Patent ID: 8258548

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a number of N-diffusion and a number of P-diffusion defined in a region of the semiconductor device, the number of N-diffusion arranged relative to the number of P-diffusion such that an inner non-diffusion region exists between the number of N-diffusion collectively and the number of P-diffusion collectively; at least six linear shapes extending along a first direction in a gate layer region of the region of the semiconductor device such that each of the at least six linear shapes has its lengthwise centerline extending in the first direction, the at least six linear shapes spaced apart from each other in accordance with an integer multiple of a first pitch as measured in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction between lengthwise centerlines of the at least six linear shapes, wherein each linear shape within the gate layer region is spaced apart from at least one other linear shape by a lengthwise centerline-to-lengthwise centerline spacing as measured in the second direction that is substantially equal to the first pitch, and wherein all linear shapes within the gate layer region are within 1930 nanometers of each other, and wherein some of the at least six linear shapes are gate defining shapes, and some of the gate defining shapes forming P-transistors with respective ones of the number of P-diffusion, and some of the gate defining shapes forming N-transistors with respective ones of the number of N-diffusion, wherein the P-transistors and N-transistors define a set of at least eight transistors in the region of the semiconductor device, including, (a) a first N-transistor, a second N-transistor, a third N-transistor, and a fourth N-transistor, (b) a first P-transistor, a second P-transistor, a third P-transistor, and a fourth P-transistor, such that, (i) the first N and P transistors aligned along the first direction and electrically connected to each other through their gate defining shapes, (ii) the second N and P transistors aligned along the first direction and their gate defining shapes having extensions not electrically connected to each other, (iii) the third N and P transistors aligned along the first direction and their gate defining shapes having extensions not electrically connected to each other, and (iv) the fourth N and P transistors aligned along the first direction and electrically connected to each other through their gate defining shapes; a first contact contacting the gate defining shape of the second N transistor; a second contact contacting the gate defining shape of the second P transistor; a third contact contacting the gate defining shape of the third N transistor; and a fourth contact contacting the gate defining shape of the third P transistor, wherein only one of the first and third contacts and only one of the second and fourth contacts are positioned above and over the inner non-diffusion region.