direction; and
form a second extension of said second power rail in a second direction in said first location.

Assignees

• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Wang Yan
• Zeng Jia
• Wang Chenchen
• Wang Wenhui
• Yuan Lei
• Kye Jongwook

Classifications

• H10W20/427

  Power or ground buses · CPC title

• H10W20/031

  of conductive parts of the interconnections · CPC title

• G06F30/394

  Routing (G06F30/396 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01L21/76838

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F17/5077

  Physics · mapped topic