The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate having active regions; field-effect devices disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the field-effect devices including gate stacks with elongated shape oriented in a first direction; a first metal layer disposed over the gate stacks, the first metal layer including first metal lines oriented in a second direction being orthogonal to the first direction; a second metal layer disposed over the first metal layer, the second metal layer including second metal lines oriented in the first direction; and a third metal layer disposed over the second metal layer, the third metal layer including third metal lines oriented in the second direction. The first, second, and third metal lines have a first thickness T.sub.1, a second thickness T.sub.2, and t a third thickness T.sub.3, respectively. The second thickness is greater than the first thickness and the third thickness.

A MOS device of an IC includes pMOS and nMOS transistors. The MOS device further includes a first M.sub.x layer interconnect extending in a first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together, and a second M.sub.x layer interconnect extending in the first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together. The first and second M.sub.x layer interconnects are parallel. The MOS device further includes a first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first M.sub.x layer interconnect and the second M.sub.x layer interconnect. The MOS device further includes a second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect extending in the second direction. The second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first M.sub.x layer interconnect and the second M.sub.x layer interconnect. The second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is parallel to the first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect.

An IC device includes first and second cells adjacent each other and over a substrate. The first cell includes a first IO pattern along a first track among a plurality of tracks in a first metal layer, the plurality of tracks elongated along a first axis and spaced from each other along a second axis. The second cell includes a plurality of conductive patterns along corresponding different tracks among the plurality of tracks in the first metal layer, each of the plurality of conductive patterns being an IO pattern of the second cell or a floating conductive pattern. The first metal layer further includes a first connecting pattern along the first track and connects the first IO pattern and a second IO pattern of the second cell. The second IO pattern is one of the plurality of conductive patterns of the second cell and is along the first track.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of standard cells. The plurality of standard cells include a first group of standard cells arranged in a first row extending in a row direction and a second group of standard cells arranged in a second row extending in the row direction. The first group of standard cells and the second group of standard cells are arranged in a column direction. A cell height of the first group of standard cells in the column direction is different from a cell height of the second group of standard cells in the column direction.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of standard cells. The plurality of standard cells include a first group of standard cells arranged in a first row extending in a row direction and a second group of standard cells arranged in a second row extending in the row direction. The first group of standard cells and the second group of standard cells are arranged in a column direction. A cell height of the first group of standard cells in the column direction is different from a cell height of the second group of standard cells in the column direction.

A semiconductor device having a plurality of first wirings (X-direction) which include a first power supply line and a second power supply line, a plurality of third wirings (X-direction) which include a third (fourth) power supply line that is located above the first (second) power supply line and is electrically connected to the first (second) power supply line. The semiconductor device also has a plurality of second wirings (Y-direction) that include a first (second) connection wiring located above the first (second) power supply line and below the third (fourth) power supply line that is electrically connected to the first (second) power supply line and to the third (fourth) power supply line.

An improved standard cell chip, library and/or process ensures that there is adequate spacing between TSCUT jogs and nearby gate contacts to avoid inadvertent shorts/leakages that can degrade manufacturing yield or performance.

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit structure includes placing a first set of conductive structure layout patterns on a first layout level, placing a second set of conductive structure layout patterns on a second layout level, placing a first set of via layout patterns between the second set of conductive structure layout patterns and the first set of conductive structure layout patterns, and manufacturing the integrated circuit structure based on at least one of the layout patterns of the integrated circuit. At least one of the layout patterns is stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and at least one of the placing operations is performed by a hardware processor. The first set of conductive structure layout patterns extends in a first direction. The second set of conductive structure layout patterns extends in the second direction, and overlap the first set of conductive structure layout patterns.

A multi-layer integrated circuit structure includes (among other components) a first layer having gate conductors, a second layer having M0 conductors, a third layer having M1 conductors, and a fourth layer having M2 conductors. The M0 and M2 conductors are perpendicular to the gate conductors, and parallel to each other. The M1 conductors connect the M0 conductors to the M2 conductors. The gate conductors are positioned in the first layer in the same locations in the horizontal direction. The M1 conductors are positioned in the third layer in a different location in the horizontal direction that is different from the locations of the gate conductors, so that the M1 conductors do not overlap any of the gate conductors, solving a substantial routing challenge for the input and output contacts.

A MOS device of an IC includes pMOS and nMOS transistors. The MOS device further includes a first M.sub.x layer interconnect extending in a first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together, and a second M.sub.x layer interconnect extending in the first direction and coupling the pMOS and nMOS transistor drains together. The first and second M.sub.x layer interconnects are parallel. The MOS device further includes a first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first M.sub.x layer interconnect and the second M.sub.x layer interconnect. The MOS device further includes a second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect extending in the second direction. The second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is coupled to the first M.sub.x layer interconnect and the second M.sub.x layer interconnect. The second M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect is parallel to the first M.sub.x+1 layer interconnect.