Standard Cell Via Layout for Dielectric Voltage Stress Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and miniaturization of semiconductor devices lead to reliability issues due to dielectric breakdown, particularly in critical applications like medical and space industries, where dielectric voltage stress causes time-dependent dielectric breakdown, reducing the lifetime and reliability of semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves rearranging conductive elements in standard cells, such as gate vias or drain vias, and removing some of them to reduce the risk of dielectric breakdown, thereby maintaining device performance and extending the lifetime without increasing manufacturing complexity or cost, by optimizing the balance between device performance and dielectric voltage stress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conductive elements are increased to maintain device functionality, then device performance is improved, but dielectric voltage stress increases leading to breakdown
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes certain conductive elements (gate vias or drain vias) from the standard cell structure to reduce dielectric voltage stress. By extracting unnecessary conductive elements, the design maintains essential device functionality while eliminating sources of voltage stress that cause time-dependent dielectric breakdown, thereby improving reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of adding more conductive elements to improve performance, the patent inverts the approach by removing conductive elements to reduce voltage stress. This inversion strategy addresses the root cause of dielectric breakdown while maintaining adequate device performance through optimized conductive element placement.
2Area of stationary object
If device miniaturization is pursued to increase functional density, then chip area is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the standard cell into distinct regions with specific conductive element arrangements. By segmenting the cell structure and optimizing each segment's conductive elements, the design achieves miniaturization while managing manufacturing complexity through modular, systematic patterning.
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes: accessing a first cell, where the first cell includes: a first active region and a second active; gate electrodes arranged in a second layer over the first layer; first conductive lines extending in the second layer; second conductive lines extending in the second layer; a third and a fourth conductive lines extending in a third layer over the second layer; and first gate vias arranged in a fourth layer and electrically coupled to the gate electrodes. The method also includes: determining a performance metric and a dielectric voltage stress level; and in response to the performance metric or the dielectric voltage stress level failing to fulfilling a specification, revising the first cell to generate a second cell by moving at least one of the first gate vias to be electrically coupled to the fourth conductive line.