Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: arranging a first gate structure extending continuously above a first active region and a second active region of a substrate; arranging a first separation spacer disposed on the first gate structure to isolate an electronic signal transmitted through a first gate via and a second gate via that are disposed on the first gate structure, wherein the first gate via and the second gate via are arranged above the first active region and the second active region respectively; and arranging a first local interconnect between the first active region and the second active region, wherein the first local interconnect is electrically coupled to a first contact disposed on the first active region and a second contact disposed on the second active region.

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 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 semiconductor device includes a dielectric layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an active region on the first surface of the dielectric layer; a power rail under the second surface of the dielectric layer, wherein the dielectric layer is between the active region and the power rail; a spacer physically dividing the active region into a first part and a second part, the first part and the second part being conductively isolated from each other by the spacer; an intermediate layer comprising: first and second conductive segments; and wherein the spacer joins the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment, and electrically isolates the first conductive segment from the second conductive segment, wherein a join length between the first conductive segment and the spacer is equal to a join length between the second conductive segment and the spacer.

Abstract: Generating a circuit layout is provided. A circuit layout associated with a circuit is received. A parallel pattern recognition is performed on the circuit layout. Performing the parallel pattern recognition includes determining that there is a parallel pattern in the circuit layout. In response to determining that there is a parallel pattern in the circuit layout, a cell swap for a first cell associated with the parallel pattern with a second cell is performed. After the cell swap for the first cell, engineering change order routing is performed to connect the second cell in the circuit layout. An updated circuit layout having the second cell is provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first cell. The first cell is surrounded by a castle-shaped forbidden region. The first cell includes a first active region, a second active region, and at least one via. The first active region and the second active region extend along a first direction and are separated from each other along a second direction traverse to the first direction. The first active region partially overlaps an upper region of the castle-shaped forbidden region, and the second active region partially overlaps a lower region of the castle-shaped forbidden region. The at least one via is arranged outside the castle-shaped forbidden region.

Abstract: In some embodiments, a method of making a semiconductor device includes forming a recess in a first region of a first dielectric material, the first dielectric material at least partially embedding a semiconductor region, the recess having a first surface portion separated by a distance in a first direction from the semiconductor region by a portion of the first dielectric material; depositing a second dielectric material in the recess to form a second surface portion oriented at an oblique angle from the first surface portion; and depositing a conductive material in the recess. In some embodiments, the method further includes partially exposing the semiconductor region in a second recess in the first dielectric material and selectively depositing the second dielectric material on the first dielectric material, but not the semiconductor region, in the second recess.

Abstract: Examples of an integrated circuit a having an advanced two-dimensional (2D) metal connection with metal cut and methods of fabricating the same are provided. An example method for fabricating a conductive interconnection layer of an integrated circuit may include: patterning a conductive connector portion on the conductive interconnection layer of the integrated circuit using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, wherein the conductive connector portion is patterned to extend across multiple semiconductor structures in a different layer of the integrated circuit; and cutting the conductive connector portion into a plurality of conductive connector sections, wherein the conductive connector portion is cut by removing conductive material from the metal connector portion at one or more locations between the semiconductor structures.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a strip structure having a front side and a back side. A gate structure is on the front side of the strip structure. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of channel layers above the front side of the strip structure, wherein each of the plurality of channel layers is enclosed within the gate structure. An isolation structure surrounds the strip structure. The integrated circuit includes a backside via in the isolation structure. An epitaxy structure is on the front side of the strip structure. The integrated circuit includes a contact over the epitaxy structure. The contact has a first portion on a first side of the epitaxy structure. The first portion of the contact extends into the isolation structure and contacts the backside via. The integrated circuit includes a backside power rail on the back side of the strip structure and contacting the backside via.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, including: forming a plurality of gate strips, each gate strip is a gate terminal of a transistor; forming a plurality of first contact vias connected to a part of the gate strips; forming a plurality of first metal strips above the plurality of gate strips; connecting one of the first metal strips to one of the first contact vias; forming a plurality of second metal strips above the plurality of first metal strips, wherein the plurality of second metal strips are co-planar, each second metal strip and one of the first metal strips are crisscrossed from top view; 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: An integrated circuit includes a first, second and third active region and a first, second and third conductive line. The first, second and third active regions extend in a first direction, and are on a first level of a front-side of a substrate. The second active region is between the first active region and the third active region. The first and second conductive line extend in the first direction, and are on a second level of a back-side of the substrate. The first conductive line is between the first and second active region. The second conductive line is between the second and third active region. The third conductive line extends in the second direction, is on a third level of the back-side of the substrate, overlaps the first and second conductive line, and electrically couples the first and second active regions.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure is disclosed, including a gate, a first conductive line and a pair of second conductive lines, and a first feed-through via. The gate is disposed on a front side of the integrated circuit structure and extends in a first direction on a first side of a dielectric layer. The first conductive line and a pair of second conductive lines are disposed on a second side, opposite of the first side, of the dielectric layer and on a back side, opposite of the front side, of the integrated circuit structure. The first conductive line is interposed between the pair of second conductive lines in a layout view. The first feed-through via extends through the dielectric layer in a second direction different from the first direction. The first feed-through via couples the gate to the first conductive line.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including vertical transistors with a back side power structure, and methods of making the same are described. In one example, a described semiconductor structure includes: a gate structure including a gate pad and a gate contact on the gate pad; a first source region disposed below the gate pad; a first drain region disposed on the gate pad, wherein the first source region, the first drain region and the gate structure form a first transistor; a second source region disposed below the gate pad; a second drain region disposed on the gate pad, wherein the second source region, the second drain region and the gate structure form a second transistor; and at least one metal line that is below the first source region and the second source region, and is electrically connected to at least one power supply.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first power rail, a second power rail, and a power tap cell. The first power rail is at a first side of the integrated circuit. The second power rail is at a second side of the integrated circuit. The first and second sides are on opposite sides of at least a complementary field effect transistor. The power tap cell is coupled to the first power rail and the second power rail and configured to provide power from the first power rail to the second power rail.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes multiple backside conductive layers disposed over a backside of a substrate. The multiple backside conductive layers each includes conductive segments. The conductive segments in at least one of the backside conductive layers are configured to transmit one or more power signals. The conductive segments of the multiple backside conductive layers cover select areas of the backside of the substrate, thereby leaving other areas of the backside of the substrate exposed.

Abstract: A device including first nanosheet structures each including a first number of nanosheets, second nanosheet structures each including a second number of nanosheets that is different than the first number of nanosheets, and a plurality of rows including first rows and second rows. Where each of the first nanosheet structures is in a respective one of the first rows, each of the second nanosheet structures is in a respective one of the second rows, at least two of the first rows are adjacent one another, and at least two of the second rows are adjacent one another.

Abstract: A method is disclosed, including the following operations: arranging a first gate structure extending continuously above a first active region and a second active region of a substrate; arranging a first separation spacer disposed on the first gate structure to isolate an electronic signal transmitted through a first gate via and a second gate via that are disposed on the first gate structure, in which the first gate via and the second gate via are arranged above the first active region and the second active region respectively; and arranging a first local interconnect between the first active region and the second active region, in which the first local interconnect is electrically coupled to a first contact disposed on the first active region and a second contact disposed on the second active region.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first-voltage power rail and a second-voltage power rail in a first connection layer, and includes a first-voltage underlayer power rail and a second-voltage underlayer power rail below the first connection layer. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage power rails extends in a second direction that is perpendicular to a first direction. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage underlayer power rails extends in the first direction. The integrated circuit includes a first via-connector connecting the first-voltage power rail with the first-voltage underlayer power rail, and a second via-connector connecting the second-voltage power rail with the second-voltage underlayer power rail.

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 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: A semiconductor device includes a cell. The cell includes an active area, gates, at least one gate via and at least one contact via. The active area includes forbidden regions. The gates are disposed across the active area. The at least one gate via is coupled with one of the gates. The at least one contact via is coupled with at least one conductive segment each corresponding to a source/drain of a transistor. In a layout view, one of the forbidden regions abuts a region of an abutted cell in which at least one of a gate via or a contact via of the abutted cell is disposed. In a layout view, the least one of the at least one gate via or the at least one contact via is arranged within the active area and outside of the forbidden regions. A method is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including: arranging a first and a second gate strip separating in a first distance, wherein each of the first and the second gate strip is a gate terminal of a transistor; depositing a first contact via on the first gate strip; forming a first conductive strip on the first contact via, wherein the first conductive strip and the first gate strip are crisscrossed from top view; arranging a second and a third conductive strip, above the first conductive strip, separating in a second distance, wherein each of the second and the third conductive strip is free from connecting to the first conductive strip, the first and the second conductive strip are crisscrossed from top view. The first distance is twice as the second distance. A length of the first conductive strip is smaller than two and a half times as the first distance.