Logic Cell Gate Sharing for Reduced IR Drop
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Solution Overview
Problem
As integrated circuits shrink, the increasing number of standard cells leads to larger chip areas, necessitating a more compact and efficient logic cell design to enhance performance and reduce area usage.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a semiconductor structure with a semiconductor substrate, well regions of different conductivity types, transistors, gate electrodes, and isolation structures, along with additional power lines and signal lines arranged in a specific configuration to minimize area and optimize efficiency, allowing for smaller cell height and reduced IR drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the number of standard cells is increased to enhance functionality, then the chip area is increased, but the compactness and efficiency are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gate electrodes (second gate electrode and third gate electrode) onto opposite sides of a single first transistor, creating a shared gate structure. This consolidation allows multiple logic functions to be implemented within a reduced cell area, directly addressing the contradiction between enhanced functionality and minimized chip area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends gate electrodes in multiple spatial dimensions - the first gate electrode extends in a first direction, while the second and third gate electrodes extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. This multi-dimensional arrangement maximizes the utilization of available space, enabling increased functionality without proportionally increasing chip area.
2Area of stationary object
If the cell area is reduced to enhance compactness, then the chip area is decreased, but the performance and efficiency may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The first transistor serves multiple functions by sharing its gate electrode with both the second and third gate electrodes. This multi-functional design allows a single transistor to participate in multiple logic operations, maintaining performance efficiency while reducing the overall cell area required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs an asymmetric configuration where the first transistor is positioned centrally and shared by multiple gate electrodes, while the second transistor is positioned separately. This asymmetric arrangement optimizes space utilization and signal paths, ensuring high performance within a compact cell structure.
3Reliability
If additional power lines are added to reduce IR drop, then the power delivery is improved, but the cell area is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power delivery function by introducing an additional power line specifically dedicated to powering the first transistor, separate from the power lines serving the second transistor. This segmentation allows targeted power optimization without requiring a complete redesign of the power distribution network, minimizing the additional area required.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor structure is provided. A logic cell includes a first transistor in a first active region, a second gate electrode and a third gate electrode on opposite sides of the first transistor, a second transistor in a second active region, and a first isolation structure and a second isolation structure on opposite edges of the second active region. The first transistor includes a first gate electrode extending in a first direction. The second and third gate electrodes extend in the first direction, and the first and second isolation structures extend in the first direction. The second transistor and the first transistor share the first gate electrode. The first isolation structure is aligned with the second gate structure in the first direction, and the second isolation structure is aligned with the third gate structure in the first direction.