Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Promos Technologies, Inc

Macronix International Co., Ltd.

Nien-Yu Tsai

Wen-Ju Preet Yang

Chin-Chang Hsu

Hsien-Hsin Sean Lee

Jefferson Lu

Wen-Chun Huang

Chun-Wei Chen

Yu-Jung Chang

Ying-Yu Shen

Hong-Long Chang

Ming-Li Kung

Yung-Ching Wang

Yao-Jen Chuang

Shu-Ching Yang

Wei Ming Chen

A semiconductor device includes a first cell. The first cell includes a first functional feature, a first sensitivity region, at least one anchor node, wherein each of the at least one anchor node is different from the first functional feature, and a number of anchor nodes of the at least one anchor node linked to the first functional feature is based on a position of the first functional feature relative to the first sensitivity region. The semiconductor device further includes a second cell abutting the first cell. The second cell includes a second functional feature, wherein the second functional feature satisfies a minimum spacing requirement with respect to the first functional feature.

Standard cell and semiconductor device including anchor nodes and method of making

A method of generating a plurality of photomasks includes generating a circuit graph. The circuit graph comprises a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges. Each of the plurality of vertices is representative of one of a plurality of conductive lines. The plurality of edges are representative of a spacing between the conductive lines less than an acceptable minimum distance. Kgraph comprising a first set of vertices selected from the plurality of vertices connected in series by a first set of edges selected from the plurality of edges and having at least one non-series edge connection between a first vertex and a second vertex selected from the first set of vertices is reduced by merging a third vertex into a fourth vertex selected from the first set of the plurality of vertices. An n-pattern conflict check is performed and the photomasks generated based on the result.

Multi-patterning graph reduction and checking flow method

A standard cell for a semiconductor device includes a plurality of features for performing the functionality of the standard cell. The standard cell further includes a first sensitivity region adjacent to a first edge of the standard cell. The standard cell further includes anchor nodes linked to corresponding features of the plurality of features, wherein a number of anchor nodes linked to each feature of the corresponding features is based on a position of an end of each feature of the corresponding features relative to the first sensitivity region.

Standard cell and semiconductor device including anchor nodes

A method for designing a semiconductor device includes establishing boundary conditions for a layout of each cell of a plurality of cells, wherein each cell has a plurality of features, and boundary conditions are established based on a proximity of each feature to a cell boundary of a corresponding cell. The method includes determining whether the layout of each cell is colorable based on a number of masks used to manufacture a layer of the semiconductor device, a minimum spacing requirement for the plurality of features, and the established boundary conditions. The method includes forming a layout of the layer of the semiconductor device by abutting a first cell of the plurality of cells with a second cell of the plurality of cells. The method includes reporting the layout of the layer of the semiconductor device as colorable without analyzing the layout of the layer of the semiconductor device.

Method of designing a semiconductor device, system for implementing the method and standard cell

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device are described. In an embodiment, the method may include providing a substrate having a metal layer disposed thereon, the metal layer having a conductive trace pattern formed therein; depositing a dielectric material over the conductive trace pattern of the metal layer; determining a layout of a plurality of air gaps that will be formed in the dielectric material based on a design rule checking (DRC) procedure and the conductive trace pattern; and forming the plurality of air gaps in the dielectric material based on the layout of the plurality of air gaps.

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device

A method of determining colorability of a layout includes generating a conflict diagram based on circuit information. The conflict diagram includes a plurality of nodes, each node of the plurality of nodes is connected to at least another node of the plurality of nodes by a link, and each node of the plurality of nodes has a degree equal to a number of links connected to the node. The method includes setting a degree of each anchor node within the conflict diagram to a value of n, where n is equal to a number of mask usable to manufacture the layout. The method further includes excluding, using a processor, nodes having a degree less than n from the conflict diagram. The method further includes performing a color status check on the conflict diagram after the excluding; and determining whether the layout is colorable based on the performed color status check.

Method and system of determining colorability of a layout

The present disclosure relates a method of performing a design rule checking (DRC) procedure on a multi-tiered integrated chip. In some embodiments, the method is performed by defining layer databases for a plurality of tiers within a multi-tiered integrated chip. The layer databases respectively identify design layers within an associated tier. A DRC (design rule checking) deck is then generated, which defines one or more individual design layer definitions as a function of a plurality of layer databases, so that the one or more individual design layer definitions are defined for a plurality of tiers. One or more design rules for the one or more individual design layer definitions are defined within the DRC deck. Since the individual design layer definitions are defined as functions of the plurality of layer databases, the design rules apply to the plurality of tiers.

DRC format for stacked CMOS design

A first dielectric layer is formed over a substrate. A second dielectric layer is formed over the first dielectric layer. A first opening is formed in the second dielectric layer. A second opening is formed in the first dielectric layer.

Semiconductor hole structure

A method of planarizing a spin-on material layer is provided. A substrate having a plurality of openings thereon is provided. A spin-on material layer is formed on the substrate such that the openings are completely filled. A plasma etching process is carried out to remove a portion of the spin-on material layer and expose the substrate surface. During the plasma etching process, the substrate is cooled to maintain an etching selectivity between the spin-on material layer on the substrate surface and the spin-on material layer within the openings so that a planar spin-on material layer is ultimately obtained.

Method of planarizing spin-on material layer and manufacturing photoresist layer

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device that includes providing a substrate, providing a dielectric layer over the substrate, depositing a layer of anti-reflective coating over the dielectric layer, providing a layer of photoresist over the layer of anti-reflective coating, patterning and defining the photoresist layer to provide a plurality of photoresist structures, wherein at least two adjacent photoresist structures provide a first distance, anisotropically etching the layer of anti-reflective coating unmasked by the photoresist structures to remove only a portion of the anti-reflective coating layer, etching the anti-reflective coating to completely remove the layer of anti-reflective coating unmasked by the photoresist structures, and etching the dielectric layer to form at least one trench between the at least two adjacent photoresist structures, wherein the first distance is substantially equal to a second distance defining an opening at the top of the trench.

Method for etching a trench through an anti-reflective coating

A method of forming a shallow trench in a specific region located between two adjacent deep trench capacitor constructions on a semiconductor substrate, each the deep trench capacitor construction having a collar construction and a conductor construction is provided. The method of forming a shallow trench includes steps of (a) defining a mask by forming a mask layer on the semiconductor substrate which has the deep trench capacitor constructions, (b) performing a first etching process with respect to the regions, which is not covered by the mask, so as to form a first depth trench, in which the first etching process has a relatively high selectivity ratio of the conductor construction relative to the mask, and (c) performing a second etching process with respect to the first depth trench so as to form a second depth trench, in which the second etching process has a selectivity ratio of the conductor construction relative to the collar construction substantially close to 1.

Method of forming shallow trench

A method of forming a metal interconnect structure and via plugs over a dielectric layer having a plurality of vias formed therein is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of: forming tungsten via plugs in the plurality of vias; depositing a metal layer over the dielectric layer and the plurality of tungsten via plugs; patterning and etching the metal layer using a photoresist layer to form the metal interconnect structure; removing the photoresist layer in an asher using a combination of oxygen plasma and water vapor, the ratio of oxygen plasma and water vapor being less than one; and performing a wet strip on the metal interconnect structure.

Growing community of inventors

Taichung, Taiwan

Nien-Yu Tsai