Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ho Che Yu

Sheng-Hsiung Chen

Chung-Hsing Wang

Lee-Chung Lu

Fong-yuan Chang

Chih-Liang Chen

Chung-Te Lin

Li-Chun Tien

Yi-Kan Cheng

Charles Chew-Yuen Young

Kam-Tou Sio

Fong-Yuan Chang

Hsiao-Shu Chao

King-Ho Tam

Li-Chung Hsu

Meng-Xiang Lee

Shih-Hsien Yang

Po-Hsiang Huang

Chi-Yu Lu

Jyun-Hao Chang

Ni-Wan Fan

Chih Sheng Tsai

Jeo-Yen Lee

Shu Yi Ying

Chin-Yu Chiang

Wen-Hao Chen

Huang-Yu Chen

Chi-Yeh Yu

Chin-Hsiung Hsu

Chen-Fu “Alex” Huang

Chen-Fu Huang

A semiconductor device includes: first fins (F-fins) and second fins (S-fin) arranged in a first row having a single-row height and that includes an alpha cell region and a beta cell region. The alpha cell region includes a first F-fin, a first S-fin and a first gate structure overlapping each of the first F-fin and the first S-fin. The first gate structure does not overlap top and bottom edges of the alpha cell region. The beta cell region includes second and third F-fins, second and third S-fins and a second gate structure overlapping each of the second F-fin and second S-fin and at least one of the third F-fin or the third S-fin. A top edge of the beta cell region being co-track aligned with the third F-fin. A bottom edge of the beta cell region being co-track aligned with the third S-fin.

Semiconductor device with cell region

Placement methods described in this disclosure provide placement and routing rules where a system implementing the automatic placement and routing (APR) method arranges standard cell structures in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the fins but parallel to the cell height. Layout methods described in this disclosure also improve device density and further reduce cell height by incorporating vertical power supply lines into standard cell structures. Pin connections can be used to electrically connect the power supply lines to standard cell structures, thus improving device density and performance. The APR process is also configured to rotate standard cells to optimize device layout.

Integrated circuit and layout method for standard cell structures

A semiconductor device including: first, second and third active regions a first gate structure over the first active region and a first part of the second active region; a second gate structure over the third active region and a second part of the second active region; a first cell region including the first gate structure, the first active region and the first part of the second active region; a second cell region including the second gate structure, the third active region and the second part of the second active region; a first border region representing an overlap of the first and second cell regions which is substantially aligned with an approximate midline of the second active region; the second gate structure overlapping the first border region; and there being a first gap which is between the first gate structure and the first border region.

Semiconductor device with cell region, method of generating layout diagram and system for same

An embodiment of a semiconductor switch structure includes source contacts, drain contacts, gates and fins. The contacts and gates are elongated in a first direction and are spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The gates are interspersed between the contacts. The fins underlie both the contacts and the gates. The fins are elongated in the second direction and are spaced apart from each other in the first direction. A contact via extends through one of the contacts without contacting a gate or a fin. A gate via extends through one of the gates without contacting a contact or a fin. A contact-gate via is in contact with both a contact and a gate but not a fin.

FinFET switch

A semiconductor device includes active areas formed as predetermined shapes on a substrate. The device also includes a first structure having at least two contiguous rows including: at least one instance of the first row, and at least one instance of the second row. The device also includes the first structure being configured such that: each of the at least one instance of the first row in the first structure having a first width in the first direction; and each of the at least one instance of the second row in the first structure having a second width in the first direction, the second width being substantially different than the first width. The device also includes a second structure having an odd number of contiguous rows including: an even number of instances of the first row, and an odd number of instances of the second row.

Cell structures and semiconductor devices having same

A semiconductor device comprising active areas and a structure. The active areas are formed as predetermined shapes on a substrate and arranged relative to a grid having first and second tracks which are substantially parallel to corresponding orthogonal first and second directions; The active areas are organized into instances of a first row having a first conductivity and a second row having a second conductivity. Each instance of the first row and of the second row includes a corresponding first and second number predetermined number of the first tracks. The structure has at least two contiguous rows including: at least one instance of the first row; and at least one instance of the second row. In the first direction, the instance(s) of the first row have a first width and the instance(s) of the second row a second width substantially different than the first width.

A switch cell structure includes a switch cell of a first type, which includes a master switch cell and a plurality of slave switch cells. The master switch cell includes a buffer having an input and an output and a transistor having a gate coupled to the output of the buffer. The slave switch cell includes a respective signal line having an input and output and a transistor having a gate coupled to the signal line, the signal lines of the slave switch cells are coupled to one another, with the output of one coupled to the input of another of the signal lines. The output of the buffer of the master switch cell is coupled to an input of one of the signal lines of slave switch cells to drive the plurality of slave switch cells.

Switch cell structure and method

An embodiment of the present invention is a computer program product for providing an adjusted electronic representation of an integrated circuit layout. The computer program product has a medium with a computer program embodied thereon. Further, the computer program comprises computer program code for providing full node cells from a full node netlist, computer program code for scaling the full node cells to provide shrink node cells, computer program code for providing a timing performance of the full node cells and the shrink node cells, computer program code for comparing the timing performance of the full node cells to the timing performance of the shrink node cells, and computer program code for providing a first netlist.

Optimization for circuit migration

A method comprises providing a non-transitory, machine-readable storage medium storing a partial netlist of at least a portion of a previously taped-out integrated circuit (IC) layout, representing a set of photomasks for fabricating an IC having the IC layout such that the IC meets a first specification value. A computer identities a proper subset of a plurality of first devices in the IC layout, such that replacement of the proper subset of the first devices by second devices in a revised IC layout satisfies a second specification value different from the first specification value. At least one layout mask is generated and stored in at least one non-transitory machine readable storage medium, accessible by a tool for forming at least one additional photomask, such that the set of photomasks and the at least one additional photomask are usable to fabricate an IC according to the revised IC layout.

Layout modification method and system

An embodiment is a method for providing an adjusted electronic representation of an integrated circuit layout, the method including using one or more processor, generating a timing performance of a path in a first netlist, identifying a first cell in the path that violates a timing performance parameter, and generating a plurality of derivative cells from a subsequent cell that is in the path after the first cell, where each derivative cell includes a variation of the subsequent cell. The method further includes in response to the identifying the first cell, replacing the subsequent cell with at least one of the plurality of derivative cells to generate a first modified netlist, where the variation of the at least one of the plurality of derivative cells reduces the violation of the timing performance parameter, and generating a final netlist based on the first modified netlist.

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Zhubei, Taiwan

Ho Che Yu