Via design method for integrated circuit layout
By selecting and expanding the source and drain terminals of vias in the integrated circuit layout, the problem of not being able to directly increase the connection with the first metal layer in the prior art is solved, thereby increasing the number of vias and improving electrical functions.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202310187420.4
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-02-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-02-06
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-02-28
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, not all source and drain terminals in the integrated circuit layout can be directly connected to the first metal layer vias. It is necessary to select source and drain terminals that can expand vias to increase process strength and electrical functionality.
By finding the source and drain ends of a single via in the layout, it is determined whether it can be used as a via area to be expanded. The via is then moved in a specific direction, and it is determined whether the moved via is located in the active area and whether the metal layer directly above it is the same layer or meets a certain spacing, thereby expanding the via.
The source and drain ends of the vias that can be connected to the first metal layer were selected, which increased the number of vias and improved the process strength and electrical properties.
Smart Images
Figure CN116207092B_ABST
Abstract
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor, and particularly relates to a via design method of integrated circuit layout. BACKGROUND
[0002] In the technical field of semiconductor, a chip can need a multi-layer structure, and the multi-layers are connected by vias. For example, a source end and a drain end are both connected to a first metal layer by vias.
[0003] In an initial layout, the source end is generally connected to the first metal layer by one via, and the drain end is generally connected to the first metal layer by one via. However, in fact, if the source end and the first metal layer are connected by two or more vias, and the drain end and the first metal layer are connected by two or more vias, the process strength and electrical function can be increased.
[0004] However, not all source ends and drain ends can directly increase the vias connected to the first metal layer, and it is necessary to screen out the source ends and drain ends capable of expanding the vias. SUMMARY
[0005] The present application aims to provide a via design method of integrated circuit layout, which can screen out the source ends and drain ends capable of increasing the vias connected to the first metal layer, so as to increase one via.
[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present application provides a via design method of integrated circuit layout, comprising:
[0007] Step S1: finding source ends and drain ends with only one via in the layout;
[0008] Step S2: judging whether the found source ends and drain ends can be used as a to-be-expanded via region;
[0009] Step S3: if the to-be-expanded via region can be used as the to-be-expanded via region, moving the via in the to-be-expanded via region by a certain distance in a first direction, a second direction, a third direction and / or a fourth direction, wherein the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction are directions of four edges of an active region, respectively;
[0010] Step S4: if the moved via is located in the active region and the moved via has a metal layer above it, judging whether the metal layer above the moved via is the same layer as the metal layer above the moved via before the moving, and if the metal layer above the moved via is the same layer as the metal layer above the moved via before the moving, expanding the via in the to-be-expanded via region;
[0011] Step S5: If the moved via hole is located in the active region and the metal layer above the moved via hole does not have a metal layer, then the metal layer above the moved via hole is extended to the place of the moved via hole, if the extended metal layer is the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via hole or if the extended metal layer is not the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via hole but meets a certain distance, then the via hole is expanded in the area of the via hole to be expanded.
[0012] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, the cross section of the via hole is a square.
[0013] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, the method for judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as the area of the via hole to be expanded includes:
[0014] If the size of the via hole and the width of the active region meet the judgment condition, then the source end or drain end where the via hole is located can be used as the area of the via hole to be expanded, and the judgment condition is:
[0015] ACT_W>=2*CT_W+1*CT_S+2*CT_E;
[0016] Wherein, ACT_W is the width of the active region, CT_W is the width of the cross section of the via hole, CT_S is the minimum distance between adjacent via holes under the design rule, and CT_E is the minimum distance between the edge of the active region and the edge of the via hole.
[0017] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, if the found source end or drain end cannot be used as the area of the via hole to be expanded in step S3, then the found source end or drain end cannot expand the via hole.
[0018] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, and the third direction and the fourth direction are perpendicular.
[0019] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, the method for moving the via hole in the area of the via hole to be expanded by a certain distance in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction includes:
[0020] Moving by a certain distance along the first direction and the third direction respectively.
[0021] Optionally, in the via hole design method of the integrated circuit layout, the method for moving the via hole in the area of the via hole to be expanded by a certain distance in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction includes:
[0022] Moving by a certain distance along the second direction and the fourth direction respectively.
[0023] Optionally, in the via design method of the integrated circuit layout, the method of moving the via in the to-be-expanded via region in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction by a certain distance comprises:
[0024] moving by a certain distance along the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction respectively.
[0025] Optionally, in the via design method of the integrated circuit layout, in steps S4 and S5, if the moved via is not located in the active region, the to-be-expanded via region cannot expand the via.
[0026] Optionally, in the via design method of the integrated circuit layout, the method of expanding the via comprises: adding a via on the source end or the drain end of the to-be-expanded via region, and the distance between the added via and the original via satisfies a certain distance.
[0027] In the via design method of the integrated circuit layout provided by the present application, the method comprises: step S1: finding the source end and the drain end of the via in the layout; step S2: judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as a to-be-expanded via region; step S3: if the to-be-expanded via region can be used, moving the via in the to-be-expanded via region in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction by a certain distance, the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction being the directions of the four sides of the active region respectively; step S4: if the moved via is located in the active region and the upper metal layer of the moved via has a metal layer, judging whether the upper metal layer of the moved via is the same layer as the upper metal layer of the moved via, if yes, expanding the via in the to-be-expanded via region; step S5: if the moved via is located in the active region and the upper metal layer of the moved via does not have a metal layer, extending the upper metal layer of the moved via to the place of the moved via, if the extended metal layer is the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via or if the extended metal layer is not the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via but satisfies a certain distance, expanding the via in the to-be-expanded via region. The present application screens the source end and the drain end of the via connected with the first metal layer, and adds a via. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0028] Figure 1 is the flow chart of the via design method of the integrated circuit layout of the embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The specific embodiments of the present application will be described below in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The advantages and features of the present application will become more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings. It is to be understood that the drawings are in a very simplified form and are not to precise scale, and are merely intended to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments of the present application.
[0030] Hereinafter, the terms "first", "second", and the like are used to distinguish between like elements, and are not necessarily used to describe a particular chronological or temporal order. It is to be understood that these terms are used interchangeably if appropriate. Similarly, if a method disclosed herein includes a series of steps, the order of the steps presented herein is not necessarily the only order in which the steps can be performed, and some of the steps can be omitted or other steps not described herein can be added to the method.
[0031] Please refer to Figure 1 The present application provides a via design method for integrated circuit layout, comprising:
[0032] Step S1: finding the source end and the drain end of the via in the layout;
[0033] Step S2: judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as the via region to be expanded;
[0034] Step S3: if the via region to be expanded can be used, moving the via in the via region to be expanded in a first direction, a second direction, a third direction and / or a fourth direction by a certain distance, the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction being the directions of the four sides of the active region, respectively;
[0035] Step S4: if the moved via is located in the active region and the metal layer above the moved via has a metal layer, judging whether the metal layer above the moved via is the same layer as the metal layer above the moved via before moving, if yes, expanding the via in the via region to be expanded;
[0036] Step S5: if the moved via is located in the active region and the metal layer above the moved via does not have a metal layer, extending the metal layer above the moved via before moving to the place of the moved via, if the extended metal layer is the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via after extending or if the extended metal layer is not the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via but meets a certain distance, expanding the via in the via region to be expanded.
[0037] Preferably, the cross section of the via is a square.
[0038] Preferably, the method for judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as the region to be expanded comprises: if the size of the via and the width of the active region satisfy a judging condition, the source end or the drain end where the via is located can be used as the region to be expanded, the judging condition is ACT_W >= 2*CT_W+1*CT_S+2*CT_E; wherein ACT_W is the width of the active region, the active region generally has a length and a width, ACT_W is the width of the active region, CT_W is the width of the cross section of the via, CT_S is the minimum distance between adjacent vias under the design rule, i.e. the minimum distance between the edge of the via and the edge of the adjacent via, and CT_E is the minimum distance between the edge of the active region and the edge of the via, which can be 0.
[0039] Preferably, in step S3, if the source end or the drain end cannot be used as the region to be expanded, the found source end or drain end cannot be expanded, i.e. the region is directly discarded.
[0040] In the embodiment of the present application, the first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, the third direction and the fourth direction are perpendicular, and the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction are four directions in the same layer, which are similar to the XY axes in a plane. Since the directions of the channels are different, the moving directions are different. If the channel is in a straight line composed of the first direction and the third direction, a certain distance is moved along the first direction and the third direction respectively. If the channel is in a straight line composed of the second direction and the fourth direction, a certain distance is moved along the second direction and the fourth direction respectively. The moving distances are all set values, but regardless of the moving distances, if the via after moving exceeds the range of the active region, the source end or the drain end cannot be expanded.
[0041] Therefore, the specific moving method can have the following three embodiments: embodiment one, moving a certain distance along the first direction and the third direction respectively; embodiment two, moving a certain distance along the second direction and the fourth direction respectively; and embodiment three, moving a certain distance along the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction respectively.
[0042] Preferably, in steps S4 and S5, if the via after moving is not located in the active region, the region to be expanded cannot be expanded. For example, if the via of the source end has moved out of the region of the source end, the source end cannot be expanded, and if the via of the drain end has moved out of the region of the drain end, the drain end cannot be expanded.
[0043] The method for expanding the via preferably includes adding a via on the source end or the drain end of the region to be expanded, the distance between the added via and the original via satisfying a certain distance, and the distance being a set value. Finally, it is necessary to detect whether the line width of the modified layout meets the design rules, whether the line distance meets the requirements, whether the electrical properties of the layout and the circuit meet the circuit design requirements, and the like. If all of the above are not problematic, the modified layout can pass. If any of the above is problematic, the layout needs to be modified according to the specific problem, and the added via may even be removed.
[0044] In summary, in the via design method of the integrated circuit layout provided in the embodiment of the present application, the method includes the following steps: S1, searching for the source end and the drain end with only one via in the layout; S2, judging whether the searched source end and the drain end can be used as a region to be expanded; S3, if the region to be expanded can be used, moving the via in the region to be expanded by a certain distance in a first direction, a second direction, a third direction and / or a fourth direction, the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction being the directions of the four sides of the active region, respectively; S4, if the moved via is located in the active region and the upper side of the moved via has a metal layer, judging whether the metal layer on the upper side of the moved via is the same layer as the metal layer on the upper side of the original via, and expanding the via in the region to be expanded if the metal layers are the same layer; and S5, if the moved via is located in the active region and the upper side of the moved via does not have a metal layer, extending the metal layer on the upper side of the original via to the place of the moved via, and expanding the via in the region to be expanded if the extended metal layer is the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via or if the extended metal layer is not the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via but satisfies a certain distance. The present application screens the source end and the drain end with which the via connected to the first metal layer can be added, and adds a via.
[0045] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present application, and does not limit the present application in any way. Any person skilled in the art can make any equivalent replacement, modification or change to the technical solutions and technical contents disclosed in the present application without departing from the scope of the technical solutions of the present application, and such changes still belong to the protection scope of the present application.
Claims
1. A method of via design for an integrated circuit layout, the method comprising: The method comprises the following steps: Step S1: finding a source end and a drain end of a layout with only one via hole; Step S2: judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as a to-be-expanded via hole region; Step S3: if the to-be-expanded via hole region can be used as the to-be-expanded via hole region, moving the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region by a certain distance in a first direction, a second direction, a third direction and / or a fourth direction, wherein the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction are directions of four edges of an active region, respectively; Step S4: if the moved via hole is located in the active region and a metal layer above the moved via hole has a metal layer, judging whether the metal layer above the moved via hole is the same layer as a metal layer above the moved via hole before the moving, if yes, expanding the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region; Step S5: if the moved via hole is located in the active region and the metal layer above the moved via hole does not have a metal layer, extending the metal layer above the moved via hole before the moving to a place of the moved via hole, if the extended metal layer is the same layer as a metal layer near the moved via hole or if the extended metal layer is not the same layer as the metal layer near the moved via hole but satisfies a certain distance, expanding the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region; The method for judging whether the found source end and drain end can be used as the to-be-expanded via hole region comprises: If the size of the via hole and the width of the active region satisfy a judgment condition, the source end or the drain end with the via hole can be used as the to-be-expanded via hole region, wherein the judgment condition is: ACT_W >= 2*CT_W + 1*CT_S + 2*CT_E; wherein ACT_W is the width of the active region, CT_W is the width of the cross section of the via hole, CT_S is the minimum distance between adjacent via holes under a design rule, and CT_E is the minimum distance between the edge of the active region and the edge of the via hole; The method for expanding the via hole comprises: adding a via hole on the source end or the drain end of the to-be-expanded via hole region, and the distance between the added via hole and the original via hole satisfies a certain distance.
2. The via design method of claim 1, wherein, The cross section of the via hole is a square.
3. The via design method of claim 1, wherein, In step S3, if the to-be-expanded via hole region cannot be used, the found source end or drain end cannot expand the via hole.
4. The via design method of claim 1, wherein, The first direction and the second direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular, and the third direction and the fourth direction are perpendicular.
5. The via design method of claim 4, wherein, The method for moving the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region by a certain distance in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction comprises: moving by a certain distance along the first direction and the third direction, respectively.
6. The via design method of claim 4, wherein the step of forming a via hole in the integrated circuit layout is performed by a laser drilling process. The method for moving the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region by a certain distance in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction comprises: moving by a certain distance along the second direction and the fourth direction, respectively.
7. The via design method of claim 4, wherein the step of forming a via hole in the integrated circuit layout is performed by a laser drilling process. 7 The method for moving the via hole in the to-be-expanded via hole region by a certain distance in the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and / or the fourth direction comprises: moving by a certain distance along the first direction, the second direction, the third direction and the fourth direction, respectively.
8. The via design method of claim 1, wherein, If the moved via hole is not located in the active region in step S4 and step S5, the via hole region to be expanded cannot be expanded.
Citation Information
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