Contact Jumper Layout for Minimal-Height Standard Cells
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor process technology advances, reducing fin pitch leads to smaller active regions in standard cells, making it challenging to maintain minimal height and size in integrated circuits while avoiding interference between contact jumpers and gate contacts, which complicates the design and layout of gate contacts, vias, and metal patterns.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates T-shaped or inverted T-shaped contact jumpers that cross gate lines above active regions, allowing for reduced height and size of standard cells by minimizing interference with gate contacts and enabling easier alignment and layout of gate contacts, vias, and metal patterns, without increasing the height of the middle region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If fin pitch is reduced to meet design rules, then active region footprint is reduced, but standard cell height cannot be maintained at minimal size
Solution Approach 1:
The contact jumper is configured to extend in the first direction (horizontal) rather than vertically, allowing it to bypass gate lines without increasing standard cell height. The first conductive pattern crosses the gate line above the active region, while the second conductive pattern extends horizontally to connect to the metal layer, effectively moving the connection path to a different spatial dimension that doesn't consume vertical space.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact jumper acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the active region and the metal layer. Instead of requiring vertical vias that would increase cell height, the contact jumper provides a horizontal routing path with conductive patterns that connect to the metal layer through intermediates (such as dummy gates or isolation structures), allowing signal transmission without vertical space consumption.
2Adaptability or versatility
If contact jumper is placed to cross gate line, then routing flexibility is improved, but interference with gate contact formation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The contact jumper is positioned to cross only specific gate lines in specific regions where it is needed for routing, rather than uniformly across all gate lines. The first conductive pattern is localized to cross the gate line above the active region, while the second conductive pattern is localized to connect to the metal layer, providing routing flexibility only where required without affecting gate contact formation in other areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact jumper is segmented into multiple conductive patterns (first conductive pattern and second conductive pattern) that are spatially separated and connected through intermediate structures. This segmentation allows the contact jumper to cross gate lines in one location while maintaining proper gate contact formation in other locations, as each segment can be independently positioned and optimized.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes first and second active regions extending in a first direction, a first gate line extending in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction and crossing the first and second active regions, and a first contact jumper including a first conductive pattern intersecting the first gate line above the first active region and a second conductive pattern extending in the second direction above the first gate line and connected to the first conductive pattern.