Stick Diagrams

STICK Diagrams

Why we need design rules

Masks are tooling for manufacturing.
Manufacturing processes have inherent
limitations in accuracy.
Design rules specify geometry of masks which
will provide reasonable yields.
Design rules are determined by experience.

Manufacturing problems

Photoresist shrinkage, tearing.

Variations in material deposition.
Variations in temperature.
Variations in oxide thickness.
Impurities.
Variations between lots.
Variations across a wafer.

Transistor problems
Variations in threshold voltage:
oxide thickness;
ion implantation;
poly variations.

Changes in source/drain diffusion overlap.

Variations in substrate.

Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

N+

N+

Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams
VDD

VDD

Stick
Diagra
m

X
Gnd

Gnd
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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams
VDD

VDD
X

X
Gnd

Gnd
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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams
VLSI design aims to translate circuit concepts
onto silicon.
stick diagrams are a means of capturing
topography and layer information using
simple diagrams.
Stick diagrams convey layer information
through colour codes (or monochrome
encoding).
Acts as an interface between symbolic circuit
and the actual layout.
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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

Does show all components/vias.

It shows relative placement of components.
Goes one step closer to the layout
Helps plan the layout and routing

A stick diagram is a cartoon of a layout.

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams
Does not show

Exact placement of components

Transistor sizes
Wire lengths, wire widths, tub boundaries.
Any other low level details such as parasitics..

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams Notations

Metal 1
poly
ndiff

pdiff
Can also draw
in shades of
gray/line style.

Similarly for contacts, via, tub etc..

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams Some rules

Rule 1.
When two or more sticks of the same type cross
or touch each other that represents electrical
contact.

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams Some rules

Rule 2.
When two or more sticks of different type cross
or touch each other there is no electrical contact.
(If electrical contact is needed we have to show the connection
explicitly).

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams Some rules

Rule 3.
When a poly crosses diffusion it represents a
transistor.

Note: If a contact is shown then it is not a transistor.

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Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams Some rules

Rule 4.
In CMOS a demarcation line is drawn to avoid
touching of p-diff with n-diff. All pMOS must lie
on one side of the line and all nMOS will have
to be on the other side.

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Stick Diagrams

How to draw Stick Diagrams

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Stick Diagrams

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Stick Diagrams

Power

Out

C
B
Ground

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MOSIS SCMOS design rules

Designed to scale across a wide range of
technologies.
Designed to support multiple vendors.
Designed for educational use.
Fairly conservative.
http://www.mosis.com/design/rules/
The standard CMOS technology accessed by
MOSIS is a single polysilicon, double metal, bulk
CMOS process with enhancement-mode nMOSFET and p-MOSFET devices.

 and design rules

is the size of a minimum feature.
Specifying particularizes the scalable rules.
Parasitics are generally not specified in units

Wires
All wire widths are multiples of
6

metal 3

metal 2

metal 1

pdiff/ndiff

poly

Transistors

poly

2
3
diffusion

substrate

All measures are multiples of

Vias
Types of via: metal1/diff, metal1/poly,
metal1/metal2.
4

4
1
2

Metal 3 via
Type: metal3/metal2.
Rules:

cut: 3 x 3
overlap by metal2: 1
minimum spacing: 3
minimum spacing to via1: 2

Tub tie

4
1

Spacing

diffusion/diffusion: 3
poly/poly: 2
poly/diffusion: 1
via/via: 2
metal1/metal1: 3
metal2/metal2: 4
metal3/metal3: 4

Overglass

Cut in passivation layer.

Minimum bonding pad: 100 m.
Pad overlap of glass opening: 6
Minimum pad spacing to unrelated metal2 or
metal3: 30
Minimum pad spacing to unrelated metal1, poly,
active: 15