Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a substrate and a circuit region over the substrate. The circuit region includes at least one active region extending along a first direction, at least one gate region extending across the at least one active region and along a second direction transverse to the first direction, and at least one first input/output (IO) pattern configured to electrically couple the circuit region to external circuitry outside the circuit region. The at least one first IO pattern extends along a third direction oblique to both the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: A method includes forming a circuit region over a substrate. The circuit region includes at least one active region extending along a first direction, and at least one gate region extending across the at least one active region and along a second direction transverse to the first direction. At least one first input/output (TO) pattern and at least one second TO pattern are correspondingly formed in different first and second metal layers to electrically couple the circuit region to external circuitry outside the circuit region. The at least one first TO pattern extends along a third direction oblique to both the first direction and the second direction. The at least one second TO pattern extends along a fourth direction oblique to both the first direction and the second direction, the fourth direction transverse to the third direction.

Abstract: A method (of generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks, the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium) includes: placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining whether the first candidate location results in a group of cut patterns which violates a design rule; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

Abstract: A system (for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement) includes a processor and memory including computer program code for one or more programs, the system generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of masks in a multi-patterning context, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining that the first candidate location results in an intra-row non-circular group of a given row which violates a design rule, the intra-row non-circular group including first and second cut patterns which abut a same boundary of the given row, and a total number of cut patterns in the being an even number; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

Abstract: A method includes clustering cells in a group of cells into a selected number of clusters, and ranking the clusters based on a list of prioritized features to generate a list of ranked clusters. The method also includes ranking cells in each of one or more ranked clusters in the list of ranked clusters, based on the list of prioritized features, to generate a list of ranked critical cells. The method further includes outputting the list of ranked critical cells for use in adjusting cell layouts based on the ranked critical cells.

Abstract: A system for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks (the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium), at least one processor, at least one memory and computer program code (for one or more programs) of the system being configured to cause the system to execute generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

Abstract: A method (of generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks, the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium) includes: placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule; and temporarily preventing, if there is a violation, placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

Abstract: A method (of generating a layout diagram) includes identifying, in the layout diagram, a group of three or more cells arranged so as to exhibit two or more edge-pairs (EPs) that are edge-wise abutted relative to a first direction. The method further includes, for each of at least one but fewer than all of the three or more cells, selectively moving a given one of cells corresponding to one of the members of the corresponding EP resulting in at least a minimum gap in the first direction between the members of the corresponding EP.

Abstract: A method including: providing a design data of an integrated circuit (IC), the design data comprising a first cell; identifying a first conductive line in the first cell as a critical internal net of the first cell, wherein the first conductive line is electrically connected between an input terminal of the first cell and an output terminal of the first cell; providing a library of the first cell, wherein the library includes a table of timing or power parameters of the first cell based on a multidimensional input set associated with the critical internal net; updating the design data by determining a timing or power value of the first cell based on the table; performing a timing analysis on the updated design data; and forming a photomask based on the updated design data.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, method, and system of arranging patterns of the same are provided. The method includes generating a plurality of gate patterns and conductive patterns, wherein each of the plurality of gate patterns and conductive patterns is located at a first horizontal level and extends along a first direction. The method also includes selecting one of the gate patterns as an input pin or one of the conductive patterns as an output pin. The method further includes generating, based on a selected gate pattern or a selected conductive pattern, a plurality of metallization patterns. Each of the plurality of metallization patterns is located at a second horizontal level overlying the first horizontal level and extends along a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first circuit cell having a first width and a second circuit cell having a second width that is wider than the first width by at least one contacted poly pitch. An equivalent circuit of the first circuit cell is the same as an equivalent circuit of the second circuit cell.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method and an apparatus for generating a layout of a semiconductor device. The method includes placing a first cell and a second cell adjacent to the first cell, placing a first conductive pattern in a first track of the first cell extending in a first direction, wherein the first conductive pattern is configured as an input terminal or an output terminal of the first cell, placing a second conductive pattern in a first track of the second cell extending in the first direction, wherein the second conductive pattern is configured as an input terminal or an output terminal of the second cell, and aligning the first conductive pattern with the second conductive pattern.

Abstract: A system for generating a layout diagram of a wire routing arrangement in a multi-patterning context having multiple masks (the layout diagram being stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium), at least one processor, at least one memory and computer program code (for one or more programs) of the system being configured to cause the system to execute generating the layout diagram including: placing, relative to a given one of the masks, a given cut pattern at a first candidate location over a corresponding portion of a given conductive pattern in a metallization layer; determining whether the first candidate location results in at least one of a non-circular group or a cyclic group which violates a design rule; and temporarily preventing placement of the given cut pattern in the metallization layer at the first candidate location until a correction is made which avoids violating the design rule.

Abstract: A layout method and a semiconductor device are disclosed. The layout method includes: generating a design layout by placing a cell, wherein the cell includes: a first conductive segment overlapping a source/drain region and disposed immediately adjacent to a first power rail, wherein the first conductive segment has a length substantially equal to a cell length; a second conductive segment; and a third conductive segment between the first and second conductive segments. The layout method further includes: providing a fourth conductive segment and a fifth conductive segment to the design layout, wherein the fourth and fifth conductive segments are aligned in a first direction.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a substrate and a circuit region over the substrate. The circuit region includes at least one active region extending along a first direction, at least one gate region extending across the at least one active region and along a second direction transverse to the first direction, and at least one first input/output (IO) pattern configured to electrically couple the circuit region to external circuitry outside the circuit region. The at least one first IO pattern extends along a third direction oblique to both the first direction and the second direction.

Abstract: A method includes clustering cells in a group of cells into a selected number of clusters, and ranking the clusters based on a list of prioritized features to generate a list of ranked clusters. The method also includes ranking cells in each of one or more ranked clusters in the list of ranked clusters, based on the list of prioritized features, to generate a list of ranked critical cells. The method further includes outputting the list of ranked critical cells for use in adjusting cell layouts based on the ranked critical cells.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a feature vector for each cell in a group of cells. The feature vector for a cell includes a score value for each feature in a set of features selected for characterizing the group of cells. The method includes clustering cells in the group into a selected number of clusters, based on distances between end points of feature vectors of the cells. The method includes generating a list of ranked critical cells in the selected number of clusters based on a list of prioritized features associated with the set of features. The method includes outputting the list of ranked critical cells for use in adjusting cell layouts based on the ranked critical cells.

Abstract: A method (of generating a layout diagram) includes identifying, in the layout diagram, a group of three or more cells arranged so as to exhibit two or more edge-pairs (EPs) that are edge-wise abutted relative to a first direction. The method further includes, for each of at least one but fewer than all of the three or more cells, selectively moving a given one of cells corresponding to one of the members of the corresponding EP resulting in at least a minimum gap in the first direction between the members of the corresponding EP.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining a feature vector for each cell in a group of cells. The feature vector for a cell includes a score value for each feature in a set of features selected for characterizing the group of cells. The method includes clustering cells in the group into a selected number of clusters, based on distances between end points of feature vectors of the cells. The method includes generating a list of ranked critical cells in the selected number of clusters based on a list of prioritized features associated with the set of features. The method includes outputting the list of ranked critical cells for use in adjusting cell layouts based on the ranked critical cells.

Abstract: A method (of generating a layout diagram) includes: identifying, in the layout diagram, a group of three or more cells which violates a horizontal constraint vector (HCV) and is arranged so as to exhibit two or more vertically-aligned edge-pairs (VEPs); each VEP including two members representing at least partial portions of vertical edges of corresponding cells of the group; relative to a horizontal direction, the members of each VEP being disposed in edgewise-abutment and separated by a corresponding actual gap; and the HCV having separation thresholds, each of which has a corresponding VEP and represents a corresponding minimum gap in the horizontal direction between the members of the corresponding VEP; and for each of at least one but fewer than all of the separation thresholds, selectively moving a given one of cells corresponding to one of the members of the corresponding VEP thereby to avoid violating the HCV.