Metal Line Pitch Adjustment via Segmented Unit Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
In advanced semiconductor designs, the ratio of gate pitch to metal-1 (M1) pitch greater than 1:1 results in M1 pitch not being a whole number, causing design and process issues due to layout precision limitations, especially when the gate pitch is not a multiple of the denominator in the ratio, leading to decimal portions that are not acceptable.
Innovation Solution
A method to adjust M1 pitch by determining a unit pattern width based on the gate pitch and ratio, calculating the quotient and remainder, and using a number to satisfy layout precision, allowing for inter-pattern and intra-pattern M1 pitches that meet design requirements without increasing cell area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the ratio of gate pitch to M1 pitch is greater than 1:1 (e.g., 3:2) to increase routing resources, then routing capability is improved, but M1 pitch becomes a non-integer value causing layout precision issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the M1 pitch into two segments: intra-pattern M1 pitch (within the same unit pattern) and inter-pattern M1 pitch (between adjacent unit patterns). This segmentation allows each segment to have different pitch values, enabling the overall system to achieve the desired routing density while maintaining integer values that satisfy layout precision requirements. The segmentation transforms a single problematic parameter into two independent parameters that can be optimized separately.
2Productivity
If M1 pitch is reduced to increase routing resources, then routing capability is improved, but M1 pitch becomes non-integer causing design and process issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different M1 pitch values to different spatial locations: intra-pattern M1 pitch within unit patterns and inter-pattern M1 pitch between unit patterns. This local differentiation allows the design to achieve higher routing density overall while ensuring that each local region uses integer pitch values that are easy to manufacture and verify. The local quality principle resolves the contradiction by allowing variability in pitch values across different regions rather than requiring a uniform non-integer pitch throughout.
Data Source
AI summary
A method performed by at least one processor comprises the operations of obtaining information on gate pitch and a ratio m:n between gate pitch and metal line pitch, m, n being a natural number and the ratio being in the simplest form, determining a unit pattern having a width of n times of the gate pitch, assigning m consecutive metal lines to the unit pattern, dividing the width of the unit pattern by m and obtaining a quotient (Q) and a remainder (R), determining an integer P so that a value of the remainder R divided by P satisfies a layout precision, and determining an inter-pattern metal line pitch and an intra-pattern metal line pitch based on Q and R/P.