VLSI Engineering (EC31004) Spring 2010

EC31004: VLSI Engineering Notes

Filename: VLSI_Eng_CMOS_Layout_<date>.doc
Last updated: 15 Mar 2010 (working document)

Content
1. Circuit layout ..........................................................................................................................................................2
1.1. Layout and various design flows ......................................................................................................................2
1.1.1. FPGA based design ....................................................................................................................................3
1.1.2. Gate array based design..............................................................................................................................7
1.1.3. Standard-cell based design .........................................................................................................................8
1.1.4. Full-custom based design .........................................................................................................................12
1.2. Full-custom layout techniques ........................................................................................................................13
1.2.1. Transistor using multiple fingers..............................................................................................................15
1.2.2. Stacking of multiple transistors ................................................................................................................18
1.2.3. Matching of transistors.............................................................................................................................18
1.3. CMOS Latch-up .............................................................................................................................................20
1.4. Stick diagrams ................................................................................................................................................28
1.5. Resistor layout ................................................................................................................................................33
1.5.1. Sheet resistance ........................................................................................................................................33
1.6. Capacitor layout..............................................................................................................................................38

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VLSI Engineering (EC31004) Spring 2010

1. Circuit layout

1.1. Layout and various design flows

 FPGA
 Gate array
 Standard-cell
 Full-custom

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1.1.1. FPGA based design

Figure 1. FPGA based IC layout : two-dimensional array of CLBs

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Figure 2. FPGA based IC layout: switch matrix connecting the CLBs

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Figure 3. FPGA based IC layout: Internal of a CLB – Xilinx XC4000 family example

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Figure 4. FPGA based IC layout: internal of a 16x2 single-port memory block – Xilinx XC4000 family example

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1.1.2. Gate array based design

 First-phase: generic-mask for array of transistors

 Second-phase: circuit specific mask for transistor interconnects

Figure 5. Gate-array based IC layout: Transistors in first-phase, circuit-specific metal-layers in second-phase

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1.1.3. Standard-cell based design

 Standard-cell library
o Development resource and development time for full-custom
 Each library-cell has the following information:
o Logic simulation model
o Delay-time vs. load capacitance
o Timing simulation model
o Fault simulation model
o Place-and-route data and mask-design data
 System integration:
o Rows of cells  channel

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Figure 6. A standard-cell IC layout block-diagram

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Figure 7. A standard-cell IC layout with one global signal-bus

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Figure 8. Standard-cell IC layout showing channel routing without using over-the-cell routing

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1.1.4. Full-custom based design

 Layout starting from device level

Figure 9. NMOS transistor layout in n-well process

Figure 10. PMOS transistor layout in n-well process

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Figure 11. CMOS inverter layout in n-well process

1.2. Full-custom layout techniques

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Figure 12. Various transistor custom layout scheme and the effect on drain-capacitance

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1.2.1. Transistor using multiple fingers

Figure 13. Using multiple fingers of wide transistor

 Reduction in height for very wide transistors

 Reduction in distributed resistance along the poly-gate (from poly-gate to Metal-1 contact)

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Figure 14. Transistor layout examples: 1 finger vs. 2 finger vs. 3 finger

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Figure 15. Custom layout examples for 2-input NAND gate with and without fingers

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1.2.2. Stacking of multiple transistors

Figure 16. Transistor layout: transistor stacking

 Reduction in size happening because of:

o Common M2-drain and M1-source (M2-source or M1-drain) area
o Removal of contacts from M2-drain and M1-source (or M2-source and M1-drain)

1.2.3. Matching of transistors

 Multiple objectives of matching

o Achieving the geometric ratio needed in electrical design
o Minimizing the effect of spatial gradation of process parameters
o Minimizing the effect of adjacent device (passive / active) structure

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Figure 17. Transistor layout matching: before layout optimization

Figure 18. Transistor layout matching: after layout optimization

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Figure 19. Layout matching: (1) size matching, (2) gradient, (3) parasitic coupling

1.3. CMOS Latch-up

 Parasitic shorting of VDD and GND
 In normal operation, the parasitic transistors are OFF
 Triggering through the undesired transient-current through VDD or GND

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Figure 20. CMOS inverter vertical cross-section showing parasitic transistor

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VDD

RWELL

RSUB

GND

Figure 21. CMOS inverter parasitic transistors: equivalent circuit for latch-up consideration

 Example:
o Current surge from VDD
 voltage drop across RWELL
 VBE developed for the parasitic PNP transistor
o The current in-turn drops across RSUB
 VBE developed for the parasitic NPN transistor
o The current in-turn drops across RWELL … and so on

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 Current in the loop is self-sustained once it develops thyristor characteristics

 Layout guidelines: weaken the parasitic effect
o Increase # of contacts for WELL and P-SUB (in the above example)  reduce RSUB and RWELL
o Use continuous strip of guard-band or guard-rail for substrate and well contact
o Reduce physical spacing between PMOS and P-sub contact
Reduce physical spacing between NMOS and N-well contact
o Avoid resistive VDD and GND (e.g. do not use poly-Si or diffusion area; instead, use metal)
o Place internal circuitry away from external pads
o Consider latch-up possibility when SOURCE terminal of NMOS or PMOS are not at the same
potential of p-substrate or N-well, respectively

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Figure 22. Transistor with multiple gates: internal area may not be covered by tub / substrate contacts

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Figure 23. Hard-tie for tub (well) / substrate contacts

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Figure 24. Soft-tie for tub (well) / substrate contacts

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1.4. Stick diagrams

Figure 25. inverter schematic and corresponding stick-diagram and its actual layout (standard-cell approach)

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Figure 26. inverter schematic and corresponding stick-diagram using fingered transistors (standard-cell approach)

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Figure 27. inverter layout using fingered transistors (standard-cell approach) and the equivalent circuit

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Figure 28. CMOS NOR gate layout : stick-diagram and actual layout (standard-cell approach)

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Figure 29. CMOS NAND2 gate layout : stick-diagram and actual layout (standard-cell approach)

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1.5. Resistor layout

1.5.1. Sheet resistance

 Resistance per-square
 Let, conductor length = L, conductor width = W, conductor thickness = t, resistivity of material = 
R = RS (L / W),
where, sheet resistance, RS = ( / t)
 Resistance = (Sheet resistance) * (Length-to-width ratio)

Figure 30. sheet resistance

 Example [in ohm / square]:

o Metal1-Metal2 : 0.05 to 0.10
o Top-metal : 0.03 to 0.05

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o Poly-Si : 15 to 30
o Poly-Si with silicide (e.g. TiSi2) : 4 to 5
o Diffusion (n+, p+) : 50 to 150
o n-well / p-well : 1K to 2K

Figure 31. resistor: unit-cell and large resistor using multiple unit-cells

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Figure 32. resistor: use of guard-rings to reduce noise injection from substrate

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Figure 33. resistor: matching of two resistors

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Figure 34. resistor matching: interdigitated or interlacing approach

Figure 35. resistor matching: common-centroid approach

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1.6. Capacitor layout

Figure 36. capacitor: poly-poly cap example

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Figure 37. capacitor: area-capacitance and fringing capacitance

 Area-capacitance and Fringe-capacitance

 Area-capacitance per unit-area and fringe-capacitance per unit-length between the layers (e.g. Metal1 to
Metal2) are given for any particular process

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Figure 38. capacitor: poly-poly cap using multiple fingers

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Figure 39. capacitor: poly-poly cap using unit-cell: close to circular shape (sharp corners avoided)

 Typical capacitance values for thin-oxide / gate-oxide of thickness (xOX) 100 angstrom = 864 x 10-18 F / um2
 Typical capacitance values (0.25 um process) for adjacent layers -- examples:
Typ. area-capacitance (10-18 F / um2) Typ. fringe-capacitance (10-18 F / um)
Metal1 – poly-Si 57 54
Metal2 – Metal1 36 45
Metal3 – Metal2 41 49
Metal4 – Metal3 35 45

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Metal5 – Metal4 38 52

 Typical capacitance values (0.25 um process) for different layers -- examples:

Typ. area-capacitance (10-18 F / um2) Typ. fringe-capacitance (10-18 F / um)
Metal3 – Metal1 15 27
Metal4 – Metal2 15 27
Metal4 – Metal1 8.9 18
Metal5 – Metal3 14 27
Metal5 – Metal2 9.1 19
Metal5 – Metal1 6.6 14

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