Basic Layout Techniques

Rahul Shukla Advisor: Jaime Ramirez-Angulo Spring 2005 Mixed Signal VLSI Lab Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering New Mexico State University

Outline
Transistor layout Resistor Layout Capacitor Layout Common Centroid and Inter-digitization Techniques Example layouts Pad Frame

Transistor layout
NMOS
B D G

1.5um/0.6um

NMOS Bulk terminal in AMI 0.5m process is always tied to p substrate which is tied to Vss.

S/D

D/S

PMOS
B G

1.5um/0.6um

PMOS Bulk terminal in AMI 0.5m process is free (N Well process) and can be connected to any voltage but usually connected to Vdd or the source S terminal.

S/D

D/S

Transistor layout
A single large transistor layout is not a good idea !!! To make a large transistor we split the large transistors and connect them in parallel.
G

S
D

120um/1.8um

B 30um/1.8um

B B 30um/1.8um 30um/1.8um

B 30um/1.8um

Generally PMOS width (W) < 50m/1.8m NMOS width (W) < 30m/1.8m

Transistor layout
G

120um/1.8um

S/D D/S

Transistor layout
S G B

G D S

150m/1.05m

PMOS Bulk terminal connected to the source S terminal reduce body effect. Four transistor of 37.5m/1.05m connected in parallel

Resistor layout
Resistor value is calculated using R=Rs (L/W) where Rs is sheet resistance of ELEC layer and its value in AMI 0.5m process is 1024/ L and W are length and width of resistor. Resistor is implemented using a POLY2 layer or ELEC as it is called in Cadence. A High-Res layer is also used as a layer ID. Use minimum W of ELEC to calculate length of ELEC layer Value of W and L calculated using formula is an approximate value. To get a value close enough to desired value, layout the resistor, extract the layout using the extractor tool in Cadence and and see the value in extracted view of your cell and change the size of the resistor in layout view to get to a desired value. This, as we can see is an iterative process.

Resistor layout
Example 5k resistor layout. L W

ELEC

M1_ELEC Contact

Highres

Extracted view of the resistor

Resistor layout
For laying out a big resistor it is recommended to split it into series connection of small resistors. E.g.: 25k using five 5k resistor layout. (note the 25k is not a large value resistor)

Capacitor layout
Capacitor value is calculated using R=Cox W.L where Cox is capacitance of oxide layer per unit area. Its value in AMI 0.5m process is 2.4fF/m2, L and W are length and width of capacitor. A parallel plate Capacitor is implemented using a POLY2 layer or ELEC as it is called in Cadence and POLY layer. The two layer act act as the parallel plate. A cap-id layer can also be used as a layer ID. Use minimum W=L so that a square capacitor implementation is possible. Value of W and L calculated using formula is an approximate value. To get a value close enough to desired value, layout the capacitor, extract the layout using the extractor tool in Cadence and see the value in extracted view of your cell and accordingly change the size of the capacitor in layout to get to a desired value. This, as we can see is an iterative process.

Capacitor layout
Example 1pF capacitor layout.

M1_ELEC contact ELEC POLY Cross section

M1_POLY contact

Oxide layer

Common Centroid and Interdigitization Techniques

Process variations during fabrication may limit accuracy and desired performance of analog circuits. Matching between components in layout of analog circuits is an important issue in many designs. For e.g. current mirrors, differential pairs. Inter-digitization and common centroid are the most basic techniques to match components in layouts. [1] [1] CMOS Circuit design, layout and simulation, R. Jacob Baker, Harry W. Li and David E. Boyce, chapter 20 and 24, IEEE press. 1998

Common Centroid and Interdigitization Techniques

A simple example of how process variation affects circuit performance
Iin Iout
Assuming that we split M2 in 4 equal sized transistor and do the layout in following fashion. If process was ideal (W/L)M2= 4(W/L)M1
G G G G G

W/L M1

M2 4W/L

D W/L M21 W/L M22

S W/L M23

D W/L M24

B W/L M1

Ideally Iout= 4Iin (neglecting 2 order effects) Practically Iout= 4.1Iin (neglecting 2 order effects)

Since the process is non-ideal we assume a linear variation along horizontal axis for example a 1% increase in W/L ratio of each transistor as we go along left to right.
G G G G G

S D B W/L M1 S

S 1.04W/L M24

1.01W/L M21 1.02W/L M22 1.03W/L M23

Common Centroid and Interdigitization Techniques

Process variations do not only affect W/L ratio (aspect ratio) but also other variation like Vt i.e. threshold voltage etc. Mismatch in a simple differential amplifier will lead to undesirable effects like offset, poor CMRR etc. Matching important between
M1 Vdd Vbias M5

Vin+ M3 M4

Vin-

Vout M2

Differential pair Mirror Differential Amplifier

Common Centroid and Interdigitization Techniques

We have to match two components A and B ( A and B can be anything like capacitor, resistor or transistor). Lets split A and B into 4 small components i.e. A1-A4 and B1-B4. Inter-digitization Technique: Placing alternate components
A1 B1 A2 B2 A3 B3 A4 B4

Common centroid Technique: Placing components such that both components have same centroid.
A1 B1 B2 A2

A3

B3

B4

A4

Both A and B have common center

Example of common centroid technique (Matching between M3 and M4 of differential amplifier). (W/L)M3= (W/L)M4

M3

M4

M4

M3

M3

M4

M4

M3

Another example of common centroid technique (W/L)M1= 2(W/L)M2

M1

M2

M1 M1

M2

M1

An alternative approach of M1 M1 M2 M2 M1 M1 can also be used !!!

Another example of common centroid technique for matching in capacitor array at the input stage of a DAC.
C 2C 4C 8C 16C

Poly serves as the common bottom plate

Dummy capacitors

Done by Milind Sawant for input stage of a DAC

Example layouts

Use NTAP contact around transistors and try to use M2 for horizontal connections and M3 for vertical connections or vice versa.

Example layouts

Pad Frame
40 PINS P pins are protected pins + is VDD pin - is VSS pin Pins with no names are bare pins. It has a global guard rings. Guard rings Pin # 1 Pin # 40