Cell region having vg-contact-free and vd-contact-free tracks and method of manufacturing same

A cell region of a device, the cell region comprising:

• active regions extending in a first direction;
• gate segments and metal-to-source/drain-region (MD) contacts which extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, are interspersed, and have portions over areas of the active regions;
• via-to-gate (VG) contacts over areas of the gate segments;
• via-to-MD-contact (VD) contacts over areas of the MD contacts;
• the VG contacts and the VD contacts being aligned correspondingly to alpha tracks extending in the first direction;
• in a first layer of metallization on a first side of the active regions, first routing (RTE) segments which extend in the first direction, are aligned correspondingly to the alpha tracks, and are correspondingly over the VG contacts or the VD contacts, and
• one or more of the first RTE segments being first input/output (pin) segments;
• and
• in a first layer of interconnection, first contacts aligned correspondingly to the alpha tracks and correspondingly over the first RTE segments;
• in a first buried layer of metallization on a second side of the active regions, first buried power grid segments which extend in the first direction;
• and
• first and second ones of the alpha tracks being adjacent to first and second boundaries of the cell region;
• at least a third one of the alpha tracks being between the first and second alpha tracks;
• the first alpha track being free from having any of the VG contacts and any of the first pin segments aligned thereto;
• and
• the second alpha track being free from having any of the VD contacts and any of the first contacts aligned thereto.

A method of forming a cell region of a device, the method comprising:

• forming active regions extending in a first direction;
• in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,
• forming gate segments having portions over first areas of the active regions, and
• forming metal-to-source/drain-region (MD) contacts interspersed with the gate segments and having portions over second areas of the active regions;
• forming via-to-gate (VG) contacts over areas of the gate segments;
• forming via-to-MD-contact (VD) contacts over areas of the MD contacts;
• the VG contacts and the VD contacts being aligned correspondingly to alpha tracks extending in the first direction;
• in a first layer of metallization on a first side of the active regions,
• forming first routing (RTE) segments which extend in the first direction, are aligned correspondingly to the alpha tracks, and are correspondingly over the VG contacts or the VD contacts;
• in a first buried layer of metallization on a second side of the active regions,
• forming first buried power grid segments which extend in the first direction;
• and
• first and second ones of the alpha tracks being adjacent to first and second boundaries of the cell region;
• at least a third one of the alpha tracks being between the first and second alpha tracks;
• the forming via-to-gate (VG) contacts including the following,
• locating the VG contacts so that the first alpha track is free from having any of the VG contacts aligned thereto;
• and
• the forming via-to-MD-contact (VD) contacts including the following,
• locating the VD contacts so that the second alpha track is free from having any of the VD contacts aligned thereto.