Antenna Violations [checks after routing]

[milan.dalwadi]

Hello all,

What is antenna violation effect ? How to solve antenna violations?

Thanks-

 

[Prashanthanilm]

During the process of plasma etching, charges accumulate along the metal strips. The longer the strips are, the more charges are accumulated. IF a small transistor gate connected to these long metal strips, the gate oxide can be destroyed (large electric field over a very thin electric) , This is called as Antenna violation.

The ways to prevent is , by making jogging the metal line, which is atleast one metal above the layer to be protected. If we want to remove antenna violation in metal2 then need to jog it in metal3 not in metal1. The reason being while we are etching metal2, metal3 layer is not laid out. So the two pieces of metal2 got disconnected. Only the piece of metal connected to gate have charge to gate. When we laydown metal3, the remaining portion of metal got charge added to metal3. This is called accumulative antenna effect.

Another way of preventing is adding reverse Diodes at the gates. This diode is called antenna diode.