Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

You-Cheng Xiao

Jung-Hsuan Chen

Ru-Yu Wang

Ting-Wei Chiang

Yen-Huei Chen

Li-Chun Tien

Shao-Yu Chou

Jhih-Siang Hu

Hung-Jen Liao

Ken-Hsien Hsieh

Wei Min Chan

Cheng Hung Lee

Wen-Shen Chou

Yangsyu Lin

Pin-Dai Sue

Hong-Chen Cheng

Kao-Cheng Lin

Chi-Yeh Yu

Wei-Yi Hu

Chung-Ji Lu

Ya-Chi Chou

Po-Sheng Wang

Robit Yang

Ying-Chi Hsu

Shih-Hsuan Chien

A semiconductor device includes a substrate; and a cell region having opposite first and second sides, the cell region including active regions formed in the substrate; relative to an imaginary first reference line, a first majority of the active regions having first ends which align with the first reference line, the first side being parallel and proximal to the first reference line; relative to an imaginary second reference line in the second direction, a second majority of the active regions having second ends which align with the second reference line, the second side being parallel and proximal to the second reference line; and gate structures correspondingly on first and second ones of the active regions; and relative to the second direction, a first end of a selected one of the gate structures abuts an intervening region between the first and second active regions.

Variable-sized active regions for a semiconductor device and methods of making same

A semiconductor device includes at least one memory cell and at least one logic cell. The at least one logic cell is disposed next to the at least one memory cell. The at least one logic cell includes fins. The fins are separated into fin groups for forming transistors. A distance between two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups is different from a distance between another two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups.

Semiconductor device with increased unity density

A device including functional blocks and dummy cells. The functional blocks include a first functional block and a second functional block. Each dummy cell having a cell boundary defined by non-functioning active areas and non-functioning gates for filling space between the functional blocks and including a dummy cell configured to be situated between the first functional block and the second functional block such that the dummy cell directly abuts each of the first functional block and the second functional block.

Dummy cells placed adjacent functional blocks

A method includes: abutting a first logic cell having a first cell height to a first memory cell having the first cell height; forming a first conductive rail and a second conductive rail at opposite sides of the first memory cell, respectively; forming a plurality of first conductive rails between the first conductive rail and the second conductive rail; forming a third conductive rail and a fourth conductive rail at opposite sides of the first logic cell, respectively; and forming a plurality of second conductive rails between the third conductive rail and the fourth conductive rail. An amount of the plurality of second conductive rails is larger than an amount of the plurality of first conductive rails.

Method of forming semiconductor device with increased unit density

A semiconductor arrangement includes a memory array including bitcells and a peripheral logic block for accessing the bitcells. The peripheral logic block includes a first nanostructure having a first width for providing power to a first logic unit of the peripheral logic block, and a second nanostructure axially aligned with the first nanostructure and having a second width less than the first width for providing power to a second logic unit of the peripheral logic block.

Semiconductor arrangement and method of manufacture

A semiconductor device includes at least one memory cell and at least one logic cell. The at least one logic cell is disposed next to the at least one memory cell and includes a plurality of fins. The plurality of fins are separated into a plurality of fin groups for forming transistors. A distance between two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups is different from a distance between another two adjacent groups of the plurality of fin groups. A method is also disclosed herein.

Semiconductor device including memory cell and fin arrangements

A method comprises: forming a plurality of reference voltage patterns in a first layer of a semiconductor substrate using a first mask, the reference voltage patterns including alternating first reference voltage patterns and second reference voltage patterns; and forming a plurality of signal patterns in the first layer of the semiconductor substrate using a second mask, ones of the plurality of signal patterns located between successive pairs of reference voltage patterns.

Conductive line routing for multi-patterning technology

A system and method for a distributed metal routing is disclosed. An embodiment comprises a metal_0 layer with a metal_1 layer overlying the metal_0 layer. The metal_1 layer comprises separate parallel lines, with lines having different signals being distributed across the metal_1 layer. Such a layout decreases the parasitic resistance within the metal_0 layer as it decreases the distance current travels. Additionally, the distributed layout in metal_1 allows connections to be made to a metal_2 layer without the need for a hammer head connection of vias.

Distributed metal routing

A word line decoder comprises a plurality of driver circuits, a plurality of word lines provided at respective outputs of the driver circuits, and a plurality of primary input lines coupled to the driver circuits and oriented in a first direction. The word line decoder also comprises a plurality of secondary input lines coupled to the driver circuits and oriented in the first direction. The word line decoder also comprises a local decode line coupled to each of the primary input lines. The word line decoder also comprises a decode line coupled to the local decode line and oriented in the first direction. A cluster decode line is coupled to the decode line. The word line decoder is configured to select at least one of the word lines based on signals provided by the cluster decode line and the secondary input lines.

Method and apparatus for word line decoder layout

A semiconductor device comprises first, second, and third. The first conductor is a gate conductor formed above an oxide region over a substrate and having a contact. The second conductor is coupled to the contact and extends across a width of the oxide region. The second conductor has a lower resistance than the gate conductor. The third conductor is a word line conductor. The second conductor is routed to not intersect the word line conductor.

Semiconductor device for word line driver with efficient routing of conductor for decreased gate resistance

A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) for converting a digital signal to an analog signal includes a first thermometer decoder and a second thermometer decoder. The first thermometer decoder is configured to decode most-significant bits (MSBs) of the digital signal to generate a first thermometer code. The second thermometer decoder is configured to decode middle bits of the digital signal to generate a second thermometer code. The DAC further includes a plurality of macro cells with each controlled by one bit of the first thermometer code. The plurality of macro cells is configured to provide a first analog signal according to the first thermometer code. The DAC further includes a macro cell configured to provide a second analog signal according to the second thermometer code. The macro cell is further configured to provide a third analog signal according to least-significant bits (LSBs) of the digital signal.

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Taiping, Taiwan

You-Cheng Xiao