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Lecture 4

Design Rules,Layout and


Stick Diagram
Pradondet Nilagupta
pom@ku.ac.th
Department of Computer Engineering
Kasetsart University

Acknowledgement
This

lecture note has been summarized from


lecture note on Introduction to VLSI Design,
VLSI Circuit Design all over the world. I cant
remember where those slide come from.
However, Id like to thank all professors who
create such a good work on those lecture
notes. Without those lectures, this slide cant
be finished.

Roadmap for the term: major


topics
VLSI

Overview
CMOS Processing & Fabrication
Components: Transistors, Wires, & Parasitics
Design Rules & Layout
Combinational Circuit Design & Layout
Sequential Circuit Design & Layout
Standard-Cell Design with CAD Tools
Systems Design using Verilog HDL
Design Project: Complete Chip
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Review - CMOS Mask Layers

Determine placement of
layout objects
Color coding specifies
layers
Layout objects:

Rectangles
Polygons
Arbitrary shapes

Grid types

Absolute (micron)
Scaleable (lambda)

P substrate

n well

wafer

Mask Generation

Mask Design using Layout Editor


user specifies layout objects on different layers
output: layout file
Pattern Generator
Reads layout file
Generates enlarged master image of each mask layer
Image printed on glass
Step & repeat camera
Reduces & copies image onto mask
One copy for each die on wafer
Note importance of mask alignment
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Symbolic Mask Layers

Key idea:
Reduce layers to those that describe design
Generate physical layers as needed
Magic Layout Editor: "Abstract Layers
metal1 (blue) - 1st layer metal (equiv. to physical layer)
Poly (red) - polysilicon (equivalent to physical layer)
ndiff (green) - n diffusion (combination of active, nselect)
ntranistor (green/red crosshatch) - combined poly, ndiff
pdiff (brown) - p diffusion (combination of active, pselect)
ptransistor (brown/red crosshatch) - combined poly, pdiff
contacts: combine layers, cut mask

About Magic
Scalable

Grid for Scalable Design Rules

distance: lambda)
Value is process-dependent:
= 0.5 X minimum transistor length
Grid

Painting

metaphor

Paint

squares on grid for each mask layer


Layers to interact to form components (e.g.
transistors)

Mask Layers in Magic


Poly

(red)
N Diffusion (green)
P Diffusion (brown)
Metal (blue)
Metal 2 (purple)
Well (cross-hatching)
Contacts (X)

Magic User-Interface

Cursor

Graphic Display Window


Cursor
Box - specifies area to paint

Command window
(not shown)

accepts text commands


Box
:paintpoly
:paintred
:paintndiff
:paintgreen
:write
Paint
(poly)
prints error & status messages

Paint

(ntransistor)

Paint

(pdiff)

Layer Interaction in Magic

Transistors - where poly, diffusion cross


poly crosses ndiffusion - ntransistor
poly crosses pdiffusion - ptransistor
Vias - where layers connect
Metal 1 connecting to Poly - polycontact
Metal 1 connecting to P-Diffusion (normal) - pdc
Metal 1 connecting to P-Diffusion (substrate contact) - psc
Metal 1 connecting to N-Diffusion (normal) - ndc
Metal 1 connecting to N-Diffusion (substrate contact) - nsc
Metal 1 connecting to Metal 2 - via

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Magic Layers - Example


nsc

p-transistor
metal1

nwell
polycontact

pdc
metal1

poly
polycontact
poly

metal1
psc

ndc
ndc
ntransistor

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Why we need design rules


Masks

are tooling for manufacturing.


Manufacturing processes have inherent
limitations in accuracy.
Design rules specify geometry of masks
which will provide reasonable yields.
Design rules are determined by experience.

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Manufacturing problems
Photoresist

shrinkage, tearing.
Variations in material deposition.
Variations in temperature.
Variations in oxide thickness.
Impurities.
Variations between lots.
Variations across a wafer.

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Transistor problems
Varaiations

in threshold voltage:

oxide

thickness;
ion implanatation;
poly variations.
Changes

in source/drain diffusion overlap.


Variations in substrate.

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Wiring problems
Diffusion:

changes in doping -> variations in


resistance, capacitance.
Poly, metal: variations in height, width ->
variations in resistance, capacitance.
Shorts and opens:

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Oxide problems
Variations

in height.
Lack of planarity -> step coverage.
metal 2
metal 2

metal 1

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Via problems
Via

may not be cut all the way through.


Undesize via has too much resistance.
Via may be too large and create short.

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MOSIS SCMOS design rules


Designed

to scale across a wide range of


technologies.
Designed to support multiple vendors.
Designed for educational use.
Ergo, fairly conservative.

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and design rules

is the size of a minimum feature.


Specifying particularizes the scalable rules.
Parasitics are generally not specified in
units

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Design Rules

Typical rules:
Minumum size
Minimum spacing
Alignment / overlap
Composition
Negative features

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Types of Design Rules

Scalable Design Rules (e.g. SCMOS)


Based on scalable coarse grid - (lambda)
Idea: reduce value for each new process, but keep rules
the same
Key advantage: portable layout
Key disadvantage: not everything scales the same
Not used in real life
Absolute Design Rules
Based on absolute distances (e.g. 0.75m)
Tuned to a specific process (details usually proprietary)
Complex, especially for deep submicron
Layouts not portable
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SCMOS Design Rules


Intended

to be Scalable

Original

rules: SCMOS
Submicron: SCMOS-SUBM
Deep Submicron: SCMOS-DEEP
Pictorial

Summary: Book Fig. 2-24, p. 27


Authoritative Reference: www.mosis.org

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SCMOS Design Rule Summary

Line size and spacing:


metal1: Minimum width=3, Minimum Spacing=3
metal2: Minimum width=3, Minimum Spacing=4
poly: Minimum width= 2, Minimum Spacing=2
ndiff/pdiff: Minimum width= 3, Minimum Spacing=3
minimum ndiff/pdiff seperation=10
wells: minimum width=10,
min distance form well edge to source/drain=5
Transistors:
Min width=3
Min length=2
Min poly overhang=2
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SCMOS Design Rule Summary

Contacts (Vias)
Cut size: exactly 2 X 2
Cut separation: minimum 2
Overlap: min 1 in all directions
Magic approach: Symbolic contact layer min. size 4 X 4
Contacts cannot stack (i.e., metal2/metal1/poly)
Other rules
cut to poly must be 3 from other poly
cut to diff must be 3 from other diff
metal2/metal1 contact cannot be directly over poly
negative features must be at least 2 in size
CMP Density rules (AMI/HP subm): 15% Poly, 30% Metal
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Design Rule Checking in Magic

Design violations
displayed as error paint
Find which rule is
violated with ":drc
why
Polymustoverhang
transistorbyat
least2(MOSISrule
#3.3)

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Scaling Design Rules


Effects

of scaling down are positive


See book, p. 78-79 - if everything scales,
scaling circuit by 1/x increases performance
by x
Problem: not everything scales proportionally

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Aside - About MOSIS

MOSIS - MOS Implementation Service


Rapid-prototyping for small chips
Multi-project chip idea - several designs on the same
wafer
Reduced mask costs per design
Accepts layout designs via email
Brokers fabrication by foundries
(e.g. AMI, Agilent, IBM, TSMC)
Packages chips & ships back to designers
Our designs will use AMI 1.5m process
(more about this later)
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Aside - About MOSIS

Some Typical MOSIS Prices (from www.mosis.org)


AMI 1.5m Tiny Chip (2.2mm X 2.2mm) $1,080
AMI 1.5m 9.4mm X 9.7mm
$17,980
AMI 0.5m 0-5mm2
$5,900
TSMC 0.25m 0-10mm2
$15,550
TSMC 0.18m 0-7mm2
$24,500
TSMC 100-159mm2
$63,250 + $900 X size
MOSIS Educational Program (what we use)
AMI 1.5m Tiny Chip (2.2mm X 2.2mm) FREE*
AMI 0.5mm Tiny Chip (1.5mm X 1.5mm) FREE*

*sponsored by Semiconductor Industry Assn., Semiconductor Research Corp., |


AMI, Inc., DuPont Photomasks, and MOSIS

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Layout Considerations
Break

layout into interconnected cells


Use hierarchy to control complexity
Connect cells by
Abutment
Added

Key

wires

goals:

Minimize

size of overall layout


Meet performance constraints
Meet design time deadlines
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Hierarchy in Layout
Chips

are constructed as a hierarchy of cells

Leaf

cells - bottom of hierarchy


Root cells - contains overall cell
Example

- hypothetical UART

Pad

frame - ring that contains I/O pads


Core - contains logic organized as subcells
Shift

register

FSM
Other

cells

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Hierarchy Example
Root

Cell: UART
Root Cell:
UART

Pad
Frame

Pad 1

Pad 2

Core

...

Pad N

Shift
Register

FSM

Other
Cells

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Wires

metal 3

metal 2

metal 1

pdiff/ndiff

poly
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Transistors

2
3

2
3
1

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Vias
Types

of via: metal1/diff, metal1/poly,


metal1/metal2.
4

4
1
2

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Metal 3 via
Type:

metal3/metal2.
Rules:
cut:

3x3
overlap by metal2: 1
minimum spacing: 3
minimum spacing to via1: 2

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Tub tie

4
1

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Spacings
Diffusion/diffusion:

Poly/poly:

2
Poly/diffusion: 1
Via/via: 2
Metal1/metal1: 3
Metal2/metal2: 4
Metal3/metal3: 4

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Overglass
Cut

in passivation layer.
Minimum bonding pad: 100 m.
Pad overlap of glass opening: 6
Minimum pad spacing to unrelated metal2/3:
30
Minimum pad spacing to unrelated metal1,
poly, active: 15

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Stick diagrams (1/3)


A

stick diagram is a cartoon of a layout.


Does show all components/vias (except
possibly tub ties), relative placement.
Does not show exact placement, transistor
sizes, wire lengths, wire widths, tub
boundaries.

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Stick Diagrams (2/3)


Key

idea: "Stick figure cartoon" of a layout


Useful for planning layout
relative

placement of transistors
assignment of signals to layers
connections between cells
cell hierarchy

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Stick Diagrams (3/3)

Layers
Metal (BLUE)

Connection Rules
poly n-diff p-diff metal

Polysilicion (RED ) poly


N-Diffusion (Green) n-diff
P-Diffusion (Brown) p-diff
metal
Contact / Via

NC

X
S

NC
NC
S

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Example - Stick Diagrams (1/2)

Alternatives - Pull-up Network


A

Circuit Diagram.

Pull-Down Network
(The easy part!)

Complete Stick Diagram

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Example - Stick Diagrams (2/2)

Vdd

Vdd
A

In

Out

Gnd

Out

Gnd
Inverter

NAND Gate

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Dynamic latch stick diagram


VDD

in

out

VSS
phi

phi
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Stick Diagram XOR Gate


Examples
Vdd
A

Out

B
A

Out

A
B
Gnd

B
Exclusive OR Gate

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Hierarchical Stick Diagrams


Define

cells by outlines & use in a hierarchy


to build more complex cells
Vdd
A
B

Gnd

Vdd
Out

Gnd

NAND Cell
Stick Diagram

Vdd
A
B

Vdd
NAND

Gnd

Out

Gnd

NAND Cell
Outline

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Cell Connection Schemes


External

connection - wire cells together


Abutment - design cells to connect when
adjacent
Reflection, mirroring - use to make abutment
possible

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Example: 2-input multiplexer


First

cut:
Vdd
A

Vdd Vdd
A
Out

A
S

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

OUT
B
S

B
OUT = A*S + B*S

Vdd Vdd
A

Vdd Vdd
A

NAND

Out

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

S
Gnd

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

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Sticks design of multiplexer


Start

with NAND gate:

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NAND sticks
VDD
a
out

VSS
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Refined one-bit Mux Design


Use

NAND cell as black box


Arrange easy power connections
Vertical connections for allow multiple bits
select
Vdd
A
B

select
Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Out

NAND

Gnd

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

Out

B
Gnd Gnd

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3-bit mux sticks


select
a2
b2

a1
b1
a0
b0

ai
bi

ai
bi
ai
bi

select
select

select

m2(one-bit-mux)

select

select

m2(one-bit-mux)
select

select

m2(one-bit-mux)

VDD
oi
VSS

o2

VDD
oi
VSS

o1

VDD
oi
VSS

o0

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Multiple-Bit Mux

select
Vdd
A0
A0

select
Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Out

NAND

Gnd
Vdd
A1
B1

NAND

Out

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

B
Gnd Gnd

B
Gnd Gnd

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Out

NAND

Gnd

Out

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

Out0

Out1

B
Gnd Gnd

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Cell Mirroring, Overlap


Use

mirroring, overlap to save area


Vdd
A0
B0

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Vdd Vdd

Out

NAND

Gnd

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

Out

NAND

B
Gnd Gnd

B1
A1
Vdd

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Example: Layout / Stick Diagram


Create

a layout for a NAND gate given


constraints:
Use

minimum-size transistors
Assume power supply lines pass through cell
from left to right at top and bottom of cell
Assume inputs are on left side of cell
Assume output is on right side of cell
Optimize cell to minimize width
Optimize cell to minimize overall area

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Layout Example

Vdd!

Vdd!

OUT

Circuit Diagram.

B
Gnd!

Gnd!

Exterior of Cell

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Example - Magic Layout

Overall Layout: 52 X 16

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Review - VLSI Levels of


Abstraction
Specification

(what the chip does, inputs/outputs)

Architecture

major resources, connections

Register-Transfer

logic blocks, FSMs, connections

Logic

gates, flip-flops, latches, connections

Circuit

transistors, parasitics, connections

You are Here

Layout

mask layers, polygons

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Levels of Abstraction Perspective


Right

now, were focusing on the low level:

Circuit

level - transistors, wires, parasitics


Layout level - mask objects
Well

work upward to higher levels:

Logic

level - individual gates, latches, flip-flops


Register- transfer level - Verilog HDL
Behavior level - Specifications

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The Challenge of Design


Start:

higher level (spec)


Finish: lower level (implementation)
Must meet design criteria and constraints
Design

time - how long did it take to ship a


product?
Performance - how fast is the clock?
Cost - NRE + unit cost
CAD

tools - essential in modern design

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CAD Tool Survey: Layout Design


Layout

Editors
Design Rule Checkers (DRC)
Circuit Extractors
Layout vs. Schematic (LVS) Comparators
Automatic Layout Tools
Layout

Generators
ASIC: Place/Route for Standard Cells, Gate
Arrays

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Layout Editors
Goal:

produce mask patterns for fabrication


Grid type:
Absolute

grid (MAX, LASI, LEdit, Mentor


ICStation, other commercial tools)
Magic: lambda-based grid - easier to learn, but
less powerful
Mask

description:

Absolute

mask (one layer for each mask)


Magic: symbolic masks (layers combine to
generate actual mask patterns)
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Design Rule Checkers


Goal:

identify design rule violations


Often a separate tool (built in to Magic)
General approach: scanline algorithm
Computationally intensive, especially for
large chips

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Circuit Extractors
Goal:

extract netlist of equivalent circuit

Identify

active components
Identify parasitic components
Capacitors
Resistors

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Layout Versus Schematic (LVS)


Goal:

Compare layout, schematic netlists

Compare

transistors, connections (ignore


parasitics)
Issue error if two netlists are not equivalent
Important for large designs

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Automatic Layout Tools


Layout

Generators - produce cell from spec.

Simple:

Procedural specification of layout


(see book Fig. 2-33, p. 95)
Complex: Netlist - places & wires individual transistors
ASIC

- Place, route modules with fixed shape

Standard

Cells - use predefined cells as "cookie

cutters"
Gate Arrays - configurable pre-manufactured gates
(only change metal masks)
FPGAs - electrically configurable array of gates

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Layout design and analysis tools


Layout

editors are interactive tools.


Design rule checkers are generally batch--identify DRC errors on the layout.
Circuit extractors extract the netlist from the
layout.
Connectivity verification systems (CVS)
compare extracted and original netlists.

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Automatic layout
Cell

generators (macrocell generators) create


optimized layouts for ALUs, etc.
Standard cell/sea-of-gates layout creates
layout from predesigned cells + custom
routing.
Sea-of-gates

allows routing over the cell.

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Standard cell layout

routing area

routing area

routing area

routing area

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