Fast, Accurate, Automated Via Insertion During Design Implementation Requires Foundry Rule Compliance


As the scaling of silicon technology proceeds, via resistance is becoming a dominant factor in integrated circuit (IC) yield, performance, and reliability. At advanced nodes, interconnects and via dimensions decrease, while the number of metallization layers increases. To moderate the impact of via resistance on yield and reliability and reduce electromigration (EM) and voltage drop (IR) effect... » read more

Stitching Together A Multi-Layer PCB PDN


A printed circuit board (PCB) is much like a complicated city, with a myriad of intertwined pathways for data signals and power. To meet the electric current needs of modern, high-powered integrated circuits (ICs), the power distribution network (PDN) usually consists of wide power planes on multiple layers to provide a low-resistance path for power delivery. These planes are stitched together ... » read more

The Path To Known Good Interconnects


Chiplets and heterogenous integration (HI) provide a compelling way to continue delivering improvements in performance, power, area, and cost (PPAC) as Moore’s Law slows, but choosing the best way to connect these devices so they behave in consistent and predictable ways is becoming a challenge as the number of options continues to grow. More possibilities also bring more potential interac... » read more

Characterization Of HEMT Vias


The Zeta-Series optical profilers provide accurate measurement and automated analysis of high aspect ratio structures such as HEMT vias using non-destructive and high throughput metrology techniques.  Introduction Wide bandgap semiconductor materials are extremely attractive for use in power electronics, due to their performance capability at high temperature, power and frequency. Among wide... » read more

Marangoni Effect-Based Under-Layer For A Dual Damascene Via-First Approach


One of the main challenges of a Dual Damascene (DD) via-first process is the control of the Critical Dimensions (CDs) in the lithography of the trenches. The PhotoResist (PhR) thickness presents variations from the via arrays to the open areas, which cause the variation of CDs: the swing effect. The planarization of a DD via-first process is reported. A dual-layer solution is used to demonst... » read more

Lower Resistance Protects Against Failure In IC Design


By Fady Fouad, Esraa Swillam, and Jeff Wilson When you’re fighting off a threat, you typically want all the resistance you can muster. In IC design, on the other hand, minimizing resistance is crucial to success in power structure design. As metals get narrower with technology node advances, resistance levels rise, and voltage drop (IR) and electromigration (EM) issues grow, both in number... » read more

Super Planarizing Material For Trench And Via Arrays


As device design scales and becomes more complex, fine control of patterning and transfer steps is integral. Planarization of deep trenches and via arrays has always been a challenge. Aspect ratios continue to increase while critical dimensions shrink, and typical trench fill schemes are no longer able to meet the fill and planarization requirements. Traditional design of spin-on carbon (SOC) m... » read more

GDDR6: Signal Integrity Challenges For Automotive Systems


Signal integrity (SI) is at the forefront of SoC and system designers’ thinking as they plan for upcoming high-speed GDDR6 DRAM and PHY implementations for automotive and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) applications. Rambus and its partners are closely looking at how GDDR6’s 16 gigabit per second speed at each pin affects signal integrity given the cost and system constraints for a... » read more

CMOS Area Scaling And The Need For High Aspect Ratio Vias


Resolving internal routing congestion will be essential to enable CMOS area scaling to the N5 node and beyond. The solution will require new design maneuvers in place and route (PnR), as well as patterning innovations. In this work, we present inter-layer high aspect ratio vias or ‘SuperVia’ (SV) as one technology element that could enable track height scaling to 4.5T at aggressive N5 dime... » read more

Variation At 10/7nm


Klaus Schuegraf, vice president of new products and solutions at PDF Solutions, explains why variability is a growing challenge at advanced nodes, why middle of line is now one of the big problem areas, and what happens when a via is misaligned due to a small process variation. https://youtu.be/jQfggOnxZJQ » read more

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