Glossary

45 degree rule: A rule designed to ensure that bond wires do not short to any other signals. The angle the bond wire makes with the edge of the integrated circuit should not be greater than 45 degrees.

active (diffusion): A region of an integrated circuit where the thick field oxide has been thinned to allow the creation of semiconductor devices.
active device: A semiconductor device whose electrical response can be tailored to specific characteristics, typically transistors and diodes.
active die size: The size of a chip excluding any protective buffers, margins, or scribe channels.
alternating current (AC): Current that reverses direction in a circuit at a regular rate.
alternating waveform: The cyclic voltage waveform that swings both positively and negatively.
amperes (amps): Unit of measure for current in the meter-kilogram-second system.
analog: From the word analogous, meaning representation. The signal remains unchanged, not digitized, as it passes through a circuit.
AND: Logic function defined as one that requires all inputs to be at a logic one in order for the output to be at a logic one. If any input is not at logic one, the function returns a logic zero.
anneal: Process of heating a wafer during semiconductor fabrication to repair the crystal lattice. This helps all atoms loosen and settle with each other, forming a more consistent structure. Byproducts can be a new oxide layer and diffused areas of previously concentrated material.
antenna effect: The phenomenon of charge buildup on polysilicon gates during...

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IC Mask Design: Essential Layout Techniques