Backside Routing Layout for Standard Cell IC Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of integrated circuits poses challenges in design and manufacturing, particularly in ensuring stricter specifications and reliability, while existing electronic design automation tools struggle to optimize standard cell layout designs for efficient routing and manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a layout design for integrated circuits that includes specific configurations of active regions, conductive lines, and via patterns on both the front-side and back-side of a substrate, allowing for increased routing flexibility and resources by electrically coupling active regions and gates, thereby enhancing manufacturing efficiency and performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard cell layout designs are used with conventional routing methods, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but routing flexibility and resources are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces back-side routing layers in addition to the conventional front-side routing, effectively adding a new dimension for signal transmission. This allows routing paths to be established on both sides of the substrate, dramatically increasing routing flexibility and available resources without fundamentally changing the standard cell layout methodology on the front side.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing function is segmented between front-side and back-side layers, with each side handling specific routing tasks. This segmentation allows optimization of each layer independently while maintaining overall system simplicity, as each side can be designed and manufactured using adapted versions of conventional processes.
2Area of moving object
If miniaturization is pursued to reduce device size and power consumption, then functionality and speed improve, but design and manufacturing specifications become stricter
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the back-side of the substrate for routing, the patent effectively doubles the available routing area without increasing the device footprint. This dimensional expansion provides more routing resources and flexibility within the same miniaturized area, reducing the strictness of manufacturing specifications required for front-side routing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more routing resources are provided to enhance performance, then routing flexibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent provides additional routing resources by utilizing the back-side of the substrate, effectively doubling the available routing area. This dimensional approach increases routing capacity without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the back-side routing can be implemented using adapted conventional processes.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a first and second power rail extending in a first direction and being on a first level of a back-side of a substrate, a first and second active region and a first conductive line. The first power rail is configured to supply a first supply voltage. The second power rail is configured to supply a second supply voltage. The first and second active region extend in the first direction, and are on a second level of a front-side of the substrate opposite from the back-side. The first active region is overlapped by the first power rail. The second active region is overlapped by the second power rail. The first conductive line extends in the second direction, is on a third level of the back-side of the substrate, and overlaps the first and second active region.