US Patent 10503863 Integrated circuit and method of manufacturing same

A method of forming an integrated circuit includes generating, by a processor, a layout design of the integrated circuit based on a set of design rules and manufacturing the integrated circuit based on the layout design. The integrated circuit has a first gate. Generating the layout design includes generating a set of gate layout patterns, generating a cut feature layout pattern and generating a first via layout pattern. The cut feature layout pattern extends in a first direction, is located on the first layout level and overlaps at least a first gate layout pattern. The set of gate layout patterns extends in a second direction and is located on a first layout level. The first via layout pattern is over the first gate layout pattern, and is separated in the second direction from the cut feature layout pattern by a first distance. The first distance satisfies a first design rule.