International Business Machines Corporation

Tobias Werner

Silke Penth

Yuen H Chan

Juergen Pille

Rolf Sautter

Michael B Kugel

Raphael C Polig

Alexander Albert Woerner

David Edward Schmitt

Dieter F Wendel

John D Davis

Paul Alan Bunce

Wolfgang Penth

Brian James Yavoich

Albert Frisch

Iris Maria Leefken

Stefan Payer

Harry S Barowski

Martin Eckert

Otto Andreas Torreiter

Gerhard Hellner

Michael Stetter

Wilhelm Ernst Haller

Ulrich Krauch

Martin Padeffke

Joachim Fenkes

Shankar Kalyanasundaram

Stefan Bonsels

Anthony Parent

Michael J H Lee

An integrated circuit includes at least one first area including logic circuitry. The logic circuitry includes library blocks selected from a logic circuit library. A first one of the library blocks is provided with at least two symmetry mirror edges perpendicular to a height of the library blocks. Two adjacent ones of the library blocks are joined at a common symmetry mirror edge.

Integrated circuit including logic circuitry

An embodiment may include an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit may include a plurality of vertical transistor structures arranged in a two-dimensional grid pattern including a longitudinal set of grid-lines, a transversal set of grid-lines, and nodes at each intersection of the longitudinal set of grid-lines and the transversal set of grid-lines. Each vertical transistor structure is arranged substantially perpendicular to the plurality of layers of the integrated circuit and aligned with each node of the two-dimensional grid pattern.

Integrated circuit with vertical structures on nodes of a grid

An embodiment may include a method of forming a microelectronic device. The method may include forming a pair of transistors stacked vertically and connected in series, each of the pair of transistors are of the same type. The method may include forming a memory element including a first inverter containing a first inverter transistor and an access transistor. The first inverter transistor is connected to a power supply rail. The access transistor is connected to a bitline. The first inverter transistor is a first transistor of the pair of vertically stacked transistors and the access transistor is a second transistor of the pair of vertically stacked transistors. The pair of transistors are arranged substantially perpendicular to the plurality of layers.

Microelectronic device with a memory element utilizing stacked vertical devices

An embodiment may include a method of forming an integrated circuit. The method may include forming a first pair of transistors stacked vertically above a semiconductor substrate arranged substantially perpendicular to the plurality of layers. Each of the first pair of vertically stacked transistors are of the same type and are connected in series. The method may include forming a second pair of transistors connected in parallel and arranged substantially perpendicular to the plurality of layers. The second pair of transistors are a different type than the first pair of vertically stacked transistors. The method may include forming a power supply rail within the semiconductor substrate and arranged at one end of the first pair of vertically stacked transistors.

Buried conductive layer supplying digital circuits

An embodiment may include a microelectronic device. The microelectronic device may include a first pair of transistors stacked vertically and connected in series. Each of the first pair of transistors are of the same type. The microelectronic device may include a second pair of transistors connected in parallel. The second pair of transistors being a different type than the first pair of transistors. The first pair of transistors and the second pair of transistors are arranged substantially perpendicular to the plurality of layers.

Microelectronic device utilizing stacked vertical devices

A processor-implemented method for automatically generating a layout of a cell of a semiconductor circuit is provided herein. The processor-implemented method includes reading a netlist of the cell. The netlist includes a description of internal electrical nets connecting electrical components of the cell with each other. The processor-implemented method assigning a weight to an internal net of the internal electrical nets and placing the electrical components in an area of the semiconductor circuit based on the netlist and the weight to generate the layout of the cell of the semiconductor circuit.

Field-effect transistor placement optimization for improved leaf cell routability

A system for dual mode operation having power saving and active modes in a stacked circuit topology having logic preservation is provided. The system includes a pre-charge circuit and a sleep mode control circuit for providing a signal to disable a plurality of circuit elements and switching a mode of the system, the sleep mode control circuit being coupled to the pre-charge circuit and further being coupled to a logic function circuit, wherein the plurality of circuit elements comprise logic gates and transistor devices. The system also includes a keeper circuit coupled to the global bitline, and the logic function circuit coupled to a solar bitline, wherein the logic function circuit preserves a state of the solar bitline, the state of the global bitline determines the state of the solar bitline. The system includes an effective pull-up transistor coupled to the sleep mode control circuit and the logic function circuit.

Dual mode operation having power saving and active modes in a stacked circuit topology with logic preservation

Generating layouts of nets connecting connection terminals of cells in an integrated circuit. Cell layouts of the cells with parameterized locations of the connection terminals, a connection specification of nets specifying electrical connections between the connection terminals, and design rules for the laying out of the nets, are received. A placed layout is generated with the cell layouts placed adjacent to each other in a row. The cell layouts are placed in the row enabling minimization of a selected function. According to the design rules, the nets are laid out as straight interconnects being parallel to a reference straight line using the parameterized locations of the connection terminals in the cell layouts. The laying out includes varying locations of the parameterized locations of the interconnection terminals.

Layout of interconnect lines in integrated circuits

A memory cell readable through a bit line and addressable through a word line can be stressed by applying a stress voltage to the bit line for a stress voltage time, and addressing the memory cell through the word line for an addressing time included within the stress voltage time. The memory cell can be tested by writing a data value into the memory cell, stressing the memory cell, reading the stored value from the memory cell, and determining whether the stored value corresponds to the data value. A testable memory array can include a memory cell addressable through a word line and readable through a bit line, a precharge circuit, a stress circuit, and an array built-in self test (ABIST) circuit. The ABIST circuit can be configured to stress the memory cell by applying a stress signal to the stress circuit.

Automated stressing and testing of semiconductor memory cells

A memory array can include a global evaluation circuit, a local evaluation circuit for evaluating a voltage level of a local bit line and a wake transistor configured to connect an output of the local evaluation circuit to a global bit line (GBL) of the global evaluation circuit. The global evaluation circuit can include a holding circuit. The wake transistor can be turned on in response to a read signal, and remain on while the GBL is precharged to a logical 'high' voltage. Memory cells connected to the at least one local bit line can be addressed, and the local bit line can be pulled to a logical 'low' voltage for a first time period. The GBL can be pulled to a logical low voltage for a second time period, and the holding circuit polarity can be reversed during a third time period.

Managing semiconductor memory array leakage current

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Weil im Schoenbuch, Germany

Tobias Werner