A design, device, system and process for placing slots in active regions (e.g., metal areas). Embodiments of the present invention improve the planarization of metal areas (e.g., lines) and insulators by reducing depressions (e.g., dishing) in the metal areas by including symmetric or square slots inside selected wide metal lines, by adhering to a set of placement rules. Embodiments reduce dishing in copper dual damascene structures. Embodiments reduce data processing requirements for designing and arranging the layout of IC devices and the slots.

 
Web www.patentalert.com

< Method for expanding in friendly manner the functionality of a portable electronic device and corresponding portable electronic device

< Mask cost driven logic optimization and synthesis

> Interrupt throttling for inter-processor communications

> Method and apparatus for using connection graphs with potential diagonal edges to model interconnect topologies during placement

~ 00281