A 7-track standard cell library having a layout architecture that is designed
for
fabrication technologies having design rules of 0.12 microns or smaller. The cells
are laid out using a routing grid having horizontal and vertical grid spacings
of 0.4 microns, such that the height of each 7-track standard cell is 2.8 microns
(i.e., seven track spacings based on a horizontal grid spacing of 0.4 microns).
Power rails are implemented using M1 structures. The seven-track cell height is
divided into four tracks on the P-side and three tracks on the N-side. Complex
cells include one internal connection line (structure) formed using the third metal
layer (M3) that is introduced in a predetermined track (e.g., the second track
from the top of the cell) to facilitate the seven-track layout.