# US 10,374,625 B2 · Capacitor layout of digital-to-analog conversion integrated circuit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,625 B2 - Document ID: US10374625B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/855,149 - Filed: 2017-12-27 - Published: 2018-11-22 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-19 - Assignees: Realtek Semiconductor Corp. - Applicants: Realtek Semiconductor Corporation - Inventors: Shih-Hsiung Huang; Sheng-Hsiung Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374625B2 ## CPC - H03M 1/802: {using capacitors, e.g. neuron-mos transistors, charge coupled devices} - H03M 1/68: with conversions of different sensitivity, i.e. one conversion relating to the more significant digital bits and another conversion to the less significant bits - H03M 1/468: {in which the input S/H circuit is merged with the feedback DAC array} - H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C) ## Abstract The present invention discloses a capacitor layout of a digital-to-analog conversion integrated circuit (DAC IC), comprising a first capacitor group, a second capacitor group and a third capacitor group. The first capacitor group, located within an interior layout area of the capacitor layout, determines a most significant bit (MSB) of the DAC IC and includes a plurality of capacitor units coupled between a first upper circuit and a first lower circuit. The second capacitor group, located within the interior layout area, determines a non-MSB bit of the DAC IC and includes at least one capacitor unit(s) coupled between a second upper circuit and a second lower circuit. The third capacitor group includes a plurality of capacitor units coupled between a third upper circuit and a third lower circuit which are not short-circuited; the capacitor units of the third capacitor group are disposed around the interior layout area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A capacitor layout of a digital-to-analog conversion integrated circuit (DAC IC), the capacitor layout of the DAC IC comprising: a plurality of capacitor groups including: a first capacitor group being dominant in determining a first bit of the DAC IC, the first capacitor group including M first capacitance units that are coupled between a first upper circuit and a first lower circuit and located within an interior layout area of the capacitor layout of the DAC IC, in which the M is an integer greater than one; a second capacitor group for determining a second bit of the DAC IC, the second capacitor group including N second capacitance unit(s) that are coupled between a second upper circuit and a second lower circuit and located within the interior layout area, in which the N is a positive integer; and a third capacitor group including X third capacitance units that are coupled between a third upper circuit and a third lower circuit, in which the third upper circuit and the third lower circuit are not short-circuited, the X third capacitance units are located outside the interior layout area and disposed next a plurality of sides of the interior layout area, and the X is an integer greater than one, wherein the first bit is a most significant bit of the DAC IC, a number of capacitance units of the third capacitor group is not less than a number of capacitance units of the first capacitor group, and a capacitance of the third capacitor group is less than a capacitance of the first capacitor group. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the first upper circuit, the second upper circuit and the third upper circuit are configured to receive an alternating current input signal; the first lower circuit is configured to supply a first reference voltage, the second lower circuit is configured to supply a second reference voltage, and the third lower circuit is configured to supply a third reference voltage; the first capacitor group is coupled to the first lower circuit through at least one first switch(es) according to a first switching algorithm; and the second capacitor group is coupled to the second lower circuit through at least one second switch(es) according to the first switching algorithm or a second switching algorithm. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 2, wherein the first switching algorithm is a fully differential switching algorithm, and the second switching algorithm is a set-and-down switching algorithm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the first upper circuit, the second upper circuit and the third upper circuit are configured to receive an alternating current input signal; the first capacitor group is coupled to the first lower circuit through at least one first switch(es); the second capacitor group is coupled to the second lower circuit through at least one second switch(es); and the third capacitor group is directly coupled to the third lower circuit through no switch. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the number of the capacitance units of the third capacitor group is more than the number of the capacitance units of the first capacitor group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the X third capacitance units are disposed on at least two sides of the interior layout area. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the third capacitor group is disposed around the interior layout area. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, further comprising dummy capacitors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a capacitance value of the first capacitor group to a capacitance value of the second capacitor group is 2Y, in which the Y is a positive integer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 1, wherein the first lower circuit and the second lower circuit include a low voltage supply terminal, the third lower circuit includes a voltage terminal, and the low voltage supply terminal is different from the voltage terminal. ### Claim 11 A capacitor layout of a digital-to-analog conversion integrated circuit (DAC IC), the capacitor layout of the DAC IC comprising: a plurality of capacitor groups including: a first capacitor group being dominant in determining a first bit of the DAC IC, in which the first capacitor group is coupled between a first upper circuit and a first lower circuit and located within an interior layout area of the capacitor layout of the DAC IC; a second capacitor group for determining a second bit of the DAC IC, in which the second capacitor group is coupled between a second upper circuit and a second lower circuit and located within the interior layout area; and a third capacitor group coupled between a third upper circuit and a third lower circuit, in which the third upper circuit and the third lower circuit are not short-circuited, and the third capacitor group is located outside the interior layout area and disposed next a plurality of sides of the interior layout area, wherein the first lower circuit and the second lower circuit include a low voltage supply terminal, the third lower circuit includes a voltage terminal, and the low voltage supply terminal is different from the voltage terminal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, wherein the first upper circuit, the second upper circuit and the third upper circuit are configured to receive an alternating current input signal; the first lower circuit is configured to supply a first reference voltage, the second lower circuit is configured to supply a second reference voltage, and the third lower circuit is configured to supply a third reference voltage; the first capacitor group is coupled to the first lower circuit through at least one first switch(es) according to a first switching algorithm; and the second capacitor group is coupled to the second lower circuit through at least one second switch(es) according to a second switching algorithm. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 12, wherein the first switching algorithm is a fully differential switching algorithm, and the second switching algorithm is a set-and-down switching algorithm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, wherein the first upper circuit, the second upper circuit and the third upper circuit are configured to receive an alternating current input signal; the first capacitor group is coupled to the first lower circuit through at least one first switch(es); the second capacitor group is coupled to the second lower circuit through at least one second switch(es); and the third capacitor group is directly coupled to the third lower circuit through no switch. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, wherein the third capacitor group is disposed on at least two sides of the interior layout area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, wherein the third capacitor group is disposed around the interior layout area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, further comprising dummy capacitors. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 11, wherein the first bit is a most significant bit of the DAC IC, a number of capacitance units of the third capacitor group is not less than a number of capacitance units of the first capacitor group, and a capacitance of the third capacitor group is less than a capacitance of the first capacitor group. ### Claim 19 A capacitor layout of a digital-to-analog conversion integrated circuit (DAC IC), the capacitor layout of the DAC IC comprising: a plurality of capacitor groups including: a first capacitor group being dominant in determining a first bit of the DAC IC, in which the first capacitor group is coupled between a first upper circuit and a first lower circuit and located within an interior layout area of the capacitor layout of the DAC IC; a second capacitor group for determining a second bit of the DAC IC, in which the second capacitor group is coupled between a second upper circuit and a second lower circuit and located within the interior layout area; and a third capacitor group coupled between a third upper circuit and a third lower circuit, in which the third upper circuit and the third lower circuit are not short-circuited, and the third capacitor group is located outside the interior layout area and disposed next a plurality of sides of the interior layout area; and dummy capacitors. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The capacitor layout of the DAC IC of claim 19, wherein the first bit is a most significant bit of the DAC IC, a number of capacitor units of the third capacitor group is not less than a number of capacitor units of the first capacitor group, and a capacitance of the third capacitor group is less or greater than a capacitance of the first capacitor group.