Fast Direct Write E-Beam 16K Static RAM

The trend towards finer geometries and higher density circuits has made CMOS technology, with its low power dissipation and high noise margin, increasingly attractive for state-of-the-art integrated circuits. CMOS can also be a high performance technology. A 16K bit Static RAM has been designed, built and tested in a 0.5um-gate direct-write E-Beam technology to explore some of the capabilities and limitations of submicron CMOS. An additional half level of low resistance interconnect, beyond a conventional two level metal CMOS process, reduces circuit parasitics and the number of contact cuts required, in addition to increasing the circuit packing density. The scaled technology produces loaded gate delays (ring oscillator results) of 120 picoseconds and SRAM address access times of 7 to 9 nanoseconds at 3.3 volts.