Antenna protection on dummy metal fills

An apparatus, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor, the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to:
• identify a candidate fill area for deposition of a dummy metal fill in a metallization layer of a plurality of metallization layers of a memory device, each of the plurality of metallization layers separated from adjacent metallization layers by an interlayer dielectric;
• determine whether there is a discharge path for the dummy metal fill;
• and
• determine a type of the dummy metal fill to generate based on the determined discharge path, wherein the discharge path dissipates a charge build-up in the dummy metal fill to minimize antenna effects.

A method, comprising:

• identifying a candidate fill area for deposition of a dummy metal fill in a metallization layer of a plurality of metallization layers of a memory device, each of the plurality of metallization layers separated from adjacent metallization layers by an interlayer dielectric;
• determining whether there is a discharge path for the dummy metal fill;
• determining a type of the dummy metal fill to generate based on the determined discharge path, wherein the discharge path dissipates a charge build-up in the dummy metal fill to minimize antenna effects;
• and
• forming the metallization layer, wherein forming the metallization layer comprises forming the dummy metal fill in the candidate fill area in accordance with the type of the dummy metal fill.