Abstract: A circuit includes first and second power domains. The first power domain has a first power supply voltage level and includes a master latch, a first level shifter, and a slave latch coupled between the master latch and the first level shifter. The second power domain has a second power supply voltage level different from the first power supply voltage level and includes a retention latch coupled between the slave latch and the first level shifter, and the retention latch includes a second level shifter.

Abstract: A clock gating circuit includes a NOR logic gate, a transmission gate, a cross-coupled pair of transistors, and a first transistor. The NOR logic gate is coupled to a first node, and receives a first and a second enable signal, and outputs a first control signal. The transmission gate is coupled between the first and a second node, and receives the first control signal, an inverted clock input signal and a clock output signal. The cross-coupled pair of transistors is coupled between the second node and an output node, and receives at least a second control signal. The first transistor includes a first gate terminal configured to receive the inverted clock input signal, a first drain terminal coupled to the output node, and a first source terminal coupled to a reference voltage supply. The first transistor adjusts the clock output signal responsive to the inverted clock input signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods for context aware circuit design are described herein. A method includes: identifying at least one cell to be designed into a circuit; identifying at least one context parameter having an impact to layout dependent effect of the circuit; generating, for each cell and for each context parameter, a plurality of abutment environments associated with the cell; estimating, for each cell and each context parameter, a sensitivity of at least one electrical property of the cell to the context parameter by generating a plurality of electrical property values of the cell under the plurality of abutment environments; and determining whether each context parameter is a key context parameter for a static analysis of the circuit, based on the sensitivity of the at least one electrical property of each cell and based on at least one predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a standard cell, includes a first power supply line, a second power supply line, a first gate-all-around field effect transistor (GAA FET) disposed over a substrate, and a second GAA FET disposed above the first GAA FET. The first power supply line and the second power supply line are located at vertically different levels from each other.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a flip-flop is disposed as an integrated circuit layout on a flip-flop region of a semiconductor substrate. The flip-flop includes a first clock inverter circuit that resides within the flip-flop region, and a second clock inverter circuit residing within the flip-flop region. The first clock inverter circuit and the second clock inverter circuit are disposed on a first line. Master switch circuitry is made up of a first plurality of devices which are circumscribed by a master switch perimeter that resides within the flip-flop region of the integrated circuit layout. The master switch circuitry and the first clock inverter circuit are disposed on a second line perpendicular to the first line. Slave switch circuitry is operably coupled to an output of the master switch circuitry. The slave switch circuitry is made up of a third plurality of devices that are circumscribed by a slave switch perimeter.

Abstract: A method of making an integrated circuit includes operations to identify reverse signal nets of the circuit layout, determine the parasitic capacitance in conductive lines, and determine how to adjust an integrated circuit layout to reduce the parasitic capacitance of the conductive lines to the reverse signal net. The method further includes an operation to determine whether to move one of the conductive lines in the integrated circuit layout, an operation to determine whether to insert an isolation structure between the conductive lines of the reverse signal net having parasitic capacitance, and operations to adjust the layout by moving a conductive line.

Abstract: A flip-flop circuit configured to latch an input signal to an output signal is disclosed. The circuit includes a first latch circuit; and a second latch circuit coupled to the first latch circuit. In some embodiments, in response to a clock signal, the first and second latch circuits are complementarily activated so as to latch the input signal to the output signal, and the first and second latch circuits each comprises at most two transistors configured to receive the clock signal.

Abstract: A method includes: identifying ad hoc groups of elementary standard cells recurrent in a layout diagram; and selecting one group (selected group) of the recurrent ad hoc groups such that: the cells in the selected group have connections representing a corresponding logic circuit; each cell representing a logic gate; each ad hoc group has a number of transistors and a first number of logic gates; and the selected group providing a logical function. The method includes generating one or more macro standard cells such that: each macro standard cell has a number of transistors which is smaller than the number of transistors of a corresponding ad hoc group; or each macro standard cell has a second number of logic gates different than the first number of logic gates of the corresponding ad hoc group. The method also includes adding macro standard cells to the set of standard cells.

Abstract: A circuit includes a level shifter circuit, an output circuit and a feedback circuit. The level shifter circuit is coupled to a first voltage supply, and is configured to receive at least an enable signal, a first input signal or a second input signal. The level shifter circuit is configured to generate at least a first signal responsive to at least the enable signal or the first input signal. The output circuit is coupled to at least the level shifter circuit and the first voltage supply, is configured to receive the first signal, and to generate at least an output signal or a set of feedback signals responsive to the first signal. The feedback circuit is coupled to the level shifter circuit, the output circuit and the first voltage supply, and is configured to receive the enable signal, an inverted enable signal and the set of feedback signals.

Abstract: A circuit includes a slave latch including a first input and an output, the first input being coupled to a master latch, and a retention latch including a second input coupled to the output. The master latch and the slave latch are configured to operate in a first power domain having a first power supply voltage level, the retention latch is configured to operate in a second power domain having a second power supply voltage level different from the first power supply voltage level, and the circuit further includes a level shifter configured to shift a signal level from one of the first power supply voltage level or the second power supply voltage level to the other of the first power supply voltage level or the second power supply voltage level.

Abstract: A method performed by at least one processor includes the following steps. A layout of an integrated circuit (IC) is accessed, wherein the layout has at least one cell. A context group for the cell is determined based on a layout context of the cell, wherein the context group is associated with a timing table. A timing analysis is performed on the layout to determine whether the layout complies with a timing constraint rule according to the timing table. A system including one or more processors including instructions for implementing the method and a non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions for implementing the method are also provided.

Abstract: Circuits, systems, and methods are described herein for increasing a hold time of a master-slave flip-flop. A flip-flop includes circuitry configured to receive a scan input signal and generate a delayed scan input signal; a master latch configured to receive a data signal and the delayed scan input signal; and a slave latch coupled to the master latch, the master latch selectively providing one of the data signal or the delayed scan input signal to the slave latch based on a scan enable signal received by the master latch.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first type-one transistor, a second type-one transistor, a first type-two transistor, a second type-two transistor, a third type-one transistor, a fourth type-one transistor, and a fifth type-one transistor. The first type-one transistor has a gate configured to have a first supply voltage of a first power supply. The first type-two transistor has a gate configured to have a second supply voltage of the first power supply. The first active-region of the third type-one transistor is connected with an active-region of the first type-one transistor. The second active-region and the gate of the third type-one transistor are connected together. The first active-region of the fifth type-one transistor is connected with the gate of the third type-one transistor. The second active-region of the fifth type-one transistor is configured to have a first supply voltage of a second power supply.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a device layer having devices spaced in accordance with a predetermined device pitch, a first metal interconnection layer disposed above the device layer and coupled to the device layer, and a second metal interconnection layer disposed above the first metal interconnection layer and coupled to the first metal interconnection layer through a first via layer. The second metal interconnection layer has metal lines spaced in accordance with a predetermined metal line pitch, and a ratio of the predetermined metal line pitch to predetermined device pitch is less than 1.

Abstract: A method of making an integrated circuit includes operations to identify reverse signal nets of the circuit layout, determine when the conductive lines to the reverse signal net have parasitic capacitance, and determine how to adjust an integrated circuit layout to reduce the parasitic capacitance of the conductive lines to the reverse signal net. The method further includes an operation to determine whether to move one of the conductive lines in the integrated circuit layout, and an operation to determine whether to insert an isolation structure between the conductive lines of the reverse signal net having parasitic capacitance.

Abstract: A flip-flop circuit configured to latch an input signal to an output signal is disclosed. The circuit includes a first latch circuit; and a second latch circuit coupled to the first latch circuit. In some embodiments, in response to a clock signal, the first and second latch circuits are complementarily activated so as to latch the input signal to the output signal, and the first and second latch circuits each comprises at most two transistors configured to receive the clock signal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes a device layer having devices spaced in accordance with a predetermined device pitch, a first metal interconnection layer disposed above the device layer and coupled to the device layer, and a second metal interconnection layer disposed above the first metal interconnection layer and coupled to the first metal interconnection layer through a first via layer. The second metal interconnection layer has metal lines spaced in accordance with a predetermined metal line pitch, and a ratio of the predetermined metal line pitch to predetermined device pitch is less than 1.

Abstract: A method includes: receiving a library associated with a cell; determining a plurality of candidate hold times for the cell; acquiring a plurality of candidate setup times corresponding to the plurality of candidate hold times, wherein a data delay associated with each of the candidate setup time fulfills a data delay constraint for the cell; adding the plurality of candidate setup times to the plurality of candidate hold times, respectively, to obtain a plurality of candidate time windows; and selecting a target time window having a minimal time span among the candidate time windows. At least one of the receiving, determining, acquiring, adding and selecting steps is conducted by at least one processor.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first type-one transistor, a second type-one transistor, a third type-one transistor, and a fourth type-one transistor. The first type-one transistor and the third type-one transistor are in the first portion of the type-one active zone. The integrated circuit includes a first type-two transistor in the first portion of the type-two active zone. The first type-one transistor has a gate configured to have a first supply voltage of a first power supply. The first type-two transistor has a gate configured to have a second supply voltage of the first power supply. The third type-one transistor has a gate configured to have the first supply voltage of a second power supply. The third type-one transistor has a first active-region conductively connected with an active-region of the first type-one transistor.

Abstract: A circuit includes a level shifter circuit, an output circuit and a feedback circuit. The level shifter circuit is coupled to a first voltage supply, and is configured to receive at least an enable signal, a first input signal or a second input signal. The level shifter circuit is configured to generate at least a first signal responsive to at least the enable signal or the first input signal. The output circuit is coupled to at least the level shifter circuit and the first voltage supply, is configured to receive the first signal, and to generate at least an output signal or a set of feedback signals responsive to the first signal. The feedback circuit is coupled to the level shifter circuit, the output circuit and the first voltage supply, and is configured to receive the enable signal, an inverted enable signal and the set of feedback signals.