Active zones with offset in semiconductor cell

An integrated circuit comprising:

• a first-type active zone having a first alignment boundary which extends in a first direction which is perpendicular to a second direction;
• a second-type active zone having a first alignment boundary which extends in the first direction and is adjacent to the first alignment boundary of the first-type active zone;
• a first gate-strip segment intersecting the first-type active zone over a channel region of a first-type transistor;
• a second gate-strip segment intersecting the second-type active zone over a channel region of a second-type transistor;
• at least four routing tracks, extending in the first direction, the at least four routing tracks including at least two inner routing tracks adjacent each other and positioned between a first outer routing track and a second outer routing track, each of the first outer routing track and the second outer routing track having an inner side adjacent the at least two inner routing tracks;
• and
• wherein a first distance along the second direction between the inner side of the first outer routing track and the first alignment boundary of the first-type active zone is different from a second distance along the second direction between the inner side of the second outer routing track and the first alignment boundary of the second-type active zone by a predetermined distance.

A method of forming an integrated circuit, the method comprising generating, by a processor, a layout design of the integrated circuit, wherein generating the layout design comprises:

• generating a first-type active zone pattern having a first alignment boundary which extends in a first direction;
• generating a second-type active zone pattern having a first alignment boundary which extends in the first direction—and is adjacent to the first alignment boundary of the first-type active zone pattern;
• generating a first power rail pattern specifying a first power rail extending in the first direction which has a long edge adjacent to the first-type active zone pattern and separated from the first alignment boundary of the first-type active zone pattern by a first distance along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• generating a second power rail pattern specifying a second power rail extending in the first direction which has a long edge adjacent to the second-type active zone pattern and separated from the first alignment boundary of the second-type active zone pattern by a second distance along the second direction;
• and
• wherein the first distance is different from the second distance by a predetermined distance which is at least 10% of a third distance between the long edge of the first power rail pattern and the long edge of the second power rail pattern.