IP Library Granted Patent US 12,575,188
Granted Patent B2
US 12,575,188 · App. 18/739,703 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Integrated circuit and method of forming the same

Inventors: Chun-Yao Ku (Hsinchu, TW); Wen-Hao Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Kuan-Ting Chen (Hsinchu, TW); Ming-Tao Yu (Hsinchu, TW); Jyun-Hao Chang (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
H10D89/10G06F30/20G06F30/392H01L23/5386H01L23/5387H10K30/83
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,575,188
App. No.
18/739,703
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a first region of the integrated circuit including a first set of pins extending in a first direction, being on a first level, and having a first width in a second direction different from the first direction. The first region has a first height in the second direction. An integrated circuit further includes a second region of the integrated circuit adjacent to the first region, the second region including a second set of pins extending in the first direction, being on a first level, being separated from the first set of pins in the second direction, and having a second width in the second direction, the first width being different from the second width. The second region has a second height in the second direction different from the first height, and the first level is a first metal layer of the integrated circuit.

Claims (96)

1 . A method of forming an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

placing, by a processor, a first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit on a layout design, the first standard cell layout design having a first height, the placing the first standard cell layout design includes:

placing a first set of pin layout patterns on a first layout level and over a first set of gridlines, the first set of pin layout patterns extending in a first direction, and having a first width in a second direction different from the first direction, each gridline of the first set of gridlines is separated from an adjacent gridline of the first set of gridlines in the second direction by a first pitch of the first set of pin layout patterns;

placing a second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit adjacent to the first standard cell layout design, the second standard cell layout design having a second height different from the first height, the first height and the second height being in the second direction, the placing the second standard cell layout design includes:

placing a second set of pin layout patterns on the first layout level and over a second set of gridlines, the second set of pin layout patterns extending in the first direction, and having a second width in the second direction, the second width being different from the first width, each gridline of the second set of gridlines is separated from an adjacent gridline of the second set of gridlines in the second direction by a second pitch of the second set of pin layout patterns, the second pitch being different from the first pitch; and

manufacturing the integrated circuit based on at least the first standard cell layout design or the second standard cell layout design.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a first set of conductive feature layout patterns on a second layout level different from the first layout level, the first set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, and overlapping at least the first set of pin layout patterns, and

the placing the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a second set of conductive feature layout patterns on the second layout level, the second set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, and overlapping at least the second set of pin layout patterns.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a first set of via layout patterns between the first set of pin layout patterns and the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, the first set of via layout patterns having a first via width in the first direction, and a first via height in the second direction; and

the placing the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a second set of via layout patterns between the second set of pin layout patterns and the second set of conductive feature layout patterns, the second set of via layout patterns having a second via width in the first direction, and a second via height in the second direction, and at least one of the second via width being different from the first via width, or the second via height being different from the first via height.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a third set of conductive feature layout patterns on a third layout level and over a third set of gridlines, the third set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, and overlapping at least the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, the third layout level being different from the first layout level and the second layout level, and

the placing the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns on the third layout level and over a fourth set of gridlines, the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, and overlapping at least the second set of conductive feature layout patterns.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a third set of via layout patterns between the third set of conductive feature layout patterns and the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, the third set of via layout patterns having a third via width in the first direction, and a third via height in the second direction; and

the placing the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a fourth set of via layout patterns between the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns and the second set of conductive feature layout patterns, the fourth set of via layout patterns having a fourth via width in the first direction, and a fourth via height in the second direction, and at least one of the fourth via width being different from the third via width, or the fourth via height being different from the third via height.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a first set of active region layout patterns on a fourth layout level, the first set of active region layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a first set of active regions, the first set of active region layout patterns having a third width in the second direction, the fourth layout level being different from the first layout level, the second layout level and the third layout level; and

the placing the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a second set of active region layout patterns on the fourth layout level, the second set of active region layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a second set of active regions, the second set of active region layout patterns having a fourth width in the second direction different from the third width.

7 . A system for manufacturing an integrated circuit, the system comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store non-transitory instructions; and

a processor coupled to the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the processor is configured to execute the non-transitory instructions comprising:

generating a first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, the generating the first standard cell layout design includes:

generating a first set of pin layout patterns extending in a first direction, being on a first layout level, and having a first width in a second direction different from the first direction, and the first standard cell layout design having a first height in the second direction; and

generating a second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, the generating the second standard cell layout design includes:

generating a second set of pin layout patterns extending in the first direction, being on the first layout level, and having a second width in the second direction different from the first width, and the second standard cell layout design having a second height in the second direction different from the first height, and the second standard cell layout design being adjacent to the first standard cell layout design.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein

each pin layout pattern of the first set of pin layout patterns is separated from an adjacent pin layout pattern of the first set of pin layout patterns in the second direction by a first pitch; and

each pin layout pattern of the second set of pin layout patterns is separated from an adjacent pin layout pattern of the second set of pin layout patterns in the second direction by a second pitch different from the first pitch.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein

the generating the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a first set of via layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a first set of vias, the first set of via layout patterns having a first size, and being placed on the first set of pin layout patterns; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of via layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a second set of vias, the second set of pin layout patterns having a second size different from the first size, and being placed on the second set of pin layout patterns.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein

the first size includes at least a first via pattern width or a first via pattern height; and

the second size includes at least a second via pattern width different from the first via pattern width, or a second via pattern height different from the first via pattern height.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein

the generating the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a first set of conductive feature layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a first set of conductive structures, the first set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, overlapping at least the first set of pin layout patterns, and being on a second layout level different from the first layout level; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of conductive feature layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a second set of conductive structures, the second set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, overlapping at least the second set of pin layout patterns, and being on the second layout level.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein

the generating the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a third set of conductive feature layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a third set of conductive structures, the third set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, overlapping at least the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, and being on a third layout level different from the first layout level and the second layout level; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a fourth set of conductive structures, the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, overlapping at least the second set of conductive feature layout patterns, and being on the third layout level.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein

the generating the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a first set of via layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a first set of vias, the first set of via layout patterns having a first size, and being placed between the first set of conductive feature layout patterns and the third set of conductive feature layout patterns; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of via layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a second set of vias, the second set of via layout patterns having a second size, and being placed between the second set of conductive feature layout patterns and the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein

the first size includes at least a first via pattern width or a first via pattern height; and

the second size includes at least a second via pattern width different from the first via pattern width, or a second via pattern height different from the first via pattern height.

15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein

each conductive feature layout pattern of the third set of conductive feature layout patterns is separated from an adjacent conductive feature layout pattern of the third set of conductive feature layout patterns in the second direction by a first pitch; and

each conductive feature layout pattern of the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns is separated from an adjacent conductive feature layout pattern of the fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns in the second direction by a second pitch different from the first pitch.

16 . The system of claim 7 , wherein

the generating the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a first set of active region layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a first set of active regions, the first set of active region layout patterns having a third width in the second direction, and being placed on a second layout level different from the first layout level; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of active region layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a second set of active regions, the second set of active region layout patterns having a fourth width in the second direction different from the third width, and being placed on the second layout level.

17 . A method of forming an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

placing, by a processor, a first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit on a layout design, the first standard cell layout design having a first height, the placing the first standard cell layout design includes:

placing a first set of pin layout patterns on a first layout level and over a first set of gridlines, the first set of pin layout patterns extending in a first direction, and having a first width in a second direction different from the first direction, each gridline of the first set of gridlines is separated from an adjacent gridline of the first set of gridlines in the second direction by a first pitch of the first set of pin layout patterns;

generating a second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, the generating the second standard cell layout design includes:

generating a second set of pin layout patterns extending in the first direction, being on the first layout level, and over a second set of gridlines, and having a second width in the second direction different from the first width, and the second standard cell layout design having a second height different from the first height, the first height and the second height being in the second direction, and the second standard cell layout design being adjacent to the first standard cell layout design; and

manufacturing the integrated circuit based on at least the first standard cell layout design or the second standard cell layout design.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a first set of conductive feature layout patterns on a second layout level different from the first layout level, the first set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, and overlapping at least the first set of pin layout patterns, and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the second direction, overlapping at least the second set of pin layout patterns, and being on the second layout level.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a first set of via layout patterns between the first set of pin layout patterns and the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, the first set of via layout patterns having a first via width in the first direction, and a first via height in the second direction; and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a second set of via layout patterns having a second via width in the first direction, and a second via height in the second direction, and at least one of the second via width being different from the first via width, or the second via height being different from the first via height, the second set of via layout patterns being between the second set of pin layout patterns and the second set of conductive feature layout patterns.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein

the placing the first standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

placing a third set of conductive feature layout patterns on a third layout level and over a third set of gridlines, the third set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, and overlapping at least the first set of conductive feature layout patterns, the third layout level being different from the first layout level and the second layout level, and

the generating the second standard cell layout design of the integrated circuit, further includes:

generating a fourth set of conductive feature layout patterns extending in the first direction, overlapping at least the second set of conductive feature layout patterns, and being on the third layout level and over a fourth set of gridlines.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2024
From: KU, CHUN-YAO; CHEN, WEN-HAO; CHEN, KUAN-TING; YU, MING-TAO; CHANG, JYUN-HAO
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 067688/0767 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18190703 · Mar 27, 2023
Division 17095149 · Nov 11, 2020
Provisional Application 62968022 · Jan 30, 2020
Related Publication 20240332280A1 · Oct 3, 2024
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