Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices are disclosed herein for developing a cell design. Operations of a plurality of electrical cells are simulated to collect a plurality of electrical parameters. A machine learning model is trained using the plurality of electrical parameters. The trained machine learning model receives data having cell layout design constraints. The trained machine learning model determines a cell layout for the received data based on the plurality of electrical parameters. The cell layout is provided for further characterization of electrical performance within the cell layout design constraints.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an edge active cell, an inner active cell and a middle active cell. The edge active cell is located near an edge of the semiconductor device. The edge active cell includes a plurality of fingers. The inner active cell is adjacent to the edge active cell toward a central portion of the semiconductor device. The inner active cell includes a plurality of fingers and at least one of the plurality of fingers of the edge active cell is electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of fingers of the inner active cell. The middle active cell is located near the central portion of the semiconductor device. The middle active cell includes a plurality of fingers and each of the fingers of the middle active cell is electrically connected to each other.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for replacing a device with a cell structure having a plurality of uni-gates. An exemplary method includes receiving a circuit diagram that includes the device, determining the cell structure wherein a cumulative effective gate length of the plurality of uni-gates is equal to a gate length of the device, generating, based on the cell structure and the device, a floor plan that includes an arrangement of a plurality of placeholders that match an arrangement of the cell structure and an arrangement of the device in the circuit diagram, and generating a circuit layout based on the floor plan, the cell structure, and the circuit diagram. The plurality of placeholders is replaced by the cell structure and the cell structure is connectable to other parts of the circuit diagram based on the circuit diagram.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes assigning a set of parameter values to a set of size parameters of a unit cell of the integrated circuit in a unit cell schematic of the unit cell according to a predetermined criterion, wherein the unit cell characterized by the set of parameter values has a circuit characteristic meeting the predetermined criterion; generating a unit cell layout of the unit cell according to the unit cell schematic; generating a circuit layout comprising a plurality of replicas of the unit cell layout, the replicas of the unit cell layout being arranged in correspondence with circuit blocks in a circuit floorplan of the integrated circuit, respectively; and fabricating the integrated circuit according to the circuit layout.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes assigning a set of parameter values to a set of size parameters of a unit cell of the integrated circuit in a unit cell schematic of the unit cell according to a predetermined criterion, wherein the unit cell characterized by the set of parameter values has a circuit characteristic meeting the predetermined criterion; generating a unit cell layout of the unit cell according to the unit cell schematic; generating a circuit layout comprising a plurality of replicas of the unit cell layout, the replicas of the unit cell layout being arranged in correspondence with circuit blocks in a circuit floorplan of the integrated circuit, respectively; and fabricating the integrated circuit according to the circuit layout.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring a bandwidth of an amplifier includes first and second capacitors, first through third switches, and a pulse generator. First terminals of the capacitors are coupled to an amplifier input, and a second terminal of the second capacitor is coupled to an amplifier output. The first switch has a control terminal and terminals coupled to a first input node and a second terminal of the first capacitor. The second switch has a control terminal and terminals coupled to the amplifier input and output. The third switch has a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first capacitor. The pulse generator has a first output coupled to the control terminal of the third switch, and is configured to vary a pulse width of a pulse signal supplied from the first output to the control terminal of the third switch.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes transistors and a resistor. The transistors are connected in series between a power terminal and a ground terminal, and gate terminals of the transistors being connected together. The resistor is overlaid above the transistors. The resistor is connected between a source terminal of the transistors and the ground terminal.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an active zone having a center portion adjoining a first side portion and a second side portion. A first transistor having a gate formed over one of the first channel regions in the center portion has a first threshold-voltage. A second transistor having a gate formed over one of the second channel regions in the center portion has a second threshold-voltage. A third transistor having a gate formed over one of the third channel regions in the first side portion has a third threshold-voltage. A fourth transistor having a gate formed over one of the fourth channel regions in the second side portion has a fourth threshold-voltage. A first average of the first threshold-voltage and the second threshold-voltage is larger than a second average of the third threshold-voltage and the fourth threshold-voltage by a predetermined threshold-voltage offset.

Abstract: A method including the operations of receiving a preliminary device layout including a plurality of active areas, analyzing the preliminary device layout to identify empty areas between the plurality of active areas, determining the configurations of the active areas bordering the empty areas, selecting a transition cell from a transition cell library in which the transition cell has a transitional configuration for reducing density gradient effects in the active areas adjacent the transition cell, and inserting the transition cells into the empty areas to define a modified device layout.

Abstract: An IC degradation sensor is disclosed. The IC degradation management sensor includes an odd number of first logic gates electrically connected in a ring oscillator configuration, each first logic gate having an input and an output. Each first logic gate further includes a first PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor and a second logic gate having an input and an output. The input of the second logic gate is the input of the first logic gate, and the drains of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor are electrically connected to the output of the second logic gate, and the output of the second logic gate is the output of the first logic gate.

Abstract: In a first integrated circuit column, a first cell active area top edge is separated by a first separation distance from a first barrier line, a first cell active area bottom edge is separated by a second separation distance from a second barrier line, a second cell active area top edge is separated by the second separation distance from a third barrier line, and a second active area bottom edge is separated by the first separation distance from a fourth barrier line. In a second column a third cell active area top edge is separated from a fifth barrier line by the first distance, and a third cell active area bottom edge is separated from a sixth barrier line by a third distance. The first and third separation distances are different from the second separation distance. The first barrier line aligns with the fifth barrier line.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a first transistor having a first dopant type and a second transistor having a second dopant type opposite to the first dopant type. The first transistor includes a first terminal configured to receive a current, a second terminal connected to a node, and a first gate, and the second transistor includes a first terminal connected to a device under test (DUT), a second terminal connected to the node, and a second gate. Each one of the first gate, the node, or the second gate is capable of receiving a first voltage from a first voltage source simultaneously with another one of the first gate, the node, or the second gate receiving a second voltage from a second voltage source, the first voltage being different from the second voltage.

Abstract: An IC degradation sensor is disclosed. The IC degradation management sensor includes an odd number of first logic gates electrically connected in a ring oscillator configuration, each first logic gate having an input and an output. Each first logic gate further includes a first PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor and a second logic gate having an input and an output. The input of the second logic gate is the input of the first logic gate, and the drains of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor are electrically connected to the output of the second logic gate, and the output of the second logic gate is the output of the first logic gate.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method for replacing a device with a cell structure having a plurality of uni-gates. An exemplary method includes receiving a circuit diagram that includes the device, determining the cell structure wherein a cumulative effective gate length of the plurality of uni-gates is equal to a gate length of the device, generating, based on the cell structure and the device, a floor plan that includes an arrangement of a plurality of placeholders that match an arrangement of the cell structure and an arrangement of the device in the circuit diagram, and generating a circuit layout based on the floor plan, the cell structure, and the circuit diagram. The plurality of placeholders is replaced by the cell structure and the cell structure is connectable to other parts of the circuit diagram based on the circuit diagram.

Abstract: A peak current evaluation apparatus for an IC is provided. The peak current evaluation apparatus includes a pulse tuner and a testing circuit. The pulse tuner receives a clock signal, adjusts pulse width and duty ratio of the clock signal according to at least one predetermined parameter in order to generate a pulse signal with a stress voltage. The testing circuit is coupled to the pulse tuner. The testing circuit, which includes two input ports, receives the pulse signal at one of the two input ports in order to stress a testing device, measures the resistance value of the testing device, and calculates the peak current of the testing device when the resistance value increases and exceeds a threshold value.

Abstract: A device comprising a device under test and a time to current converter configured to be coupled to the device under test. The device under test comprises: (i) at least one delay element for creating a delay; (ii) at least one capacitor for providing capacitance loading to the at least one delay element; and (iii) at least one switch to control the capacitance loading provided by the at least one capacitor. The time to current converter comprises (i) a first input for receiving a first clock signal; (ii) a second input for receiving an inverted and delayed version of the first clock signal from the device under test; and (iii) an impedance module for measuring an output current. During a testing mode, the at least one switch is in a closed position so the at least one capacitor can provide a capacitance loading to the at least one delay element to amplify the delay associated with the device under test.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes a first transistor having a first dopant type and a second transistor having a second dopant type opposite to the first dopant type. The first transistor includes a first terminal configured to receive a current, a second terminal connected to a node, and a first gate, and the second transistor includes a first terminal connected to a device under test (DUT), a second terminal connected to the node, and a second gate. Each one of the first gate, the node, or the second gate is capable of receiving a first voltage from a first voltage source simultaneously with another one of the first gate, the node, or the second gate receiving a second voltage from a second voltage source, the first voltage being different from the second voltage.

Abstract: An IC degradation sensor is disclosed. The IC degradation management sensor includes an odd number of first logic gates electrically connected in a ring oscillator configuration, each first logic gate having an input and an output. Each first logic gate further includes a first PMOS transistor, a first NMOS transistor and a second logic gate having an input and an output. The input of the second logic gate is the input of the first logic gate, and the drains of the first PMOS transistor and the first NMOS transistor are electrically connected to the output of the second logic gate, and the output of the second logic gate is the output of the first logic gate.

Abstract: A method of measuring an output resistance of a DUT includes determining an initial output resistance of an n-type transistor, thereby determining an initial gate voltage for the n-type transistor, and determining an initial output resistance of a p-type transistor, thereby determining an initial gate voltage for the n-type transistor. A resistance for a cascode arrangement of the n-type transistor and the p-type transistor is determined, and the output resistance of the DUT using the cascode arrangement is measured by biasing the n-type transistor with the initial gate voltage for the n-type transistor and biasing the p-type transistor with the initial gate voltage for the p-type transistor.

Abstract: A circuit for measuring a gain of an amplifier includes a first node coupled to an output of the amplifier, a second node, a first circuit coupled to an input and the output of the amplifier, and a second circuit coupled between the first circuit and the second node. The first circuit is configured to cause a first gain drop in a gain to be measured between the first node and the second node. The second circuit configured to cause a second gain drop in the gain to be measured between the first node and the second node.