Abstract: A photo resist layer is used to protect a dielectric layer and conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer when patterning an etch stop layer underlying the dielectric layer. The photo resist layer may further be used to etch another dielectric layer underlying the etch stop layer, where etching the next dielectric layer exposes a contact, such as a gate contact. The bottom layer can be used to protect the conductive elements embedded in the dielectric layer from a wet etchant used to etch the etch stop layer.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a device, a first interconnect structure disposed above the device and a second interconnect structure positioned below the device. The first interconnect structure includes multiple frontside metal layers. The second interconnect structure includes multiple backside metal layers, where each backside metal layer includes metal conductors routed according to diagonal routing. In some embodiments, a backside interconnect structure can include another backside metal layer that includes metal conductors routed according to mixed-Manhattan-diagonal routing. A variety of techniques can be used to route signals between metal conductors in the backside interconnect structure and cells on one or more frontside metal layers.

Abstract: A method of forming an IC structure includes forming first and second power rails at a power rail level. First metal segments are formed at a first metal level above the power rail level. Each first metal segment of the plurality of first metal segments overlap one or both of the first power rail or the second power rail. First vias are formed between the power rail level and the first metal level. Second metal segments are formed at a second metal level above the first metal level. At least one second metal segment of the plurality of second metal segments overlaps the first power rail. At least one second metal segment of the plurality of second metal segments overlaps the second power rail. A plurality of second vias are formed between the first metal level and the second metal level.

Abstract: A logic cell structure includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion, arranged to be a first layout of a first semiconductor element, is placed in a first cell row of a substrate area extending in a first direction. The second portion, arranged to be a second layout of a second semiconductor element, is placed in a second cell row of the substrate area. The third portion is arranged to be a third layout of an interconnecting path used for coupling the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element. The first, second and third portions are bounded by a bounding box with a height in a second direction and a width in the first direction. Respective centers of the first portion and the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a routing structure. The routing structure includes a substrate having a boundary and a first conductive trace configured to be coupled to a first conductive pad disposed within the boundary of the substrate. The first conductive trace is inclined with respect to the boundary of the substrate.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a cell layer including a first cell and a second cell, a first metal layer over the cell layer and having a first conductive feature, a second metal layer over the first metal layer and having a second conductive feature, and a first via between the first metal layer and the second metal layer and connecting the first conductive feature to the second conductive feature. The first conductive feature spans over a boundary between the first and second cells, and has a lengthwise direction along a first direction. The second conductive feature spans over the boundary between the first and second cells, and has a lengthwise direction along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: One aspect of this description relates to an integrated circuit (IC) structure including a first layer and a second layer. The first layer includes a first metal structure coupled to a first power supply having a first voltage level and a second metal structure coupled to a second power supply having a second voltage level different from the first voltage level. The second layer is formed over the first layer. The second layer includes a first nano-sheet device coupled to the first metal structure and a second nano-sheet device adjacent to the first nano-sheet device. The second nano-sheet device is coupled to the second metal structure. A distance between the first nano-sheet device and the second nano-sheet device is less than a minimum n-well to n-well spacing.

Abstract: An integrated circuit layout is provided. The integrated circuit layout includes one or more first cell rows partially extending across a space arranged for an integrated circuit layout along a first direction. Each of the one or more first cell rows has a first height along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The integrated circuit layout includes one or more third cell rows partially extending across the space along the first direction. Each of the one or more third cell rows has a second height along the second direction, the second height different from the first height.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a device, a first interconnect structure disposed above the device and a second interconnect structure positioned below the device. The first interconnect structure includes multiple frontside metal layers. The second interconnect structure includes multiple backside metal layers, where each backside metal layer includes metal conductors routed according to diagonal routing. In some embodiments, a backside interconnect structure can include another backside metal layer that includes metal conductors routed according to mixed-Manhattan-diagonal routing. A variety of techniques can be used to route signals between metal conductors in the backside interconnect structure and cells on one or more frontside metal layers.

Abstract: A logic cell structure includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion. The first portion, arranged to be a first layout of a first semiconductor element, is placed in a first cell row of a substrate area extending in a first direction. The second portion, arranged to be a second layout of a second semiconductor element, is placed in a second cell row of the substrate area. The third portion is arranged to be a third layout of an interconnecting path used for coupling the first semiconductor element and the second semiconductor element. The first, second and third portions are bounded by a bounding box with a height in a second direction and a width in the first direction. Respective centers of the first portion and the second portion are arranged in a third direction different from each of the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a gated circuit configured to operate on at least a first or a second voltage, a header circuit coupled to the gated circuit, a first and second power rail on a back-side of a wafer, and a third power rail on a front-side of the wafer. The header circuit is configured to supply the first voltage to the gated circuit by the first power rail. The first power rail includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the third portion being between the first portion and the second portion. The second power rail is configured to supply the second voltage to the gated circuit, and is between the first portion and the second portion. The third power rail includes a first set of conductors. Each of the first set of conductors being configured to supply a third voltage to the header circuit.

Abstract: A method executed at least partially by a processor includes determining a power parameter associated with a cell in an integrated circuit (IC) layout diagram. In response to the determined power parameter exceeding a design criterion, the method further includes performing a modification of the IC layout diagram, the modification including at least one of altering a placement of the cell in the IC layout diagram or modifying a power delivery path to the cell. The determining the power parameter is performed before a routing operation in the IC layout diagram.

Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit includes forming at least a first or a second set of devices in a substrate, forming an interconnect structure over the first or second set of devices, and depositing a set of conductive structures on the interconnect structure. The first and second set of devices are configured to operate on a first supply voltage. Forming the interconnect structure includes depositing a set of insulating layers over the first or second set of devices, etching the set of insulating layers thereby forming a set of trenches, depositing a conductive material within the set of trenches, thereby forming a set of metal layers, and forming a portion of a header circuit between a first and a second metal layer. The header circuit is configured to provide the first supply voltage to the first set of devices.

Abstract: A method (of fabricating a power grid (PG) arrangement in a semiconductor) includes: forming a first layer including conductive lines (C_1st lines) which include interspersed alpha C_1st lines and beta C_1st lines designated correspondingly for first and second reference voltages; and forming a second layer over the first layer, the second layer including segments (C_2nd segments) which include interspersed alpha C_2nd segments and beta C_2nd segments designated correspondingly for the first and second reference voltages; and, relative to the first direction, each beta C_2nd segment being substantially asymmetrically between corresponding adjacent ones of the alpha C_2nd segments.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and a non-transitory computer readable media for resistance and capacitance (RC) extraction. The method comprises: receiving an electronic layout; selecting a two-dimensional (2D) conductive element from the electronic layout, wherein an aspect ratio of the 2D conductive element is lower than a predetermined threshold; partitioning the 2D conductive element into a plurality of polygons; determining a parasitic capacitance value for each polygon; determining multiple parasitic resistance values for each polygon; determining a total capacitance value of the 2D conductive element based on the parasitic capacitance value for each polygon; and determining a total resistance value of the 2D conductive element based on the multiple parasitic resistance values for each polygon.

Abstract: A system includes a substrate having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, a cell on the substrate having a first pin on either the first side or the second side, and a second pin on the second side, a first signal connected to the first pin, and a second signal connected to the second pin.

Abstract: Failure-in-time (FIT) evaluation methods for an IC are provided. Data representing a layout of the IC is accessed, and the layout includes a metal line and a plurality of vertical interconnect accesses (VIAs). The metal line is divided into a first sub-line with a first line width and a second sub-line with a second line width. A plurality of nodes are picked along the first and second sub-lines of the metal line. The metal line is divided into a plurality of metal segments based on the nodes. FIT value is determined for each of the metal segments to verify the layout and fabricate the IC. The first line width is greater than the second line width.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a first oxide definition (OD) strip doped by a first-type dopant in a first doping region defining an active region of a first Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (MOS); a second OD strip doped by a second-type dopant in a second doping region and a third doping region, the second doping region defining an active region of a second MOS and the third doping region defining a body terminal of the first MOS, wherein the second OD is parallel to the first OD strip; and a first dummy OD strip, wherein a boundary between the second doping region and the third doping region is formed over the first dummy OD strip; wherein the first-type dopant is different from the second-type dopant.

Abstract: A system includes a processor configured to determine a power parameter associated with a cell in an integrated circuit (IC) layout diagram. In response to the determined power parameter exceeding a design criterion, the processor is configured to perform a modification of the IC layout diagram, the modification including at least one of altering a placement of the cell in the IC layout diagram or modifying a power delivery path to the cell. The power parameter includes at least one of a power density of a tile containing the cell, a voltage drop of the tile containing the cell, or a voltage drop of the cell.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a gated circuit configured to operate on a first or second voltage, a header circuit, a first power rail and a second power rail on a back-side of a wafer, a third power rail on the back-side of the wafer, and a fourth power rail on a front-side of the wafer. The first and second power rail extend in a first direction, and are separated from each other in a second direction. The third power rail is between the first and second power rail in the second direction. The third power rail is configured to supply the second voltage to the gated circuit. The fourth power rail includes a first set of conductors extending in the second direction. Each of the first set of conductors is configured to supply a third voltage to the header circuit, and is separated from each other in the first direction.