Integrated circuits and processes for protection of standard cell performance from context effects

摘要

Integrated circuit (5) includes substrate (10) with surface (20) and structure (30) including base levels (45.i, 45.(i+1)), terminating cells (48, 49), and block (40) of standard cells arranged in rows (42.i, 42.(i+1)), and another type of block (60) outside block (40). Standard cells at at least two edges of block (40) have the following protections: (1) block (60) has strip of separation (41.j) having at least a minimum width from the edges of block (40), and protected by one of the following: (2) terminating cells (48, 49) reduce context effect and some terminating cells (48) are placed at at least one end of rows (42.i, 42.(i+1)) of standard cells within first-named block (40), and (3) the terminating cells (48, 49) reduce context effect and some terminating cells (49) are at one end of a column of standard cells within block (40). Other structures, devices, and processes are also disclosed.