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Integrated circuit containing first and second DOEs of standard Cell Compatible, NCEM-enabled Fill Cells, with the first DOE including tip-to-side short configured fill cells, and the second DOE including corner short configured fill cells

  • US 10,269,786 B1
  • Filed: 03/30/2017
  • Issued: 04/23/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2016
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A monolithic integrated circuit (IC) that includes at least a source/drain (AA) layer, a source/drain contact (AACNT) layer, a source/drain silicide (TS) layer that connects the AA layer to the AACNT layer, a gate (GATE) layer, a gate contact (GATECNT) layer that contacts the GATE layer, a first wiring (M1) layer, a via to interconnect stack (V0) layer that connects the AACNT and GATECNT layers to the M1 layer, a second wiring (M2) layer, and an M1-to-M2 via (V1) layer that connects the M1 layer to the M2 layer, said IC comprising at least:

  • (i) a first design of experiments (DOE) that includes at least first and second non-contact electrical measurement (NCEM)-enabled fill cells, each of the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells configured in a standard cell form, with first and second supply rails that extend horizontally across the cell, an NCEM pad positioned between the first and second supply rails, and uniformly spaced GATE stripes that extend vertically across the cell, each of the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells further including test gap patterning that comprises first and second features, arranged in a tip-to-side short configuration, wherein the first feature is electrically connected to the NCEM pad and the second feature is electrically connected to a permanent or virtual ground, thereby enabling detection of an unintended short or leakage between the first and second features using a non-contact (NC) measurement at the NCEM pad, the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells further having at least one patterning difference that results in a different probability of detecting shorts or leakages between the first and second features of the first NCEM-enabled fill cell and the first and second features of the second NCEM-enabled fill cell; and

    ,(ii) a second DOE that includes at least first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells, each of the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells configured in a standard cell form, with first and second supply rails that extend horizontally across the cell, an NCEM pad positioned between the first and second supply rails, and uniformly spaced GATE stripes that extend vertically across the cell, each of the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells further including test gap patterning that comprises first and second features, arranged in a corner short configuration, wherein the first feature is electrically connected to the NCEM pad and the second feature is electrically connected to a permanent or virtual ground, thereby enabling detection of an unintended short or leakage between the first and second features using a NC measurement at the NCEM pad, the first and second NCEM-enabled fill cells further having at least one patterning difference that results in a different probability of detecting shorts or leakages between the first and second features of the first NCEM-enabled fill cell and the first and second features of the second NCEM-enabled fill cell;

    wherein all of the NCEM-enabled fill cells in the first and second DOEs are configured in a compatible standard cell form, with identical spacing between the first and second supply rails and identical spacing between adjacent GATE stripes.

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