Motorola Corporation

Nxp Usa, Inc.

Karl Wimmer

Marius K Orlowski

Xavier Hours

Bernd E Kastenmeier

David M Grochowski

A method of designing an integrated circuit is described. The integrated circuit comprises a plurality of circuit components, including one or more functional components and one or more tile shapes. A pcell instance may be defined to specify a functional component along with one or more tile shapes. The tile shapes are thus associated with the functional component. A netlist may be arranged to specify interconnections between the functional components of the integrated circuit as well as electrical interactions between the tile shapes and functional components. A computer program product for carrying out the method is also described.

Method of designing an integrated circuit and computer program product

Field isolation regions are formed using oxidation-resistant spacers or plugs that completely fill trenches within a semiconductor substrate prior to forming the field isolation regions. The spacers or plugs help to reduce encroachment of the field isolation regions under the spacers or plugs. The structure used as an oxidation mask for the field isolation process may include a silicon-containing member that is thicker than an overlying oxidation-resistant member. The thicker silicon-containing member may be capable of tolerating higher stress before defects in an underlying pad layer or substrate are formed.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Karl Wimmer