Wires and Vias

Somayyeh Koohi
Department of Computer Engineering
Sharif University of Technology
Adapted with modifications from lecture notes prepared by
author

Topics
Wire and via structures
Wire parasitics
Capacitance
Resistance

Transistor parasitics

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Wires and vias

metal 3
metal 2

vias
metal 1
poly
n+

p-tub

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poly
n+

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Metal Layers
M1thin : narrowest
High density cells

M2-M4
For longer wires

M5-M6: thickest
For VDD, GND, clk

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Metal migration
Current-carrying capacity of metal wire
depends on cross-section
Height is fixed (according to metal layer)
Width determines current limit

Metal migration: when current is too high,

electron flow pushes around metal grains
Higher resistance increases metal migration
destruction of wire
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Metal migration problems and

solutions
Marginal wires will fail after a small operating
period: infant mortality
Solution
Decrease current density (J=I/A)
Normal wires must be sized to accommodate
maximum current flow
Imax = 1.5 mA/m of metal width

Mainly applies to VDD/VSS lines

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Topics
Wire and via structures
Wire parasitics
Capacitance
Resistance

Transistor parasitics

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Diffusion wire capacitance

Capacitances formed by p-n junctions
Total capacitance: sidewall capacitances + bottomwall
capacitance

sidewall
capacitances
p

depletion region

n+ (ND)

substrate (NA)
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bottomwall
capacitance
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Typical 0.5 micron diffusion

capacitance values
n-type
bottomwall: 0.6 fF/m2
sidewall: 0.2 fF/m

p-type
bottomwall: 0.9 fF/m2
sidewall: 0.3 fF/m

In 0.5 micron process,

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= 0.25 m

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Diffusion capacitance example

Perimeter = 32
Area = 52 2
sidewall/bottomwall capacitances = ?
total capacitance = ?
12
3

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Depletion region capacitance

Zero-bias depletion capacitance
Cj0 =

si/xd

Depletion region width (zero bias)

xd0 = sqrt[(1/NA + 1/ND)2 siVbi/q]

Vbi: built-in voltage

Vbi=KT/q ln(NAND/ni2)

Junction capacitance is function of voltage across junction

Cj(Vr) = Cj0/sqrt(1 + Vr/Vbi)

Vbi

Xd0

Cj0

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Cj
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Poly/metal wire capacitance

Two components
Parallel plate
Fringe
fringe
plate

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Typical poly/metal capacitance values

for 0.5 micron process
poly
plate: 0.09 fF/m2
fringe: 0.04 fF/m

metal 1
plate: 0.04 fF/m2
fringe: 0.09 fF/m

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metal 2
plate: 0.02 fF/m2
fringe: 0.06 fF/m

metal 3
plate: 0.009 fF/m2
fringe: 0.02 fF/m

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Metal coupling capacitances

Can couple to
Adjacent wires on same layer
Wires on above/below layers

Orthogonal wire in different layers

Reduction of coupling capacitance
between layers

metal 1

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metal 2

metal 1

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Example: parasitic capacitance

measurement
n-diffusion
bottomwall=2 fF
sidewall=2 fF

metal
plate=0.15
l t 0 15 fF
fringe=0.72 fF

3 m

0.75 m

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1 m

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1.5 m

2.5 m

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Wire resistance
Resistance of any size square is constant
Compute sheet resistance (Rsquare)
Rtotal = Rsquare
* (# of square)
q

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Typical resistance values for our 0.5

micron process
Poly: 4 ohms/square
metali > metali+1 (upper layer metals are thicker)
metal 1: 0.08 ohms/square
metal 2: 0.07 ohms/square
metal 3: 0.03 ohms/square

ndiff: 2 ohms/square
pdiff: 2 ohms/square

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Calculating resistance
Determine current flow, then aspect ratio
20
I

2
vs.
20
2
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I
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Current around corners

Resistance at corner of two equal-width wires is
approximately 1/2 square
Smaller area

1/2 square

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Via resistance
Determined by current flow through via cut
Typical metal1-poly contact: 2.5 ohms
Typical metal1-metal2 contact: 0.5 ohms

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Topics
Wire and via structures
Wire parasitics
Capacitance
Resistance

Transistor parasitics

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Skin effect
At low frequencies : most of copper
conductors cross section carries current
As frequency increases : current moves to skin
of conductor
Back EMF induces counter-current in body of
conductor

Skin effect most important at Ghz frequencies

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Skin effect, contd

Isolated conductor

Low frequency

Conductor and ground:

Low frequency

High frequency
High frequency
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Skin depth
Skin depth is depth at which conductors
current is reduced to 1/3 = 37% of surface
value
= 1/sqrt( f )
f = signal frequency
= magnetic permeability
= wire conducitvity

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Effect on resistance
Low frequency resistance of wire
Rdc = 1/ ( wt)
W & h : width & height of the semiconductor

High frequency resistance with skin effect

Rhf = 1/ (2

(w + t))

Resistance per unit length

Rac = sqrt(Rdc 2 +

Typically

Rhf 2)

= 1.2

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Transistor gate parasitics

Gate-source/drain overlap capacitance

gate
t
source

drain

overlap

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Transistor source/drain parasitics

Source/drain have significant capacitance,
resistance
Significant effect on circuit performance

Measured same way as for wires

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