Manufacturability-Aware Design of Standard Cells

• MUTA Hirokazu

  Department of Communications and Computer Engineering, Kyoto University

• ONODERA Hidetoshi

  Department of Communications and Computer Engineering, Kyoto University

Abstract

We focus our attention on the layout dependent Across Chip Linewidth Variability (ACLV) of gate-forming poly-silicon patterns as a measure for manufacturability, which is a major contributor of systematic gate-length variation. First, we study the ACLV of standard cell layouts by lithography simulation. Then, we introduce regularity in gate-forming poly-silicon patterns and how it improves the ACLV and also how it incurs area-overhead. According to the investigation, we propose two design guidelines for standard-cell layout that can reduce ACLV with reasonable area overhead. Those guidelines include on-grid fixed-pitch layout with dummy-poly insertion and stretched gate-poly extension. Design experiments assuming a 65nm process technology indicate that a D-FF designed with the first guideline reduces ACLV by 35% with 14% area overhead and the second guideline reduces ACLV by 75% with 29% area overhead at the best focus condition. Under defocus conditions, both layouts exhibit stable characteristics whereas the variability of conventional layout grows rapidly as the level of defocus increases. Circuit-level lithography simulation over benchmark circuits also supports that the proposed guidelines considerably reduces the amount of gate length variation.

Journal

• IEICE Trans. on Electronics

  IEICE Trans. on Electronics 90 (12), 2682-2690, 2007-12-01

  The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

Keywords

• manufacturability
• variability
• DFM
• ACLV
• standard cell
• OPC
• RET

Details

• CRID: 1572261552475312384
• NII Article ID: 110007538012
• NII Book ID: AA10826239
• ISSN: 09168508
• Text Lang: en
• Data Source:
  • CiNii Articles