Abstract: A cell apparatus and method for use in building complex integrated circuit devices. The cell apparatus and method for use in building complex integrated circuits includes a cell which has regions dedicated to specific types of circuit elements and a method for designing the cell. A first region within the cell is dedicated to a first type of circuit element. A second region within the cell is dedicated to a second type of circuit element. A third region is dedicated to one or more diverse types of integrated circuit elements for utilization in multiple diverse applications of integrated circuits. The cell can be utilized in conjunction with multiple cells to efficiently form an image representing a complex integrated circuit device. The cell includes an upper edge and a lower edge, a plane dedicated to a ground line, a plane dedicated to a clock line, and a plane dedicated to a voltage supply line.

Abstract: The gate resistance of a high-frequency multi-finger MOS transistor is reduced by shorting together the ends of each of the gates by utilizing gate contacts, metal regions, vias, and a metal layer. Alternately, the gate resistance is reduced by utilizing a metal line that shorts all of the gate contacts together, and overlies each of the gates. By reducing the gate resistance, the maximum frequency f.sub.MAX of the multi-finger transistor can be increased.

Abstract: A capacitor optimized for use in an implantable medical device such as an implantable defibrillator is disclosed. In its simplest form, the capacitor comprises a thin planar dielectric sheet that has an array of cells open to one or both sides. Metallization is applied to the surface of the cells such that the walls of adjacent cells form a capacitor with the wall that separates the cells serving as the dielectric. The metallization pattern that forms the electrical connection to the cells may be patterned to limit the allowable current flow to each individual cell, thereby providing a fuse in the case of local dielectric failure.

Abstract: Integrated circuit SRAM cells include a semiconductor substrate having a field region and first, second, third and fourth active regions therein. The first and second active regions each include a horizontal leg and a vertical leg and are mirror images of each other about a vertical axis. The third and fourth active regions each also include a horizontal leg and a vertical leg and are mirror images of each other about a vertical axis. The integrated circuit SRAM cells also include first and second vertically extending gate conductive layers on the semiconductor substrate. The first vertically extending conductive layer extends vertically over the first active region horizontal leg and extends vertically over the third active region horizontal leg. The second vertically extending conductive layer extends vertically over the second active region horizontal leg and extends vertically over the fourth active region horizontal leg.

Abstract: A semiconductor device of a memory-macro type can be designed within a short time to have a desired storage capacity, which does not occupy a large area, so as to reduce the chip cost. The semiconductor device includes a memory macro having sub-memory macros, each sub-memory macro having a DRAM memory-cell array, and a row decoder and a column decoder for selecting any desired memory-cell from the memory cell of the array. The memory macro also includes a control-section macro having a DC potential generating circuit for generating various DC potentials required to drive the sub-memory macros. At least one of the sub-memory macros is combined with the control-section macro to form the memory macro as a one-chip memory capable of storing an integral multiple of N bits.

Abstract: A microelectronic integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of microelectronic devices formed on the substrate. Each device has a periphery defined by a hexagon, and includes an active area formed within the periphery. A first terminal and a second terminal are formed in the active area adjacent to edges of the hexagon that are separated by another edge. First to third gates are formed between the first and second terminals, and have gate terminals formed outside the active area adjacent to other edges of the hexagon. The power supply connections to the first and second terminals, the conductivity type (NMOS or PMOS), and the addition of a pull-up or a pull-down resistor is selected for each device to provide a desired AND, NAND, OR or NOR function. The devices are interconnected using three direction routing based on hexagonal geometry.

Abstract: A gate array architecture is disclosed that utilizes significantly less silicon area than the prior art. The core cell includes a four transistor arrangement in which a substrate tap is located adjacent to the transistor pair. This provides for a more "symmetric" cell array than those in the prior art. Through the placement of the taps outside of the transistors the power line connections can be routed in a simple and efficient manner. The architecture includes an extension portion in the contact region of the cell to further reduce wiring complexity. In addition the gate array architecture mirrors pairs of transistor columns to allow for the sharing of substrate taps between pairs of columns. This mirroring feature further reduces routing complexity. The architecture further includes a plurality of probe lines that are located within the architecture to facilitate testability of the outputs of the architecture.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device having a plurality of functional blocks, the functional blocks are all rectangular, and have at least one common length along one direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, an I/O-cell circuit having a transistor-array part. The semiconductor device further includes a first group of bonding pads and a second group of bonding pads. The first group of bonding pads is connected with the I/O-cell circuit and is formed in a first pad-forming area arranged along an outer side of the transistor-array part in the I/O-cell circuit. And the second group of bonding pads is connected with the I/O-cell circuit and is formed in a second pad-forming area along an inner side of the transistor-array part in the I/O-cell circuit.

Abstract: A microelectronic integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of microelectronic devices formed on the substrate. Each device has a periphery defined by a hexagon, and includes an active area formed within the periphery, a central terminal formed in a central portion of the active area, and interconnected first to third terminals formed in the active area adjacent to edges of the hexagon that are separated by other edges. First to third gates are formed between the first to third terminals respectively and the central terminal, and have contacts formed outside the active area adjacent to the other edges of the hexagon. The power supply connections to the central terminal and the first to third terminals, the conductivity type (NMOS or PMOS), and the addition of a pull-up or a pull-down resistor is selected for each device to provide a desired OR, NOR, AND or NAND function. The devices are interconnected using three direction routing based on hexagonal geometry.

Abstract: A particular layout (38) of transistors along a continuous conductor line (54), such as the transistors in a CMOS inverter, has been found which reduces breaks or voids in the conductor line due to electromigration of the conductor atoms from predominantly unidirectional current flows. The conductor line may be a metal line. By alternating the two types of transistors, p- and n-type (40, 41, 46 & 47), along the length of the metal line, almost the entire length of the line can be changed to one with bidirectional current flow which significantly reduces the mean-time-to-failure for electromigration-related damage. The layout arrangement will find greater advantage for large transistors, long metal lines, relatively large unidirectional current flows and devices that run at high frequency, such as clock drivers.

Abstract: An electrical apparatus having a top and a bottom is described. A right side portion comprised of a first substrate of semiconductor material is provided. A left side portion of a second substrate of semiconductor material comprising an integrated circuit is provided. A middle portion between the right side portion and the left side portion is provided. The middle portion is comprised of an insulative coating. A metallic interconnecting structure is provided that electrically couples the first substrate of the right side portion to the integrated circuit of the left side portion. The metallic interconnecting structure extends over the insulative material of the middle portion. A top portion comprised of the insulative material is provided that covers the integrated circuit, the metallic interconnecting structure, the left side portion, the right side portion, and the middle portion. The top portion and the middle portion sandwich the metallic interconnecting structure.

Abstract: The DRAM cell comprises a bit line having a topology higher than a plate electrode atop a dielectric film formed on a charge storage electrode, wherein the bit line is connected with a drain region and also with an oxide film which is formed at a predetermined portion of the plate electrode placed above the drain region, the oxide film playing a role in insulating said plate electrode from said bit line.Serving as an insulator between the plate electrode and the bit line, the oxide film is formed by oxidizing the plate electrode adjacent to the bit line. By virtue of this oxide film, there can be secured allowance for the formation of highly integrated device.A DRAM cell can be fabricated in fewer process steps according to the present invention. The DRAM cell is superior in reliability even if it is highly integrated since the area of the capacitor is largely secured without any short phenomenon of bit line.

Abstract: A master-slice type semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first transistor, and a second transistor. The first and second transistors are arranged side by side in a first direction. The first and second transistors respectively have first and second gate electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first gate electrode has a first portion in which two gate contacts arranged in the first direction can be made. The second gate electrode has a second portion in which two gate contacts arranged in the first direction can be made.

Abstract: In a method for providing routing between logic cells, the logic cells are arranged in rows. Intercell connectors within each row of logic cells are aligned, for example in the middle of the rows, to form channel boundaries. The intercell connectors are then channel routed in metal layers above the logic cells. Alternately, intercell connectors are placed within the logic cells, however, these intercell connectors are not necessarily aligned. For each intercell connector which is not on a boundary of a routing channel, a substitute connector is located at the boundary of a routing channel. The substitute connectors and the intercell connectors which are on the boundaries of the routing channels are channel routed. Length of routing segments are then adjusted to substitute connectors to extend to intercell connectors instead of the substitute connectors.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device having a trench-type capacitor configuration is provided. The device comprises an element isolation insulating film formed on the surface of the substrate in the vicinity of the trenches. The insulating film includes a thickness-reducing region to which the inclined end portion of the capacitor electrode is connected.

Abstract: Flexible routing of gate arrays increases routing efficiency, provides for the routing of functional blocks with other gates in the gate array, and provides structures for flexible power routing, particularly of gate arrays having functional blocks. In particular, a gate-array-implemented integrated circuit is designed using a computer by representing in computer memory a gate array base, placing gate array cells on the gate array base in placement rows each having a uniform height and separated by routing channels in which no gate array cells are placed, and routing in the routing channel connections between placement rows according to a netlist, during routing increasing the size of a routing channel if required and decreasing the size of a routing channel if possible by changing the placement of at least one placement row by an amount less than half the height of the placement row. Routing channel size is therefore flexibly adjusted "on-the-fly" during routing, increasing routing efficiency.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit device in which a unit circuit element row is formed by connecting unit circuit elements in a second direction, whose first length in a first direction crossing the second direction is predetermined and second length in the second direction can be varied, and a plurality of unit circuit element rows are connected to each other by connecting lines. The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a first unit circuit element arranged apart from the nearest connecting line along the first direction by a first reference distance and a second unit circuit element projected in the first direction and arranged apart from the nearest connecting line by a second reference distance which is shorter than the first reference distance, whose second length in the second direction is reduced in comparison with the first length of the first unit circuit element.