Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) employs a channel structure layout having an active semiconductor channel structure(s) and an isolated neighboring dummy semiconductor channel structure(s) for increased uniformity. A semiconductor channel structure(s) in an IC is a fin structure(s) or a gate-all-around (GAA) structure(s) employed in a Field-Effect Transistor (FET), such as a FinFET or a three-dimensional (3D) FET. The channel structures in the IC are fabricated according to a circuit cell architecture, such as a standard circuit cell (“standard cell”). The IC includes an active (e.g., diffusion) region in which a semiconductor channel structure array (e.g., semiconductor fin array) is formed according to a pattern. The IC includes a device employing a channel structure array in the active region. The channel structure array may include one active channel structure (e.g., fin) for reduced power consumption in the FinFET, and may include at least one dummy fin for increased uniformity.

Abstract: A semiconductor die includes a first diffusion region and a plurality of gates extending across the diffusion region. The plurality of gates are substantially parallel to each other. An interconnect layer above the diffusion region and plurality of gates includes a plurality of signal traces extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to the gates. At least two of the plurality of signal traces are located directly above the diffusion region such that at intersections of two gates with two separate signal traces are in the active transistor region, that is the portion of the gate extending over the diffusion region. Gate contacts coupling the two gates to the two separate signal traces are staggered by coupling to different signal traces.

Abstract: According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, a chip includes a first gate, a second gate, a first source, a first source contact disposed on the first source, a metal interconnect above the first source contact and the first gate, a first gate contact electrically coupling the first gate to the metal interconnect, and a first via electrically coupling the first source contact to the metal interconnect. The chip also includes a power rail, and a second via electrically coupling the first source contact to the power rail. The second gate is between the first source and the first gate, and the metal interconnect passes over the second gate.

Abstract: In certain aspects, a semiconductor die includes a first cell and a second cell. The first cell includes first transistors, and a first interconnect structure interconnecting the first transistors to form a first circuit. The second cell includes second transistors, and a second interconnect structure interconnecting the second transistors to form a second circuit. The first circuit and the second circuit are configured to perform a same function, and a length of the first cell in a first lateral direction is greater than a length of the second cell in the first lateral direction.

Abstract: A MOS device of an IC includes pMOS and nMOS transistors. The MOS device further includes a first Mx layer interconnect extending in a first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together, and a second Mx layer interconnect extending in the first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together. The first and second Mx layer interconnects are parallel. The MOS device further includes a first Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The MOS device further includes a second Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in the second direction. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is parallel to the first Mx+1 layer interconnect.

Abstract: In certain aspects, a semiconductor die includes a first doped region, a second doped region, and an interconnect formed from a first middle of line (MOL) layer, wherein the interconnect electrically couples the first doped region to the second doped region. The semiconductor die also includes a first metal line formed from a first interconnect metal layer, and a first via electrically coupling the interconnect to the first metal line.

Abstract: A MOS device of an IC includes pMOS and nMOS transistors. The MOS device further includes a first Mx layer interconnect extending in a first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together, and a second Mx layer interconnect extending in the first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together. The first and second Mx layer interconnects are parallel. The MOS device further includes a first Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The MOS device further includes a second Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in the second direction. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is parallel to the first Mx+1 layer interconnect.

Abstract: Semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) employing localized low dielectric constant (low-K) material in inter-layer dielectric (ILD) material for improved speed performance are disclosed. To speed up performance of selected circuits in an IC that would otherwise lower overall speed performance of the IC, low-K dielectric material is employed during IC fabrication. The low-K dielectric material is provided in selected, localized areas of ILD material in which selected circuits are disposed. In this manner, the IC will experience an overall increased speed performance during operation, because circuit components and/or circuit element interconnects of selected circuit(s) that are disposed in the low-K ILD material will experience reduced signal delay.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a method, a computer-readable medium, and an apparatus for assigning feature colors for a multiple patterning process are provided. The apparatus receives integrated circuit layout information including a set of features and an assigned color of a plurality of colors for each feature of a first subset of features of the set of features. In addition, the apparatus performs color decomposition on a second subset of features to assign colors to features in the second subset of features. The second subset of features includes features in the set of features that are not included in the first subset of features with an assigned color.

Abstract: A MOS device of an IC includes pMOS and nMOS transistors. The MOS device further includes a first Mx layer interconnect extending in a first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together, and a second Mx layer interconnect extending in the first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together. The first and second Mx layer interconnects are parallel. The MOS device further includes a first Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The MOS device further includes a second Mx+1 layer interconnect extending in the second direction. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first Mx layer interconnect and the second Mx layer interconnect. The second Mx+1 layer interconnect is parallel to the first Mx+1 layer interconnect.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a method for clock gating includes receiving an enable signal, and latching a logic value of the enable signal on an edge of an input clock signal. The method also includes passing the latched logic value of the enable signal to a clock-gating output when the input clock signal is logically high, blocking the latched logic value of the enable signal from the clock-gating output when the input clock signal is logically low, and pulling the clock-gating output logically low when the input clock signal is logically low.

Abstract: A method of designing conductive interconnects includes determining a residual spacing value based at least in part on an integer multiple of a interconnect trace pitch and a designated cell height. The method also includes allocating the residual spacing to at least one interconnect trace width or interconnect trace space within the interconnect trace pitch.

Abstract: Methods and systems for clock gating are described herein. In certain aspects, a method for clock gating includes receiving an input signal of a flip-flop and an output signal of the flip-flop, and passing a clock signal to an input of a gate in the flip-flop if the input signal and the output signal have different logic values or both the input signal and the output signal have a logic value of zero. The method also includes gating the clock signal if both the input signal and the output signal have a logic value of one.

Abstract: Methods and systems for clock gating are described herein. In certain aspects, a method for clock gating includes receiving an input signal of a flip-flop and an output signal of the flip-flop, and passing a clock signal to an input of a gate in the flip-flop if the input signal and the output signal have different logic values or both the input signal and the output signal have a logic value of zero. The method also includes gating the clock signal if both the input signal and the output signal have a logic value of one.

Abstract: A standard cell CMOS device includes metal oxide semiconductor transistors having gates formed from gate interconnects. The gate interconnects extend in a first direction. The device further includes M1 layer interconnects. The M1 layer interconnects are parallel to the gate interconnects and extend in the first direction only. The device further includes a M0 layer interconnect. The M0 layer interconnect extends directly over a first gate interconnect and extends in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction only. The M0 layer interconnect is below the M1 layer and is isolated from directly connecting to the first gate interconnect. The device further includes a layer interconnect that is different from the M1 layer interconnects and the M0 layer interconnect. The layer interconnect is connected to the M0 layer interconnect and is directly connected to a second gate electrode.

Abstract: A MOS IC may include a first contact interconnect in a first standard cell that extends in a first direction and contacts a first MOS transistor source and a voltage source. Still further, the MOS IC may include a first double diffusion break extending along a first boundary in the first direction of the first standard cell and a second standard cell. The MOS IC may also include a second contact interconnect extending over a portion of the first double diffusion break. In an aspect, the second contact interconnect may be within both the first standard cell and the second standard cell and coupled to the voltage source. Additionally, the MOS IC may include a third contact interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and couples the first contact interconnect and the second contact interconnect together.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices with wider field gates for reduced gate resistance are disclosed. In one aspect, a semiconductor device is provided that employs a gate. The gate is a conductive line disposed above the semiconductor device to form transistors corresponding to active semiconductor regions. Each active semiconductor region has a corresponding channel region. Portions of the gate disposed over each channel region are active gates, and portions not disposed over the channel region, but that are disposed over field oxide regions, are field gates. A voltage differential between each active gate and a source of each corresponding transistor causes current flow in a channel region when the voltage differential exceeds a threshold voltage. The width of each field gate is a larger width than each active gate. The larger width of the field gates results in reduced gate resistance compared to devices with narrower field gates.

Abstract: A standard cell CMOS device includes metal oxide semiconductor transistors having gates formed from gate interconnects. The gate interconnects extend in a first direction. The device further includes power rails that provide power to the transistors. The power rails extend in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The device further includes M1 layer interconnects extending between the power rails. At least one of the M1 layer interconnects is coupled to at least one of the transistors. The M1 layer interconnects are parallel to the gate interconnects and extend in the first direction only.

Abstract: A MOS IC may include a first contact interconnect in a first standard cell that extends in a first direction and contacts a first MOS transistor source and a voltage source. Still further, the MOS IC may include a first double diffusion break extending along a first boundary in the first direction of the first standard cell and a second standard cell. The MOS IC may also include a second contact interconnect extending over a portion of the first double diffusion break. In an aspect, the second contact interconnect may be within both the first standard cell and the second standard cell and coupled to the voltage source. Additionally, the MOS IC may include a third contact interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and couples the first contact interconnect and the second contact interconnect together.

Abstract: A standard cell IC includes pMOS transistors in a pMOS region of a MOS device. The pMOS region extends between a first cell edge and a second cell edge opposite the first cell edge. The standard cell IC further includes nMOS transistors in an nMOS region of the MOS device. The nMOS region extends between the first cell edge and the second cell edge. The standard cell IC further includes at least one single diffusion break located in an interior region between the first cell edge and the second cell edge that extends across the pMOS region and the nMOS region to separate the pMOS region into pMOS subregions and the nMOS region into nMOS subregions. The standard cell IC includes a first double diffusion break portion at the first cell edge. The standard cell IC further includes a second double diffusion break portion at the second cell edge.