# US 12,182,488 B2 · Semiconductor device including standard-cell-adapted power grid arrangement

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- Number: US 12,182,488 B2
- Document ID: US12182488B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/362,839
- Filed: 2023-07-31
- Published: 2023-11-23
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiranmay Biswas; Chung-Hsing Wang; Chin-Shen Lin; Kuo-Nan Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182488B2

## CPC

- G06F 30/392: Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
- H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs
- H10W 20/427: {Power or ground buses}
- H10W 20/4451: {Semiconductor materials, e.g. polysilicon}
- G06F 30/337: Design optimisation
- G06F 30/394: Routing (G06F30/396 takes precedence)
- G06F 30/3947: global
- G06F 30/3953: detailed
- G06F 30/398: Design verification or optimisation, e.g. using design rule check [DRC], layout versus schematics [LVS] or finite element methods [FEM] (optical proximity correction [OPC] design processes G03F1/36)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A device includes a power grid (PG) arrangement including: first and second segments in a first conductive layer which are conductive and extend in a first direction, the first segments being configured for a first reference voltage and the second segments being configured for a second reference voltage; the first and second segments being interspersed relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and relative to the second direction, the first segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, the second segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, and the second segments being substantially asymmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the first segments.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device comprising:
a power grid (PG) arrangement including:
first and second segments in a first conductive layer which are conductive and extend in a first direction,
the first segments being configured for a first reference voltage and the second segments being configured for a second reference voltage;
the first and second segments being interspersed relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and
relative to the second direction,
the first segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other,
the second segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, and
the second segments being substantially asymmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the first segments.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising:
a third segment in a second conductive layer which is conductive and extends in the second direction,
the third segment being connected to the first segments by via patterns, and
a first one of the second segments being substantially asymmetrically spaced between adjacent first and second ones of the via patterns.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The device of claim 2, wherein:
a distance from the first one of the via patterns to the first one of the second segments is a first distance,
a distance from the first one of the second segments to the second one of the via patterns is a second distance, and
a ratio of the first distance to the second distance is approximately 3:4.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising:
third and fourth segments in a second conductive layer which are conductive and extend in the second direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
the third segments are symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, and
the fourth segments are symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
the fourth segments are symmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the third segments.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
the first and third segments are connected to each other by vias, and
the second and fourth segments are connected to each other by vias.

### Claim 8 (depends on 4)

The device of claim 4, wherein:
the first and second segments are parallel to each other, and
the third and fourth segments are parallel to each other.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein:
the first and second segments are parallel to each other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein:
the first and second segments are long pillars.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The device of claim 10, wherein:
as measured in the first direction, a length of the first and second segments is sized to substantially avoid electromigration degradation.

### Claim 12

A device comprising:
a power grid (PG) arrangement including:
first and second segments in a first conductive layer which are conductive and extend in a first direction;
the first segments being configured for a first reference voltage and the second segments being configured for a second reference voltage, and
the first and second segments being interspersed relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; and
third segments in a second conductive layer which are conductive and extend in the second direction,
the third segments being arranged in sections that extend between intersections with adjacent ones of the first and second segments, and
as measured in the second direction, a length of each section being sized to keep a resistance of the section below a threshold resistance.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein:
the first and third segments are connected to each other by vias, and
the length of each section corresponds to a spacing, in the second direction, of adjacent vias.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein:
the first segments are symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other,
the second segments are symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, and
the second segments are substantially asymmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the first segments.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The device of claim 12, wherein:
the second segments are substantially asymmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the first segments such that a first one of the second segments is interposed between a first one of the first segments and a second one of the first segments, and
a first distance between the first one of the second segments and the first one of the first segments is less than a second distance between the first one of the second segments and the second one of the first segments.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The device of claim 15, wherein:
a ratio of the first distance to the second distance is approximately 3:4.

### Claim 17

A device comprising:
a power grid (PG) arrangement including:
first and second segments in a first conductive layer which are conductive and extend in a first direction,
the first segments being configured for a first reference voltage and the second segments being configured for a second reference voltage;
the first and second segments being interspersed relative to a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction;
relative to the second direction,
the first segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other,
the second segments being symmetrically spaced apart relative to each other, and
the second segments being substantially asymmetrically spaced between corresponding adjacent ones of the first segments; and
as measured in the first direction, a length of the first and second segments being sized to substantially avoid electromigration degradation.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The device of claim 17, wherein:
the first and second segments are long pillars.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The device of claim 18, further comprising:
third segments in a second conductive layer which are conductive and extend in the second direction,
wherein the long pillars include:
first long pillars, which are via-connected to a single third segment, and
second long pillars, which are via-connected to two third segments.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The device of claim 19, wherein:
the second conductive layer includes fourth segments interspersed between the third segments,
the third segments being configured for the first reference voltage and the fourth segments being configured for the second reference voltage.