Mixed-Height Standard Cell Layout With Continuous Power Rails
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional integrated circuit designs face limitations in design flexibility and efficiency due to the constraint of intermixing standard cells with different cell heights, leading to increased power consumption and reduced manufacturing process windows.
Innovation Solution
A method for forming an integrated circuit layout by aligning well boundaries of mixed-height standard cells and extending power and ground rails to create continuous voltage rails, allowing for the integration of cells with different heights while maintaining connectivity and functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If standard cells with different cell heights are intermixed in a same routing block, then area efficiency is improved, but synthesis efficiency deteriorates and manufacturing process window is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The routing block is segmented into multiple routing regions, each dedicated to standard cells of a specific height. This segmentation allows the synthesis tool to work with uniform cell heights within each region, maintaining high synthesis efficiency while still enabling area optimization through selective placement of different-height cells in appropriate regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of mixing different-height cells in the same routing block (2D space), the solution introduces a new dimension by creating multiple routing regions with different height specifications. This dimensional approach allows cells of different heights to coexist in the same overall routing block without compromising synthesis efficiency or manufacturing process window.
2Area of stationary object
If standard cells with different cell heights are intermixed in a same routing block, then area efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The routing block is segmented into multiple routing regions, each dedicated to standard cells of a specific height. This segmentation allows uniform manufacturing processes to be applied within each region, maintaining manufacturing precision while still enabling area optimization through selective placement of different-height cells in appropriate regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Each routing region is assigned a specific cell height specification, creating local uniformity in terms of cell dimensions. This local quality approach ensures that manufacturing processes can be optimized for each region's specific characteristics, maintaining manufacturing process window while allowing global area efficiency through diverse cell placement.
3Manufacturing precision
If standard cells with different cell heights are placed in different monolithic routing blocks, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but design flexibility deteriorates and power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution introduces a new dimension by creating multiple routing regions with different height specifications within the same routing block. This allows cells of different heights to coexist without requiring separate monolithic routing blocks, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while significantly improving design flexibility and reducing the need for extensive metal interconnections.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple routing regions with different cell height specifications are merged into a single routing block. This merging approach maintains the manufacturing precision benefits of having separate regions while eliminating the need for separate routing blocks and their associated extensive metal interconnections, thus improving design flexibility and reducing power consumption.
4Manufacturing precision
If standard cells with different cell heights are placed in different monolithic routing blocks, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The solution introduces a new dimension by creating multiple routing regions with different height specifications within the same routing block. This allows cells of different heights to coexist without requiring separate monolithic routing blocks, thereby maintaining manufacturing precision while significantly reducing the extended length of metal interconnections and associated power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple routing regions with different cell height specifications are merged into a single routing block. This merging approach maintains the manufacturing precision benefits of having separate regions while eliminating the need for separate routing blocks and their associated extensive metal interconnections, thus reducing power consumption during integrated circuit operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming an integrated circuit layout including at least two standard cells having different cell heights is disclosed. The standard cells respectively have a well boundary to divide a PMOS region and an NMOS region. The standard cells are abutted side by side along their side edges in a way that the well boundaries of the cells are aligned along the row direction. The power rail and the ground rail of one of the standard cells are extended in width or length to connect to the power rail and the ground rail of the other one of the standard cells.