The document discusses layout design rules for integrated circuits. It provides guidelines for feature sizes and spacings to ensure fabricated circuits meet intended designs. This includes minimum line widths, separations between layers, and allowances for misalignment. The document also notes two key checks that must be completed to validate a mask design: a design rule check to verify rules are followed, and circuit extraction to confirm masks produce the correct interconnected circuit.

1. LAYOUT DESIGN RULES 21
PHYSICAL LAYER: prescription for preparing photomasks used in fabrication of ICs.
Specify to the designer geometric constraints on the layout artwork so that
patterns on the processed wafer will preserve the intended circuit topology
and component/feature geometries of the design.
PURPOSE: realize fabricated circuits optimum yield in smallest area possible without
compromising the reliability of the circuit.
DESIGN RULE WAIVER: any significant and/or frequent departure from design
rules.
TWO TYPES OF DESIGN RULES:
a. line widths and separations
b. interlayer registration
DESIGN RULE SPECS:
a. 'micron' rules - minimum feature sizes and spacings in absolute dimensions µm units
(normal spec in industry)
b. scalable 'lambda (λ)' rules - minimum feature sizes and spacings in scalable dimensions in
terms of a single parameter λ (popularized by Mead and Conway and permits first order
scaling; limited to narrow range of dimensions; tend to be conservative.)
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

2. 22
LAYOUT DESIGN RULES
The Design Process can be Abstracted to Manageable Number of Layout Levels that Represent
the Physical Features on the Processed Silicon Wafer, i.e.
-> Two different substrates (i.e. original substrate + well or twin wells)
-> Doped regions p- and n- transistor forming materials (e.g. sources and drains)
-> Transistor gate electrodes
-> Interconnect paths
-> Interlayer contacts
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

3. CMOS N-WELL DESIGN RULES 23
wells at wells at
A- N-WELL RULES
same different
COLOR LEGEND A1 = 10λ potential potential
n-Well
p-Well
n+ A2 = 6λ A2 = 8λ
Polysilicon
p+ B- ACTIVE RULES
B1 = 3λ
Gate Oxide
B4 = 3λ B3 = 5λ
Field Oxide
Metal 1 B2 = 3λ
Metal 2 B6 = 3λ
B5 = 5λ
Metal 3
Contact/via
C- POLY RULES
C5 = 3λ
C1 = 2λ C3 = 1λ
C4 = 2λ
C2 = 2λ Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvani

4. COLOR LEGEND E- CONTACT RULES
E1 = 2λ E5 = 1λ E3 = 2λ 24
n-Well
F2 = 3λ
p-Well
n+ F1 = 3λ
Polysilicon E2 = 2λ
E6 = 1λ E4 = 1λ F- METAL 1
p+ E7 = 1λ RULES
Gate Oxide
Field Oxide
Metal 1 E8 = 3λ
Metal 2 E9 = 6λ
Metal 3
Contact/via J3 = 2λ
E10 = 3λ
I2 = 3λ
G- VIA RULES J1 = 8λ I1 = 2λ
G1 = 2λ G3 = 1λ J2 = 2λ
H1 = 3λ J- METAL 2
J2 = 5λ
RULES
G4 = 1λ G2 = 3λ H2 = 4λ
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

5. EFFECT OF INSUFFICENT GATE EXTENSION 25
C- POLY RULE Violation!
over-etched poly shrinks
p+ drawn p+ region
diffusion bloats p+ processed p+ region
p+ p+
drawn poly region
processed poly region
source, drain short
gate extension (C4)
p+ p+
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

6. 26
EFFECT OF INSUFFICENT SOURCE-DRAIN EXTENSION
Another C- POLY RULE Violation!
source
diffusion mask is p+ poly mask is
shifted left shifted right p+ drawn p+ region
gate p+ processed p+ region
drain drawn poly region
processed poly region
mask misalignment contact
p+
changes length and/or
width of device and
sometimes completely
eleminates it.
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

7. 27
TECHNOLOGY RELATED CAD ISSUES
TWO BASIC CHECKS MUST BE COMPLETED TO ENSURE THE MASK DATBASE
DEVELOPED IN LAYOUT CAN BE TURNED INTO A WORKING CHIP:
a. To verify specified Design Rules have been obeyed
(DESIGN RULE CHECK or DRC)
b. To verify masks produce correct interconnected set of circuit elements
(MASK CIRCUIT-EXTRACTION)
Kenneth R. Laker, University of Pennsylvania

8. Functionality & performance specs 28
TYPICAL DESIGN FLOW
FOR THE PRODUCTION Circuit topology or schematic
OF AN IC MASK SET
Initial sizing of transistors
Estimate parasitic capacitances
Stick diagram layout
Mask layout design
Design Rule Check (DRC)
Resize & Circuit & parasitic extraction
Modify
Circuit simulation
Improve
Performance OK
Layout Complete