Staggered Cut-Gate Layout for Gate Crosstalk Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices face crosstalk issues due to capacitive coupling between gate electrodes, which is proportional to the separation between their nearest ends, and existing design rules do not effectively mitigate this problem across varying process technology nodes.
Innovation Solution
A layout diagram generation technique that selectively expands cut-gate sections based on their proximity to row-boundaries, allowing for three possible sizes (S1, S2, S3) to optimize separation distances and reduce crosstalk, with most cut-gate sections being expanded to S2 or S3 sizes to ensure adequate separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If cut-gate sections are expanded to increase separation distances, then crosstalk between gate electrodes is reduced, but device area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by selectively expanding only certain cut-gate sections based on their proximity to row-boundaries and specific geometric conditions, rather than uniformly expanding all sections. This targeted approach reduces crosstalk in critical areas while minimizing overall area increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cut-gate sections into different categories (those requiring expansion and those that don't) based on their location and geometric properties. This segmentation allows differential treatment where only specific sections are expanded to the larger sizes (S2 or S3), while others remain at the smaller size (S1).
2Object-affected harmful factors
If uniform expansion of all cut-gate sections is applied, then crosstalk is reduced across all gate pairs, but device complexity and area increase unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by applying expansion only to cut-gate sections that meet specific criteria (proximity to row-boundaries and geometric conditions), rather than uniformly expanding all sections. This selective approach reduces crosstalk where needed while avoiding unnecessary complexity elsewhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the size parameter of cut-gate sections selectively based on their location and geometric properties. Three different size parameters (S1, S2, S3) are defined and applied conditionally, allowing optimization of crosstalk reduction while managing layout complexity through parameter variation.
Data Source
AI summary
A method (of manufacturing a semiconductor device) includes generating a corresponding layout diagram including: regarding first and second active area patterns which (1) are correspondingly nearest to a boundary between, and (2) are correspondingly in, first and second abutting cells, and for each gate pattern that intersects the first or second active area pattern, selecting the gate patterns for which a first distance from a nearest corresponding via-to-gate (VG) pattern to a corresponding cut-gate section is equal to or greater than a first reference value; and for each selected gate pattern, relative to a first size, setting a size of a corresponding cut-gate section to a second size; the first size otherwise resulting in an overhang of a gate remnant portion extending towards the boundary by a first length; and the second size resulting in the overhang extending by a second length smaller than the first length.