Abstract: A delay measurement system and a measurement method are provided. The delay measurement system includes a delay control device and a comparator. The delay control device is configured to generate a second signal in response to a first signal, wherein a rising edge of the second signal delays a first delay time with respect to a rising edge of the first signal, and the first delay time is controlled in response to an output signal of a comparator. The comparator is configured to compare the first delay time with a second delay time and output the output signal, wherein a rising edge of a third signal delays the second delay time with respect to the rising edge of the first signal, and the third signal is generated by a device under test (DUT) in response to the first signal.

Abstract: A method includes identifying one or more locations of a time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) failure mechanism in an integrated circuit (IC) cell, wherein each location of the one or more locations includes first and second conductor features separated by a dielectric region, identifying first and second nets including the respective first and second conductor features, for each location of the one or more locations, calculating a corresponding failure-in-time (FIT) rate of a corresponding one or more FIT rates based on respective first and second voltage signals of the first and second nets, calculating a total FIT rate based on the one or more FIT rates, and based on the total FIT rate, either modifying the IC cell or storing the IC cell in a storage.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a metal-oxide-metal (MOM) cell including a first bus at a first elevation and extending along a first direction, and a second bus at a second elevation, extending along a second direction different from the first direction, and electrically connected to the first bus through a via. The MOM cell also includes a first group of fingers at the first elevation and extending along the first direction; and a second group of fingers at the second elevation and extending along the second direction. Each finger of the first group of fingers is electrically connected to the second bus through a corresponding via, each finger of the second group of fingers is electrically connected to the first bus through a corresponding via, and each finger of the first group of fingers overlaps each finger of the second group of fingers.

Abstract: A delay measurement system and a measurement method are provided. The delay measurement system includes a delay control device and a comparator. The delay control device is configured to generate a second signal in response to a first signal, wherein a rising edge of the second signal delays a first delay time with respect to a rising edge of the first signal, and the first delay time is controlled in response to an output signal of a comparator. The comparator is configured to compare the first delay time with a second delay time and output the output signal, wherein a rising edge of a third signal delays the second delay time with respect to the rising edge of the first signal, and the third signal is generated by a device under test (DUT) in response to the first signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region over a substrate extending along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a number of first conductive structures operatively coupled to the active region. The first conductive structures extend along a second lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a number of second conductive structures disposed above the plurality of first conductive structures. The second conductive structures extend along the first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a first capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode includes one of the first conductive structures and the active region, and the second electrode includes a first one of the second conductive structures. Each of the active region and the first conductive structures is electrically coupled to a power rail structure configured to carry a supply voltage.

Abstract: A method includes forming an array of metal conducting lines and an array of metal segment lineups in a metal layer. A first length of a first metal conducting line is equal to a second length of a second metal conducting line. The array of metal segment lineups is interlaced with the array of metal conducting lines, and a metal segment lineup in the array of metal segment lineups includes multiple metal segments.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an active region over a substrate extending along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a number of first conductive structures operatively coupled to the active region. The first conductive structures extend along a second lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a number of second conductive structures disposed above the plurality of first conductive structures. The second conductive structures extend along the first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a first capacitor having a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode includes one of the first conductive structures and the active region, and the second electrode includes a first one of the second conductive structures. Each of the active region and the first conductive structures is electrically coupled to a power rail structure configured to carry a supply voltage.

Abstract: An electronic design flow generates an electronic architectural design layout for analog circuitry from a schematic diagram. The electronic design flow assigns analog circuits of the schematic diagram to various categories of analog circuits. The electronic design flow places various analog standard cells corresponding to these categories of analog circuits into analog placement sites assigned to the analog circuits. These analog standard cells have a uniform cell height which allows these analog standard cells to be readily connected or merged to digital standard cells which decreases the area of the electronic architectural design layout. This uniformity in height between these analog standard cells additionally provides a more reliable yield when compared to non-uniform analog standard cells.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes: a first capacitor structure, disposed over a semiconductor substrate and including a plurality of capacitors; a second capacitor structure, adjacent to the first capacitor structure; a first conductive plate, disposed over a first end of the second capacitor structure, the first conductive plate having a lateral side facing a lateral side of each of the first and second capacitor structures; and a second conductive plate, disposed over and across at least one of the first capacitor structure and the second capacitor structure.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for charge-based capacitor measurement. The system includes a first pseudo-inverter circuit and a second pseudo-inverter circuit. The system also includes a control circuit coupled between the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit. The control circuit is configured to generate independent and non-overlapping control signals for the first pseudo-inverter circuit and the second pseudo-inverter circuit. A shielding metal is coupled to the first pseudo-inverter circuit, the second pseudo-inverter circuit, and the control circuit. The shielding metal is configured to dissipate parasitic capacitance of at least one of the first pseudo-inverter circuit or the second pseudo-inverter circuit. A device under test is coupled to each of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a dummy fin structure disposed over a substrate, a dummy gate structure disposed over a part of the dummy fin structure, a first interlayer dielectric layer in which the dummy gate structure is embedded, a second interlayer dielectric layer disposed over the first interlayer dielectric layer, and a resistor wire formed of a conductive material and embedded in the second interlayer dielectric layer. The resistor wire overlaps the dummy gate structure in plan view.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an array of metal conducting lines in a metal layer overlying an insulation layer supported by a substrate, a first metal segment lineup having multiple metal segments in the metal layer between a first metal conducting line and a second metal conducting line in the array of metal conducting lines, and an electric circuit having a first input and a second input. The first input is connected to the first metal conducting line and the second input is connected to the second metal conducting line, and a first length of the first metal conducting line is equal to a second length of the second metal conducting line.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a first capacitor structure, disposed in a first layer on a semiconductor substrate and comprising a plurality of capacitors; a second capacitor structure, adjacent to first capacitor structure in the first layer, wherein the second capacitor structure and the first capacitor structure are arranged as a strip-shaped structure; a first conductive plate, disposed at one end of the strip-shaped structure in the first layer; and a second conductive plate, disposed in a second layer on the semiconductor substrate over the strip-shaped structure and extending toward the other end of the strip-shaped structure from the one end of the strip-shaped structure.

Abstract: An electronic design flow generates an electronic architectural design layout for analog circuitry from a schematic diagram. The electronic design flow assigns analog circuits of the schematic diagram to various categories of analog circuits. The electronic design flow places various analog standard cells corresponding to these categories of analog circuits into analog placement sites assigned to the analog circuits. These analog standard cells have a uniform cell height which allows these analog standard cells to be readily connected or merged to digital standard cells which decreases the area of the electronic architectural design layout. This uniformity in height between these analog standard cells additionally provides a more reliable yield when compared to non-uniform analog standard cells.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described herein for charge-based capacitor measurement. The system includes a first pseudo-inverter circuit and a second pseudo-inverter circuit. The system also includes a control circuit coupled between the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit. The control circuit is configured to generate independent and non-overlapping control signals for the first pseudo-inverter circuit and the second pseudo-inverter circuit. A shielding metal is coupled to the first pseudo-inverter circuit, the second pseudo-inverter circuit, and the control circuit. The shielding metal is configured to dissipate parasitic capacitance of at least one of the first pseudo-inverter circuit or the second pseudo-inverter circuit. A device under test is coupled to each of the first inverter circuit and the second inverter circuit.

Abstract: A method includes: accessing a first cell, where the first cell includes: a first active region and a second active; gate electrodes arranged in a second layer over the first layer; first conductive lines extending in the second layer; second conductive lines extending in the second layer; a third and a fourth conductive lines extending in a third layer over the second layer; and first gate vias arranged in a fourth layer and electrically coupled to the gate electrodes. The method also includes: determining a performance metric and a dielectric voltage stress level; and in response to the performance metric or the dielectric voltage stress level failing to fulfilling a specification, revising the first cell to generate a second cell by moving at least one of the first gate vias to be electrically coupled to the fourth conductive line.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a circuitry. The circuitry includes a comparator, a signal correlated circuit, and a receiver unit. The comparator includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal. The signal correlated circuit is configured to receive a first input signal and a second input signal independent from the first input signal. The signal correlated circuit is configured to generate a first output signal and to send the first output signal to the first input terminal of the comparator, and configured to generate a second output signal and to send the second output signal to the second input terminal of the comparator. The receiver unit is connected to the output terminal of the comparator and configured to generate a feedback signal in response to an output signal of the comparator, wherein the first and second digital signals are adjusted based on the feedback signal.

Abstract: A method is disclosed including: generating, based on design information for an integrated circuit, a circuit design that includes an initial power delivery network (PDN) for the integrated circuit; performing a pre-layout simulation to the circuit design that includes the initial power delivery network, to determine whether the circuit design meets a predetermined specification; generating a circuit layout of the integrated circuit when the circuit design meets the predetermined specification; modifying a pillar density of the initial power delivery network repeatedly when the circuit design does not meet the predetermined specification until the circuit design meets the predetermined specification to generate a circuit layout of the integrated circuit; and performing a post-layout simulation to the circuit layout.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a dummy fin structure disposed over a substrate, a dummy gate structure disposed over a part of the dummy fin structure, a first interlayer dielectric layer in which the dummy gate structure is embedded, a second interlayer dielectric layer disposed over the first interlayer dielectric layer, and a resistor wire formed of a conductive material and embedded in the second interlayer dielectric layer. The resistor wire overlaps the dummy gate structure in plan view.

Abstract: A device includes an electrical circuit. The device further includes a first conductive pillar over a first side of a substrate. The device further includes a first conductive rail electrically connected to the first conductive pillar, wherein the electrical circuit is electrically connected to the first conductive rail by the first conductive pillar. The device further includes a power pillar extending through the substrate, wherein the power pillar is electrically connected to the first conductive rail.