Since chip performance and power are highly dependent on the operating voltage, the robust power distribution network (PDN) is of utmost importance in designs to provide with the reliable voltage without voltage (IR)-drop. However, rapid increase of parasitic resistance and capacitance (RC) in interconnects makes IR-drop much worse with technology scaling. This paper shows various IR-drop analyses in sub 10nm designs. The major objectives are to validate standard cell architectures, where different sizes of power/ground and metal tracks are validated, and to validate PDN architecture, where types of power hook-up approaches are evaluated with IR-drop calculation. To estimate IR-drops in 10nm and below technologies, we first prepare physically routed designs given standard cell libraries, where we use open RISC RTL, synthesize the CPU, and apply placement & routing with process-design kits (PDK). Then, static and dynamic IR-drop flows are set up with commercial tools. Using the IR-drop flow, we compare standard cell architectures, and analysis impacts on performance, power, and area (PPA) with the previous technology-node designs. With this IR-drop flow, we can optimize the best PDN structure against IR-drops as well as types of standard cell library.
A pattern-based methodology for optimizing Self-Aligned Double Patterning (SADP)-compliant layout designs is developed based on detecting cut-induced hotspot patterns and replacing them with pre-characterized fixing solutions. A pattern library with predetermined fixing solutions is built. A pattern-based engine searches for matching patterns in the layout designs. When a match is found, the engine opportunistically replaces the detected pattern with a pre-characterized fixing solution, preserving only the design rule check-clean replacements. The methodology is demonstrated on a 10nm routed block. A small library of fourteen patterns reduced the number of cut-induced design rule check violations by 100% and lithography hotspots by 23%.
Printing contact-like cut mask form the line end of very dense pitches is imposing a significant challenge to lithography. Various lithography options including optical multi-patterning and EUV have been considered for sub-20nm half pitch metal line cut process. Different lithography solutions of cut mask will impose different design restrictions and thus lead to different scalability of chip. In this paper, we will study routing limitations of sub-20nm half pitch metal lines cut with various optical and EUV lithography options. Key metal routing rules for each cut mask option will be derived based on study of forbidden cut mask configurations. The associated logic area impact will be derived based on real digital design.
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