1 CS/ECE 5710/6710 Introduction to Layout Inverter Layout Example Layout Design Rules Composite Layout  Drawing the mask layers that will be used by the fabrication folks to make the devices  Very different from schematics  In schematics you’re describing the LOGICAL connections  In layout, you’re describing the PHYSICAL placement of everything!  Use colored regions to define the different layers that are patterned onto the silicon2 N-type Transistor + - i electrons Vds +Vgs S G D N-type from the top  Top view shows patterns that make up the transistor3 Diffusion Mask  Mask for just the diffused regions Polysilicon Mask  Mask for just the polysilicon areas4 Diffusion (active) Mask  Diffused (active) mask is actually drawn as a solid rectangle Polysilicon Mask  Polysilicon mask goes on top of the active5 Combine the two masks  You get an N-type transistor  There are other steps in the process… P-type transistor  Same type of masks as the N-type  But, you have to get the substrate right  and you have to dope the diffusion differently6 General CMOS cross section  Note that the general substrate is P-type  The N-substrate for the P-transistor is in a “well”  There are lots of other layers  Thick SiO2 oxide (“field oxide”)  Thin SiO2 oxide (“gate oxide”)  Metal for interconnect Cutaway Photo7 A Cutaway View  CMOS structure with both transistor types, and top-view structure Top View from that Section  Note the different mask layers that correspond to the different transistor layers  In particular, note the N-well and P-select layers8 This is an Inverter In Out Gnd Vdd Layout in Cadence  Each color corresponds to a mask layer  Draw rectangles to describe mask regions  A LOT of things to keep in mind  connectivity, functionality, design rules9 What are the layers? Nwell Nactive, Pactive Nselect, Pselect Polysilicon (Poly) CC, Via, Via2 Metal1 Metal2 Metal3 What are the layers? Nwell Nactive, Pactive Nselect, Pselect Polysilicon (Poly) CC Metal1 Metal2 Metal3 Via Via210 Photo of Interconnect Back to the Inverter  Let’s walk through drawing this inverter  You can draw layers in whatever order makes sense to you…11 Layout Basics  Where poly crosses active = transistor  For N-type, nactive over the substrate (p substrate)  For P-type, pactive inside an Nwell  There’s really only one “active” mask  nselect and pselect layers define active types  Our setup has separate nactive and pactive colors to help keep things straight. Layout Basics  Diffusion, Poly, and metal all conduct  But resistances are very different  Diffusion is worst, poly isn’t too bad, metal is by far the best  Contact cuts are needed to connect between layers  Make sure to use the right type of contact!  CC for poly-M1, nactive-M1, pactive-M1  Via1 for M1-M2  Via2 for M2-M312 First Layout the Power Rails  Power rail pitch is important  Allows cells to connect by abutment  Also add the N-well for the P-type transistor Now add Diffusion  Note the M1 contacts in the diffusion  Diffusion by itself will be N-type  Diffusion in an N-well will be P-type  Or will it? The well just defines the substrate type13 Add the Select Regions  Nselect defines N-type diffusion  Pselect defines P-type diffusion Now add the Poly Gates  Remember: crossing diffusion with Poly makes a transistor  The type of the diffusion, and the type of well, define what kind of transistor14 Note the Metal1 Connections  Overlapping boxes of the same type of material make a connection  Overlaps of different types of material need a contact cut of some sort Connect the Gates  Connect gates together to form the inverter  Note contact cuts and metal overlaps15 Layout Subtlety  We currently think of transistors as three-terminal devices  Gate, Source, Drain  They’re really four-terminal devices  There’s also a connection to the substrate  It’s important to tie the substrate to a specific voltage  GND for the P-substrate  VDD for the N-well  Make sure PN-diodes from active to substrate and well are reverse-biased… Well (or Substrate) Contacts  Connect P-substrate to GND (VSS) with a little stub of P-type diffusion (remember pselect)  Connect the N-well to VDD with a little stub of N-type diffusion  I.e. inside the N-well, but with nselect16 Layout Design Rules  Define the allowed geometry of the different layers  Guidelines for making safe process masks  Rules about the allowed sizes and shapes of a particular layer  Rules about how different layers interact  Dimensions listed in one of two ways  Absolute dimensions (e.g. microns or nm)  Scalable dimensions in abstract units  Usually called “lambda”  Design in lambda units, then scale lambda for a particular process Intra-Layer Rules (Lambda) 12 18 0 Well Active 3 3 Polysilicon 3 2 Different Potential Same Potential Metal1 3 3 2 Contact or Via Select 2 or 6 2 Hole Metal2 3 3 Metal3 4 5 2 Lambda = 0.50 => 1.0u process Lambda = 0.30 => 0.6u process17 Intra-Layer Rules (Native) 5 5 0 Well Active 0.8 0.8 Polysilicon 0.6 0.6 Different Potential Same Potential Metal1 0.6 0.6 0.5!Contact or Via Select 1 or 5 0.5 Hole Metal2 0.7 0.7 Metal3 0.7 0.8 1 Dimensions are directly in microns Some things scale uniformly, others don’t Native rules are generally more dense Transistor Layout Measurements are in microns based on scalable rules and a lambda of 0.3.18 Vias and Contacts Look at Inverter Layout Again  Lots and lots of design rules to consider!  Use Design Rule Checking (DRC) to see if everything is OK19 Layout Design Rules  On the class web page  Modified version of the MOSIS SCMOS Rev. 8 rules  Modified to show both Lambda and Micron dimensions  All our design will be done in microns  Because of the NCSU tech files  But, even though we’re using microns, we’re using the SCMOS Lambda rules…  Print them out in color if possible! SCMOS Nwell20 SCMOS Active (diffusion) SCMOS Poly21 SCMOS Select SCMOS Contacts22 SCMOS Contact to Poly SCMOS Contact to Active23 SCMOS Metal1 SCMOS Via24 SCMOS Metal2 SCMOS Via225 SCMOS Metal3 An