LAYOUT OF MEMORY CELLS

• US 20130088925A1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: CHANG, Jacklyn, TAO, Derek C., HSU, Kuoyuan (Peter), TANG, Yukit
• Granted Patent: US 8,929,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/189.03
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/412 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/413 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing, timing or power reduction
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/18 Bit line organisation; Bit line lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0207 Geometrical layout of the components, e.g. computer aided design; custom LSI, semi-custom LSI, standard cell technique
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 10/12 comprising a MOSFET load element

Abstract

A semiconductor structure includes a first strap cell, a first read port, and a first VSS terminal. The first strap cell has a first strap cell VSS region. The first read port has a first read port VSS region, a first read port read bit line region, and a first read port poly region. The first VSS terminal is configured to electrically couple the first strap cell VSS region and the first read port VSS region.

Claims

1. A semiconductor structure comprising:

a first strap cell having a first strap cell reference voltage (VSS) region;

a first read port having a first read port VSS region, a first read port read bit line region, and a first read port poly region; and

a first VSS terminal configured to electrically couple the first strap cell VSS region and the first read port VSS region.

2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 further comprising:

a second strap cell having a second strap cell VSS region;

a second read port having a second read port VSS region, a second read port read bit line region, and a second read port poly region; and

a second VSS terminal configured to electrically couple the second strap cell VSS region and the second read port VSS region,

wherein,

the first VSS terminal and the second VSS terminal are electrically coupled together;

the first read port belongs to a first segment of a memory macro; and

the second read port belongs to a second segment of the memory macro.

3. The semiconductor structure of claim 2 further comprising:

a third read port belonging to the first segment;

a fourth read port belonging to the second segment; and

a third VSS contact terminal configured to couple a third read port VSS region of the third read port and a fourth read port VSS region of the fourth read port.

4. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, further comprising

a second read port having a second read port read bit line region;

and

a first read bit line contact terminal configured to electrically couple the first read port read bit line region and the second read port read bit line region.

5. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein

the first read port VSS region corresponds to a source region of a first transistor of the first read port;

the first read port read bit line region corresponds to a drain region of a second transistor of the first read port; and

the first read port poly region corresponds to a gate region of the second transistor.

6. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 further comprising

a second strap cell, the first strap cell belonging to a first column of a memory macro and the second strap cell belonging to a second column of the memory macro;

a first strap cell poly terminal configured to electrically couple a first strap cell poly region of the first strap cell and a second strap cell poly region of the second strap cell;

a second read port having a second read port poly region; and

a first read port poly terminal configured to electrically couple the first read port poly region of the first read port and the second read port poly region of the second read port.

7. The semiconductor structure of claim 6, wherein the first strap cell poly terminal is electrically coupled to the first VSS terminal.

8. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the first VSS terminal is electrically coupled to a VSS line through a first via between a diffusion area and a first metal layer, a second via between the first metal layer and a second metal layer, a third via between the second metal layer and a third metal layer, and a fourth via between the third metal layer and a fourth metal layer.

9. A structure comprising:

a first segment including

a first strap cell; and

a plurality of first read ports; and

a second segment including

a second strap cell; and

a plurality of second read ports,

wherein

a first strap cell reference voltage (VSS) region of the first strap cell and a first read port VSS region of a first read port belonging to the plurality of first read ports are electrically coupled together through a first VSS contact terminal;

a second strap cell VSS region of the second strap cell and a second read port VSS region of a second read port belonging to the plurality of second read ports are electrically coupled together through a second VSS contact terminal; and

a third read port VSS region of a third read port belonging to the plurality of first read ports and a fourth read port VSS region of a fourth read port belonging to the plurality of second read ports are electrically coupled together through a third VSS contact terminal.

10. The structure of claim 9, wherein

the first read port VSS region of the first read port corresponds to a source region of a first transistor of the first read port;

the first read port further includes a first read port read bit line region and a first read port poly region;

the first read port read bit line region corresponds to a drain of a second transistor of the first read port; and

the first read port poly region corresponds to a gate of the second transistor of the first read port.

11. The structure of claim 9, further comprising a VSS line configured to electrically connect the first VSS contact terminal, the second VSS contact terminal, and the third VSS contact terminal.

12. The structure of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first VSS contact terminal, the second VSS contact terminal, and the third VSS contact terminal is electrically coupled to a VSS line through a first via between a diffusion area and a first metal layer, a second via between the first metal layer and a second metal layer, a third via between the second metal layer and a third metal layer, and a fourth via between the third metal layer and a fourth metal layer.

13. The structure of claim 9, further comprising

a first read bit line configured to electrically couple a first read bit line terminal of the first read port and a third read bit line terminal of the third read port;

a second read bit line configured to electrically couple a second read bit line terminal of the second read port and a fourth read bit line terminal of the fourth read port.

14. The structure of claim 9, wherein

the first segment further includes

a third strap cell;

and

a plurality of third read ports;

the second segment further includes

a fourth strap cell; and

a plurality of fourth read ports,

a third strap cell VSS region of the third strap cell and a fifth read port VSS region of a fifth read port of the plurality of third read ports are electrically coupled together through a fourth VSS contact terminal; and

a fourth strap cell VSS region of the fourth strap cell and a sixth read port VSS region of a sixth read port of the plurality of fourth read ports are electrically coupled through a fifth VSS contact terminal; and

a seventh read port VSS region of a seventh read port belonging to the plurality of third read ports and an eighth read port VSS region of an eighth read port belonging to the plurality of fourth read ports are electrically coupled together through a sixth VSS contact terminal.

15. The structure of claim 14, further comprising

a first strap cell poly terminal configured to electrically connect a first poly region of the first strap cell and a third poly region of the third strap cell;

a second strap cell poly terminal configured to electrically connect a second poly region of the second strap cell and a fourth poly region of the fourth strap cell;

a first read port poly terminal configured to electrically connect a first read port poly region of the first read port and a third read port poly region of the third read port; and

a second read port poly terminal configured to electrically connect a second read port poly region of the second read port and a fourth read port poly region of the fourth read port.

16. The structure of claim 14, wherein the first strap cell poly terminal and the second strap cell poly terminal are electrically coupled together and to the first VSS contact terminal, the second VSS contact terminal, and the third VSS contact terminal.

17. A method comprising:

configuring a first reference voltage (VSS) contact terminal to couple a first strap cell VSS region of a first strap cell and a first read port VSS region of a first read port;

configuring a first read bit line contact terminal to couple a first read bit line region of the first read port to a first read bit line;

configuring a second VSS contact terminal to couple a second strap cell VSS region of a second strap cell and a second read port VSS region of a second read port; and

configuring a second read bit line contact terminal to couple a second read bit line region of the second read port to a second read bit line different from the first read bit line.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

a third read port VSS region of a third read port and a fourth read port VSS region of a fourth read port are electrically coupled together through a third VSS contact terminal;

a third read bit line region of the third read port is electrically coupled to the first read bit line through a third read bit line contact terminal; and

a fourth read bit line region of the fourth read port is electrically coupled to the second read bit line through a fourth read bit line contact terminal.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising

configuring a first poly contact terminal to couple a first read port poly region of the first read port to a third read port poly region of a third read port, wherein the first read port belongs to a first column of a memory macro and the third read port belongs to a second column of the memory macro.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein

a plurality of first read ports of a first segment of a memory macro are electrically coupled to the first read bit line;

and

a plurality of second read ports of a second segment of the memory macro are electrically coupled to the second read bit line.