3-dimensional device design layout

A method of generating a layout of a semiconductor device having a finFET device, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a number of three-dimensional structures defining desired three-dimensional active areas;
• determining a first active area having a first width and a first length based upon the number of three-dimensional structures defining the desired three-dimensional active areas plus any intermediate isolation areas, wherein determining the first width is based on a model equation expressed as:
• y≡(A×B)+((A−1)×C)
• wherein y denotes the first width, A denotes the number of three-dimensional structures, B denotes a width of each of the three-dimensional structure, and C denotes a width of each of the intermediate isolation area;
• providing a first layout having the first active area and a first gate extending over the first active area, wherein the first layout is a planar layout, wherein a size of the first active area is substantially equivalent to a size of the desired three-dimensional active areas plus any intermediate isolation areas;
• and
• automatically replacing by a design tool the first layout with a second layout, which is a three-dimensional layout, and includes a plurality of second active areas corresponding to the desired three-dimensional active areas, adjacent second active areas being spaced apart by an isolation region, a cumulative total of widths of the second active areas and widths of one or more of the isolation regions being substantially equivalent to the first width, the isolation region between adjacent second active areas having a second length, wherein each of the second active areas has the first length and each isolation area has the second length extending across the entire length of the first active area such that the second length is substantially equivalent to the first length.

A computer program product for generating a layout of a semiconductor device having a finFET device, the computer program product having a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:

• computer program code for determining a number of three-dimensional structures defining desired three-dimensional active areas;
• computer program code for creating an equivalent planar device design based upon the number of three-dimensional structures defining the desired three-dimensional active areas, wherein the equivalent planar device design has an active area size substantially equivalent to a size of the three-dimensional active areas plus any intermediate isolation areas;
• and
• computer program code for converting the equivalent planar device design to a three-dimensional design, wherein the computer program code for converting the equivalent planar device design to a three-dimensional design includes:
• computer program code for receiving a first layout, the first layout having a plurality of active areas in a first region, the plurality of active areas being sized and placed based upon a desired layout of the finFET device,
• computer program code for determining for each of the plurality of active areas a number of active regions;
• and
• computer program code for determining a width for each active area of the plurality of active areas, wherein the width of each active area is based upon the number of active regions defining at least one of the desired three-dimensional active areas plus any intermediate isolation areas, wherein determining the width of each active area is based on a model equation expressed as:
• y≡(A×B)+((A−1)×C)
• wherein y denotes the width, A denotes the number of active regions, B denotes a width of each of the active regions, and C denotes a width of each of the intermediate isolation areas;
• computer program code for directly generating a second layout based upon the first layout, the second layout replacing each of the plurality of active areas with the active regions and isolation regions located between adjacent active regions in a plan view, a total area of each of the plurality of active areas being substantially equal to a total area of the respective active regions including isolation regions separating adjacent active regions, wherein each of the active regions within each respective active area has a length extending across an entire length of the respective active area and each of the isolation regions within each respective active area has a length extending across the entire length of the respective active area such that the respective lengths of the active regions and the isolation regions within each respective active area are substantially equal.