Patent · US Active

Methods, systems, and media to improve manufacturability of semiconductor devices

US8516428B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
10References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 8, 2008
Grant dateAug 20, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 14, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02P90/02
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Methods, systems, and media to improve the manufacturability of cells and structures within cells of an integrated circuit are disclosed. Embodiments comprise a method of arranging programmable cells, routing the programmable cells, analyzing the cell arrangement and interconnect wiring for manufacturing improvement opportunities, and modifying the programmable cell structures to incorporate the manufacturing improvements. In some embodiments, wires are spread to prevent shorting. In other embodiments, the reliability of contacts and vias is improved by adding additional metallization to the areas surrounding the contacts and vias, or by adding redundant contacts and vias. In one embodiment, a series of manufacturing improvements are made to integrated circuit cells in an iterative fashion.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.