Lecture:

Circuits &
Layout
 Outline
 CMOS Gate Design
 Pass Transistors
 CMOS Latches & Flip-Flops
 Standard Cell Layouts
 Stick Diagrams

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 2

 CMOS Gate Design
 Activity:
– Sketch a 4-input CMOS NOR gate

A
B
C
D
Y

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 3

 CMOS Circuit Styles
 Static complementary CMOS - except during switching,
output connected to either VDD or GND via a low-
resistance path
high noise margins
- full rail to rail swing
- VOH and VOL are at VDD and GND, respectively
low output impedance, high input impedance
no steady state path between VDD and GND (no static power
consumption)
delay a function of load capacitance and transistor resistance
comparable rise and fall times (under the appropriate transistor
sizing conditions)

 Dynamic CMOS - relies on temporary storage of signal

values on the capacitance of high-impedance circuit
nodes
simpler, faster gates
increased sensitivity to noise
CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.4 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003
 Complementary CMOS
 Complementary CMOS logic gates
– nMOS pull-down network pMOS
pull-up
– pMOS pull-up network network
inputs
– a.k.a. static CMOS output

nMOS
pull-down
network
Pull-up OFF Pull-up ON
Pull-down OFF Z (float) 1

Pull-down ON 0 X (crowbar)

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 5

 Static Complementary CMOS
 Pull-up network (PUN) and pull-down network (PDN)

VDD
PMOS transistors only
In1
pull-up: make a connection from VDD to F
In2 PUN
when F(In1,In2,…InN) = 1
InN
F(In1,In2,…InN)
In1
pull-down: make a connection from F to
In2 PDN
GND when F(In1,In2,…InN) = 0
InN
NMOS transistors only

PUN and PDN are dual logic networks

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.6 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Threshold Drops

VDD VDD
PUN

VDD

0 0

CL CL

PDN VDD  VDD 

CL CL
VDD

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.7 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Threshold Drops

VDD VDD
PUN
S D
VDD

D 0  VDD S 0  VDD - VTn

VGS
CL CL

PDN VDD  0 VDD  |VTp|

VGS
D CL S CL
VDD

S D

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.8 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Construction of PDN
 NMOS devices in series implement a NAND function

A•B
A

 NMOS devices in parallel implement a NOR function

A+B
A B

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.9 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Dual PUN and PDN
 PUN and PDN are dual networks
DeMorgan’s theorems

A+B=A•B [!(A + B) = !A • !B or !(A | B) = !A & !B]

A•B=A+B [!(A • B) = !A + !B or !(A & B) = !A | !B]

a parallel connection of transistors in the PUN corresponds to a

series connection of the PDN

 Complementary gate is naturally inverting (NAND,

NOR, AOI, OAI)
 Number of transistors for an N-input logic gate is 2N

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.10 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Series and Parallel
a a a a
 nMOS: 1 = ON g1
a
0 0 1 1

g2
 pMOS: 0 = ON b
0
b
1
b
0
b
1
b
(a) OFF OFF OFF ON

 Series: both must be ON a a a a a

 Parallel: either can be ON g1

g2
0

0
0

1
1

0
1

1
b b b b b
(b) ON OFF OFF OFF

a a a a a

g1 g2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
b b b b b

(c) OFF ON ON ON

a a a a a

g1 g2 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1
b b b b b

(d) ON ON ON OFF

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 11

Conduction Complement
 Complementary CMOS gates always produce 0 or 1
 Ex: NAND gate
– Series nMOS: Y=0 when both inputs are 1
– Thus Y=1 when either input is 0
– Requires parallel pMOS Y
A
B
 Rule of Conduction Complements
– Pull-up network is complement of pull-down
– Parallel -> series, series -> parallel

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 12

 Static CMOS Circuits
N and P channel networks implement logic functions
– Each network Connected between Output and VDD or VSS

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 13

 CMOS NAND

A B F
0 0 1
A B
0 1 1
1 0 1
A•B
1 1 0
A

A
B

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.14 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 CMOS NOR

A B F
B
0 0 1
A 0 1 0
1 0 0
A+B
1 1 0
A B

A
B

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.15 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Compound Gates
 Compound gates can do any inverting function
 Ex:
A C A C
B D B D
(a) (b)

C D
A B C D
A B
(c)
(d)

C D
A
A B
B
Y Y
C
A C
D
B D
(f)

(e)

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 16

 Layout of Complex Gate

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 17

 Example: O3AI


A
B
C D
Y
D
A B C

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 18

 Practice 1
 OUT = D + A • (B + C)
B
A
C

A
D
B C

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 19

 Complex CMOS Gate

B
A
C

D
OUT = !(D + A • (B + C))
A
D
B C

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.20 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Practice 1
OUT = D + A • (B + C) VDD VDD

C
SN1 F SN4 A
F
SN2 B
A A
D D SN3

B C B C D

(a) pull-down network (b) Deriving the pull-up network A

hierarchically by identifying
D
sub-nets
B C

(c) complete gate

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 21

 Standard Cell Layout Methodology

Routing
channel
VDD

signals

GND

What logic function is this?

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.22 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Practice 2


1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 23

Duality is not Necessary

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 24

 Signal Strength
 Strength of signal
– How close it approximates ideal voltage source
 VDD and GND rails are strongest 1 and 0
 nMOS pass strong 0
– But degraded or weak 1
 pMOS pass strong 1
– But degraded or weak 0
 Thus nMOS are best for pull-down network

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 25

 Gate Layout
 Layout can be very time consuming
– Design gates to fit together nicely
– Build a library of standard cells
 Standard cell design methodology
– VDD and GND should abut (standard height)
– Adjacent gates should satisfy design rules
– nMOS at bottom and pMOS at top
– All gates include well and substrate contacts

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 26

 Example: Inverter

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 27

 Example: NAND3
 Horizontal N-diffusion and p-diffusion strips
 Vertical polysilicon gates
 Metal1 VDD rail at top
 Metal1 GND rail at bottom
 32 l by 40 l

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 28

 Stick Diagrams
 Stick diagrams help plan layout quickly
– Need not be to scale
– Draw with color pencils or dry-erase markers
VDD VDD
A A B C
metal1
c poly
ndiff
pdiff
Y
Y contact

GND GND
INV NAND3

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 29

 Wiring Tracks
 A wiring track is the space required for a wire
– 4 l width, 4 l spacing from neighbor = 8 l pitch
 Transistors also consume one wiring track

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 30

 Well spacing
 Wells must surround transistors by 6 l
– Implies 12 l between opposite transistor flavors
– Leaves room for one wire track

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 31

 Area Estimation
 Estimate area by counting wiring tracks
– Multiply by 8 to express in l

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1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 32

 Example: O3AI
 Sketch a stick diagram for O3AI and estimate area
–

1: Circuits & Layout CMOS VLSI Design 4th Ed. 33

 Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

 Objectives:
• To know what is meant by stick diagram.
• To understand the capabilities and limitations of stick
diagram.
• To learn how to draw stick diagrams for a given MOS
circuit.

 Outcome:
• At the end of this module the students will be able
draw the stick diagram for simple MOS circuits.

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

N+ N+

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

VDD
VDD
X

X
x Stick x x
x Diagram X

Gnd Gnd

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

Stick Diagrams

VDD
VDD
X

X
x x x
x X

Gnd Gnd

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 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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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 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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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 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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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 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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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 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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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

How to draw Stick Diagrams

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams

Power

A Out

Ground

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S.N.Bhat, Faculty, Dept. of E&C Engineering, M.I.T Manipal
 Stick Diagrams
Contains no dimensions
Represents relative positions of transistors

VDD VDD

Inverter
NAND2

Out Out

In A B
GND GND

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 Stick Diagram Drawing : CMOS

Steps
1) Implement the expression in CMOS Logic
2) Find all Euler paths that cover the graph
3) Find n and p Euler paths that have same
labeling
4) Draw Stick diagram for optimization of
diffusion areas

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 Stick Diagrams

Logic Graph
A
j C X
B
C
X = C • (A + B)
X i VDD
C
i
B j A
A B

A
B A B C
C
PUN: Pull-up Network, PDN: Pull-down Network
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 Two Versions of C • (A + B)
A C B A B C

VDD VDD

X X

GND GND

Two Strips Line of Diffusions One Strip Line of Diffusions

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 Two Stick Layouts of !(C • (A + B))

crossover requiring vias

A C B A B C

VDD VDD

X X

GND GND

uninterrupted diffusion strip

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.53 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 Consistent Euler Path
 An uninterrupted diffusion strip is possible only if there
exists a Euler path in the logic graph
Euler path: a path through all nodes in the graph such that
each edge is visited once and only once.
X

X i VDD

B j A

GND A B C

 For a single poly strip for every input signal, the Euler
paths in the PUN and PDN must be consistent (the same)
CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.54 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003
 OAI22 Logic Graph

X PUN
A C

B D D C

X VDD
X = ((A+B)•(C+D))

C D
B A

A B PDN
A GND
B
C
D

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.55 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

 OAI22 Layout

A B D C

VDD

GND

 Some functions have no consistent Euler path like

x = !(a + bc + de) (but x = !(bc + a + de) does!)

CSE477 L06 Static CMOS Logic.56 Irwin&Vijay, PSU, 2003

Example: x = AB + CD
VDD
Euler paths {A B C D }
D C

A B

X = AB + CD
C B
VDD
D A
X
GND GND
A B C D
Stick diagram for ordering { A B C D } 57
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Example: x = ab+cd
x x

b c b c

x VDD x VD D

a d a d

GND GND

(a) Logic graphs for (ab+cd) (b) Euler Paths {a b c d}

VD D

Euler Paths x
For both PUD
GND
and PDN
a b c d
(c) stick diagram for ordering {a b c d}
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 Layout of Complex Gate

1: Circuits & Layout

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CMOS Gate1

OUT = (D+E).A+B C

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 Minimize area-Eulers path

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 Euler graph APPROACH

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 63
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 Stick Diagram using Euler Graph Method

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Stick Diagram Optimum Gate Ordering ALL IN ONE
 Find a Euler path in both the pull-down tree
graph and the pull-up tree graph with
identical ordering of the inputs.
 Euler path: traverses each branch of the
graph exactly once!
 By reordering the input gates as E-D-A-B-C,
we can obtain an optimum layout of the
given CMOS gate with single actives for both
NMOS and PMOS devices (below).

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Stick diagram

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 Example: 1. Draw Logic Graph

 Identify each transistor

by a unique name of its
gate signal (A, B, C, D,
E in the example of
Figure 1).
 Identify each
connection to the
transistor by a unique
name (1,2,3,4 in the
example of Figure 1).

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 Example: 2. Define Euler Path
 Euler paths are defined
by a path the traverses
each node in the path,
such that each edge is
visited only once.
 The path is defined by
the order of each
transistor name. If the
path traverses
transistor A then B then
C. Then the path name
is {A, B, C}
 The Euler path of the
Pull up network must be
the same as the path of
the Pull down network.
 Euler paths are not
necessarily unique.
 It may be necessary to
redefine the function to
find a Euler path.
F = E + (CD) + (AB) =
(AB) +E + (CD)
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 Example: 3. Connection label layout

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Example: 4. VDD, VSS and Output Labels

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 Example: 5. Interconnected

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 1) Z=ABCD
2) Z=A+B+C+D DRAW THE
3) Z=ABC+D STICK
DIAGRAMS
4) Z=(AB+C) D
5) Z=(A+B+C)D
6) Z=A(B+C)+DE

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