REDUCED AREA STANDARD CELL ABUTMENT CONFIGURATIONS
First Claim
1. A method of designing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- retrieving a layout design file;
searching the layout design file for a vertical abutment between a first standard cell block and second cell block;
analyzing the vertical abutment between the first standard cell block and second cell block and, in response to identifying a mismatch between the first standard cell block and the second cell block;
selecting a first modified cell block that reduces the mismatch, the first modified cell block comprising a first abutment region having a continuous active region arranged along a first axis parallel to an edge of the vertical abutment; and
replacing the first standard cell block with the first modified cell block to obtain a first modified layout design.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A semiconductor device comprising at least one modified cell block that includes a modified abutment region in which is provided a first continuous active region arranged along a first axis parallel to a vertical abutment edge for positioning adjacent other cell blocks to form a vertical abutment, including non-standard, standard, and modified cell blocks. The structure provided within the modified abutment region improves a structural and device density match between the modified cell block and the adjacent cell block, thereby reducing the need for white space between vertically adjacent cell blocks and reducing the total device area and increasing cell density.
0 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of designing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
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retrieving a layout design file; searching the layout design file for a vertical abutment between a first standard cell block and second cell block; analyzing the vertical abutment between the first standard cell block and second cell block and, in response to identifying a mismatch between the first standard cell block and the second cell block; selecting a first modified cell block that reduces the mismatch, the first modified cell block comprising a first abutment region having a continuous active region arranged along a first axis parallel to an edge of the vertical abutment; and replacing the first standard cell block with the first modified cell block to obtain a first modified layout design. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
selecting a second modified cell block that reduces the mismatch, the second modified cell block comprising a second abutment region having a continuous active region along a second axis parallel to the abutment edge; and replacing the first modified cell block with the second modified cell block to obtain a second modified layout design.
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9. The method of designing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:
retrieving the first modified cell block from a cell block library.
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10. The method of designing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:
analyzing the layout design file for a horizontal abutment between the first standard cell block and a third cell block and, when a second mismatch is identified between the first standard cell block and the third cell block; incorporating a second modified cell block to reduce the second mismatch, wherein the second modified cell block includes a horizontal transition region having a plurality of conductive structures arranged perpendicular to a second axis parallel to the horizontal abutment edge.
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11. The method of designing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, further comprising:
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selecting a first modified abutment region that reduces the mismatch, the first modified abutment region comprising a continuous active region along a first axis parallel to an abutment edge; and replacing the first abutment region with the first modified abutment region to obtain a first modified layout design.
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2. The method of designing a semiconductor device according to claim 2, further comprising:
selecting the second cell block from a library of standard cell blocks.
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12. A semiconductor device comprising:
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a first modified cell block having a first modified abutment region; a second cell block having a second abutment region; the first modified cell block and the second cell block are arranged to form a vertical abutment; wherein the first modified abutment region comprising a first continuous active region along a first axis parallel to a vertical abutment edge; and wherein the first modified abutment region is positioned directly adjacent the second abutment region to reduce a total device area occupied by the first modified cell block and the second cell block. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A semiconductor device comprising:
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a first modified cell block having a first modified vertical abutment region and a first horizontal abutment region; a second cell block having a second vertical abutment region; a third cell block having a second horizontal abutment region; the first modified cell block and the second cell block are arranged to form a vertical abutment; wherein the first modified vertical abutment region comprising a continuous active region along a first axis parallel to a vertical abutment edge; wherein the first modified vertical abutment region is positioned directly adjacent the second vertical abutment region, thereby reducing total device area; and wherein the first and second horizontal abutment regions cooperate to form a combined horizontal abutment region arranged perpendicular to the vertical abutment edge, the combined horizontal abutment comprising a plurality of conductive elements arranged in parallel.
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Specification