Cross Gate Contacts for IC Integration Density
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Solution Overview
Problem
As integration density of integrated circuit (IC) devices increases, electro-migration (EM) becomes a significant issue due to atom migration in wiring, leading to decreased electrical conductivity, and existing technologies struggle to effectively manage this while maintaining high integration density and reducing short channel effects.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a unidirectional wiring structure with a cross gate contact configuration that secures wide power rails and increases integration density, reducing electro-migration by using a layout that includes first and second gate electrodes, impurity regions, and cross gate contacts to ensure uniform electric potential across the gate structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If integration density is increased, then productivity is improved, but electro-migration occurs causing electrical conductivity to decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The gate structure is divided into multiple gate electrodes (first gate electrode, second gate electrode, third gate electrode) arranged in sequence. This segmentation allows the wiring structure to be divided into multiple separate wiring structures, each carrying current in the same direction, thereby reducing electro-migration effects while maintaining high integration density
Solution Approach 2:
Cross gate contacts are configured to electrically connect impurity regions on opposite sides of gate electrodes, creating equipotential regions that reduce voltage drops and maintain uniform electric potential across the device, thereby preserving electrical conductivity despite increased integration density
2Reliability
If power rail width is increased to reduce electro-migration, then electrical conductivity is improved, but device area increases reducing integration density
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single wide power rail, the invention segments the wiring into multiple narrower wiring structures (first wiring structure, second wiring structure, third wiring structure) that extend in the first direction. This segmentation reduces the area required while maintaining adequate current carrying capacity and reducing electro-migration through distributed current paths
Solution Approach 2:
The wiring structures extend in the first direction (longitudinally) rather than only in the second direction (transversely), utilizing the longitudinal dimension to carry current. This dimensional change allows for more efficient space utilization, reducing the overall device area while maintaining electrical conductivity and reducing electro-migration effects
Data Source
AI summary
Integrated circuit devices are provided. The IC devices may include an active region extending in a first direction, first and second gate electrodes extending in a second direction, a first impurity region in the active region adjacent a first side of the first gate electrode, a second impurity region in the active region between a second side of the first gate electrode and a first side of the second gate electrode, a third impurity region in the active region adjacent a second side of the second gate electrode, a cross gate contact electrically connecting the first and second impurity regions, a first contact electrically connected to the third impurity region, a first wire electrically connected to the cross gate contact, and a second wire electrically connected to the first contact. The first and second wires may extend only in the first direction and may be on the same line.