Semiconductor integrated circuit device featuring processed minimum circuit pattern, and design method therefor

1. A semiconductor integrated circuit design method for carrying out a design of circuit patterns incorporated with a program installed on a computer comprised of a monitor screen and a random access memory, the program executable to cause the computer to perform the following steps:

defining a plurality of circuit patterns, each of which is composed of at least one minimum unit area;

selecting one circuit pattern from said circuit patterns;

defining an expansion area with respect to the selected circuit pattern so that said expansion area includes at least the selected circuit pattern;

calculating an area ratio of an area size of the selected circuit pattern or the selected circuit pattern and one or more other circuit patterns included in said expansion area to an area size of said expansion area; and

comparing said area ratio with a reference value to determine performing a next step.

2. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

upon a determination obtained in said comparing step that said area ratio is smaller than said reference value, stopping the design of circuit patterns.

3. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 , further comprising:

upon a determination obtained in said comparing step that said area ratio is smaller than said reference value, increasing said area size of the selected circuit pattern or the selected circuit pattern and one or more other circuit patterns included in said expansion area so that said area ratio has at least said reference value.

4. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the increasing of said area size in said increasing step is carried out by thickening the selected circuit pattern.

5. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the increasing of said area size in said increasing step is carried out by adding at least one dummy circuit pattern to said expansion area.

6. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said selecting step is carried out over a logic circuit section.

7. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said reference value is set to be at least 0.19.

8. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said circuit patterns include at least one minimum circuit pattern having a minimum standard area which is an integer times larger than an area size of said minimum unit areas.

9. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said minimum circuit pattern is defined as a line segment extended in one direction.

10. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 8 , wherein said minimum circuit pattern is defined as a block segment extended in two directions perpendicular to each other.

11. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein said expansion area is at least 25 times larger than an area size of said minimum unit area, and

wherein said expansion area is at most 400 times larger than the area size of said minimum unit area.

12. The semiconductor integrated circuit design method as set forth in claim 1 ,

wherein the area size of said expansion area is represented by a m×n matrix, and wherein m and n are both within an integer range between 5 and 20.

13. A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising:

an interconnection layer,

wherein said interconnection layer is defined by a plurality of circuit patterns including at least a specific circuit pattern defined as a minimum circuit pattern in a design stage for the circuit patterns, and

wherein, when a predetermined geometric area is defined with respect to said specific circuit pattern in place so that said specific circuit pattern is included in said geometric area, an area ratio of an area size of the specific circuit pattern or specific circuit pattern and other circuit patterns included in said geometric area to an area size of said geometric area is at least 0.19.

14. The semiconductor integrated circuit device as set forth in claim 13 , wherein each of the circuit patterns is defined as a combination of minimum unit areas, each of the minimum unit areas being defined as a square area having four sides of less than 100 nm.

15. The semiconductor integrated circuit device as set forth in claim 14 ,

wherein said geometric area is at least 25 times larger than an area size of said minimum unit areas, and

wherein said geometric area is at most 400 times larger than the area size of said minimum unit areas.

16. The semiconductor integrated circuit device as set forth in claim 14 ,

wherein the area size of said geometric area is represented by a m×n matrix, and

wherein m and n are both within an integer range between 5 and 20.