Abstract: A method is provided, including following operations: identifying a first contact via, a second contact via, or a combination thereof in a first standard cell, wherein the first contact via is coupled between a first active region and a first conductive line on a first side, and the second contact via is coupled between a second active region and a second conductive line on a second side; calculating a first cell height according to a first width of the first and second active regions, and calculating a second cell height according to a second width of the first and second active regions; calculating multiple first available cell heights based on a ratio between the first and second cell heights; generating layout designs of multiple first cells; and manufacturing at least first one element in the integrated circuit based on the layout designs of the first cells.

Abstract: A method includes patterning a substrate to define a semiconductor strip over the substrate; and forming a backside via adjacent to the semiconductor strip. The method further includes depositing a dielectric material. The method further includes etching the dielectric material to define an isolation structure having a top surface lower than a top surface of the semiconductor strip. The method further includes forming a source/drain structure over the semiconductor strip. The method further includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer over the source/drain structure. The method further includes etching the interlayer dielectric layer and the isolation structure to define an opening exposing the backside via. The method further includes forming a source/drain contact in the opening.

Abstract: A flip-flop device includes first through third power rails, a first plurality of conductive patterns positioned at a total of three locations evenly spaced between the first and second power rails, a second plurality of conductive patterns positioned at a total of three locations evenly spaced between the second and third power rails, a master latching circuit including a first subset of each of the first and second pluralities of conductive patterns, a slave latching circuit including a second subset of each of the first and second pluralities of conductive patterns, and a gate conductor extending across at least one of the three locations of the first plurality of conductive patterns and at least one of the three locations of the second plurality of conductive patterns. The gate conductor is configured to transmit one of a first clock signal or a feedback signal of the flip-flop device.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes frontside power rails in a frontside metal layer above the substrate, backside signal lines in a first backside metal layer below the substrate, backside power rails in a second backside metal layer below the first backside metal layer, and backside via-connectors passing through the substrate. A first frontside power rail and a first backside via-connector are conductively connected to the source terminal of a first-type transistor. A second frontside power rail and a second backside via-connector are conductively connected to the source terminal of a second-type transistor. A first extended via-connector is directly connected between the first backside via-connector and a first backside power rail. A second extended via-connector is directly connected between the second backside via-connector and a second backside power rail.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: providing a substrate including a first cell and a second cell; forming a plurality of first metal strips on a first plane; forming a first trench over a boundary between the first cell and the second cell, wherein a bottom surface of the first trench is located on a second plane over the first plane; filling the first trench with a non-conductive material, resulting in a separating wall; and forming a plurality of second metal strips on a third plane over the second plane, wherein the plurality of second metal strips comprise a first second metal strip and a second second metal strip separated from each other by the separating wall.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor is of a first conductivity type arranged in a first layer and includes a gate extending in a first direction and a first active region extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second transistor is of a second conductivity type arranged in a second layer over the first layer and includes the gate and a second active region extending in the second direction. The semiconductor device further includes a first conductive line arranged in a third layer between the first layer and the second layer. The first conductive line electrically connects a first source/drain region of the first active region to a second source/drain region of the second active region. The gate includes a recess portion, wherein the first conductive line is at an elevation of the recess portion.

Abstract: A semiconductor device or structure includes a first pattern metal layer disposed between a first supply metal tract and a second supply metal tract, the first pattern metal layer comprising an internal route and a power route. A follow pin couples the first supply metal to the power route. The first supply metal tract comprises a first metal and a follow pin comprises a second metal.

Abstract: Various memory cell structures and power routings for one or more cells in an integrated circuit are disclosed. In one embodiment, different metal layers are used for power stripes that are operable to connect to voltage sources to supply different voltage signals, which allows some or all of the power stripes to have a larger width. Additionally or alternatively, fewer metal stripes are used for signals in a metal layer to allow the power stripe in that metal layer to have a larger width. The larger width(s) in turn increases the total area of the power stripe(s) to reduce the IR drop across the power stripe. The various power routings include connecting metal pillars in one metal layer to a power stripe in another metal layer, and extending a metal stripe in one metal layer to provide additional connections to a power stripe in another metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first cell. The first cell includes: a substrate; a plurality of gate electrodes extending in a first direction and defining at least one odd-numbered track and at least one even-numbered track within the first cell, the at least one odd-numbered track alternatingly arranged with the at least one even-numbered track; a first power rail extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a first conductive via connected to the first power rail, the first conductive via being within a first odd-numbered track of the at least one odd-numbered track; a second power rail extending in the second direction; and a second conductive via connected to the second power rail, the second conductive via being within a first even-numbered track of the at least one even-numbered track.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an integrated circuit device includes a substrate having a frontside and a backside; one or more active semiconductor devices formed on the frontside of the substrate; conductive paths formed on the frontside of the substrate; and conductive paths formed on the backside of the substrate. At least some of the conductive paths formed on the backside of the substrate, and as least some of the conductive paths formed on the front side of the substrate, are signal paths among the active semiconductor devices. In some embodiments, other conductive paths formed on the backside of the substrate are power grid lines for powering at least some of the active semiconductor devices.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first power rail, a first signal line, a first transistor and a second transistor. The first power rail is on a back-side of a substrate and is configured to supply a first supply voltage. The first signal line is on the back-side of the substrate and is separated from the first power rail. The first transistor has a first active region is in a front-side of the substrate. The first active region is overlapped by the first power rail and is electrically coupled to the first power rail. The second transistor has a second active region that is in the front-side of the substrate. The second active region is separated from the first active region, is overlapped by the first signal line, and is configured to receive the first supply voltage of the first power rail through the first active region of the first transistor.

Abstract: A method includes fabricating a first-voltage underlayer power rail conductively connecting to the source region of a first-type transistor and fabricating a second-voltage underlayer power rail conductively connecting to the source region of a second-type transistor. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage underlayer power rails extends in a first direction. The method also includes patterning a first connection layer to form a first-voltage power rail and a second-voltage power rail extending in the second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. The first-voltage power rail is directly connected with the first-voltage underlayer power rail through a first via-connector and the second-voltage power rail is directly connected with the second-voltage underlayer power rail through a second via-connector.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for back side routing a data signal in a semiconductor device are described. In one example, a described semiconductor cell structure includes: a dummy device region at a front side of the semiconductor cell structure; a metal layer including a plurality of metal lines at a back side of the semiconductor cell structure; a dielectric layer formed between the dummy device region and the metal layer; an inner metal disposed within the dielectric layer; at least one first via that is formed through the dielectric layer and electrically connects the inner metal to the plurality of metal lines at the back side; and at least one second via that is formed in the dielectric layer and physically coupled between the inner metal and the dummy device region at the front side.

Abstract: A method is provided, including following operations: identifying a first contact via, a second contact via, or a combination thereof in a first standard cell, wherein the first contact via is coupled between a first active region and a first conductive line on a first side, and the second contact via is coupled between a second active region and a second conductive line on a second side; calculating a first cell height according to a first width of the first and second active regions, and calculating a second cell height according to a second width of the first and second active regions; calculating multiple first available cell heights based on a ratio between the first and second cell heights; generating layout designs of multiple first cells; and manufacturing at least first one element in the integrated circuit based on the layout designs of the first cells.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first conductive structure including a root portion of the first conductive structure, tine portions that are arranged in a first semiconductor layer, a neck portion surrounded by a film structure. The integrated circuit further includes a second conductive structure having first and second portions that are stacked along a first direction. The first portion of the second conductive structure is surrounded by the film structure and the second portion of the second conductive structure is in the first semiconductor layer. A third conductive structure in the integrated circuit has horizontal and vertical structures. The horizontal structure extends in a second semiconductor layer and the vertical structure passes through the second semiconductor layer and the film structure to contact a first conductive rail. The first conductive rail and the tine portions are apart from the horizontal structure along the first direction by a same distance.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: forming a plurality of gate strips, wherein each gate strip is arranged to be a gate terminal of a transistor; forming a plurality of first metal strips above the plurality of gate strips; and forming a plurality of second metal strips above the plurality of first metal strips, wherein the plurality of second metal strips are co-planar, and each second metal strip and one of the first metal strips are crisscrossed from top view; wherein a length between two adjacent gate strips is twice as a length between two adjacent second metal strips, and a length of said one of the first metal strips is smaller than two and a half times as the length between two adjacent gate strips.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes: a first gate structure and a second gate structure extending in a first direction; a first base level metal interconnect (M0) pattern extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a second M0 pattern extending in the second direction; a third M0 pattern located between the first and second gate structures and extending in the first direction, two ends of the third M0 pattern connected to the first M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern, respectively; a fourth M0 pattern and a fifth M0 pattern located between the first and second M0 patterns and extending in the second direction. A distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the first M0 pattern in the first direction is equal to a minimum M0 pattern pitch, and a distance between the fourth M0 pattern and the second M0 pattern is equal to the minimum M0 pattern pitch.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with mixed poly pitch cells with a plurality of different pitch sizes is disclosed. The integrated circuit includes: at least a minimum unit each with at least a first number of first poly pitch cells with a first pitch size, and a second number of second poly pitch cells with a second pitch size, the first pitch size PP is different from the second pitch size PP1, the greatest common divisor of the first pitch size PP and the second pitch size PP1 is GCD, wherein GCD is an integer greater than 1; a gate length of the first pitch size is Lg; a gate length of the second pitch size is Lg1; Lg and Lg1 are capable of being extended to achieve G-bias for power and speed optimization of the minimum unit and the integrated circuit.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a horizontal routing track in a first metal layer, and a backside routing track in a backside metal layer. The backside metal layer and the first metal layer are formed at opposite sides of a semiconductor substrate. The horizontal routing track is conductively connected to a first terminal of a first transistor without passing through a routing track in another metal layer. The backside routing track is conductively connected to a second terminal of the first transistor without passing through a routing track in another metal layer. One of the first terminal and the second terminal is a gate terminal of the first transistor while another one the first terminal and the second terminal is either a source terminal or a drain terminal of the first transistor.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor arrangement includes forming a first source pad over a semiconductor layer. A first nanosheet is formed contacting the first source pad. A gate pad is formed adjacent the first nanosheet. A first drain pad is formed over the gate pad and contacting the first nanosheet. A backside interconnect line is formed under the gate pad and the first source pad. A first backside contact is formed contacting at least one of the backside interconnect line, the first source pad, or the gate pad.