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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Importance of Layer-to-Layer Alignment


Example: metal line to contact hole
marginal contact
Example of Design Rule: If the minimum feature size is 2l, then the safety margin for overlay error is l.

no contact!

safety margin to allow for misalignment Design Rules are needed: Interface between designer & process engineer Guidelines for designing masks
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

IC RESISTOR MASK LAYOUTS REGISTRATION OF EACH MASK

Registration of mask patterns is critical show separate layouts to avoid ambiguity


Oxide mask (dark field)

Contact mask (dark field)

Al mask (clear field) B A B

registration shows overlay of patterns


0

1 2

scale in m for B-B cut

Registration of one mask to the next (also called alignment and overlay) is a crucial aspect of lithography
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Same Layout but with misregistration (misalignment)


perfect registration
0

B A B

1 2

scale in m for B-B cut

B A B

Contact mask misaligned by 2m


0

1 2

scale in m for B-B cut

Lets look again at cross-section A-A to understand the consequence of this misalignment. Note contact mask 2m

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Layout with no misregistration (misalignment)


perfect registration
0

B A B

1 2

Al

p-type layer

STEP 7

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Layout with misregistration (misalignment)


B A B

Contact mask misaligned by 2m


0

1 2

scale in m for B-B cut

Al Al

This resistor has an open circuit !!


A

p-type layer

STEP 7

Thus we need safety margins in layout which take into account the possible tolerances in fabrication. Each process has a set of design rules which specify the safety margins.
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Layout Design Rules


(1) Absolute-Value Design Rules * Use absolute distances (2) l -based Design Rules

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

EE143 Layout Design Rules

1. Basic length unit = l = 2m

1.1 Lithography and etching limit =2l

1.2 Overlay accuracy = l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

2.1 Metal-Si Contact Hole


2l 2l

(same rule for Metal-poly)

Min. contact hole = 2 l x 2 l

l l

Min contact hole to diffusion layer distance = l

l
n+ SiO2

Al n+ SiO2

p-sub
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

p-sub
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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

2.2. Metal Lines


Min width = 2l Min. metal-metal spacing = 3l
Line 1

3l

2l
Line 2

[Rationale]

metal runs on rough topography

3 l spacing to ensure no shorting between the 2 lines.


Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Min overlap of contact hole = l

l l

l
SiO2 Si

Etching problem

CVD SiO2 deposition. problem in narrow gap

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Metal line-width is larger when running over a contact hole

l
2l 2l

4l

Configuration 1

l
l
2l

Configuration 2

l
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Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

2.3 Poly-Si Lines


Min width = 2l Min poly-poly spacing = 2 l
Line 2 Line 1

2l 2l

[Rationale: Unlike metal lines, poly-Si runs on smoother topography] metal

l
poly

Min underlap of metal/poly contact = l

4l 4l
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Example: Metal Contact to Poly


metal

l l

poly

Note: Both metal and poly linewidths will enlarge to accommodate contact hole overlay error l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

2.4. MOS Thin-Oxide Region


Thick Oxide Region (FOX) Min Width = 2 l

2l

Thin Oxide Region (active device area)

2l

Min spacing = 3 l
2l

3l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Min underlap of thin-oxide contact = l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

3. Poly-Si Gate
Min gate-overlap of field oxide = 2l
2l

[Comment] Avoid n+ channel formation during S/D Implant


n+ n+ ideal With overlay error
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

n+

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Min thin-oxide contact to gate spacing = 2 l

2l

2l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Comment: Al to poly contact should not be directly on top of gate oxide area Gate oxide Si

Al

Poly gate

Al Poly SiO2

~400OC Al spike

Al Poly SiO2

Si
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

Si
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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Al contact on thick oxide area ok 2l SiO2 (CVD) FOX

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Min Gate Width = 2 l

Min Gate Length = 2 l

Usually: W/L are specified by circuit requirement.

Min. poly to thin oxide spacing = l

Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

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EE143 F2010

Lecture 20

Example

Design a minimum-size poly-gate MOS transistor with W/L = 4m/4m (2 l x 2l )

Half-way distance to next MOSFET ( = 1. 5 l )

Minimum size contact = 2lx2l Minimum thin-oxide-region underlap of contact = l Minimum source/drain contact to gate spacing = 2l Minimum L = 2l Minimum W = 2l Minimum gate overlap of field-oxide region = 2l Minimum metal overlap of contact = l Minimum thin-oxide-region to thin-oxide-region spacing = 3l * Layout area /transistor = 15lx7l = 105 l2
Professor N Cheung, U.C. Berkeley

metal poly Active region Contact hole


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