Flip-flop cell
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShao-Yu Steve Wang, Chien-Te Wu, Shang-Chih Hsieh, Nick Tsai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of circuit elements in or on the substrate. The circuit elements are defined by standard layout cells selected from a cell library. The circuit elements including a plurality of flip-flops. Each flip-flop has a data input terminal, a data output terminal, a clock input terminal, and a clock output terminal. A first one of the flip-flops directly abuts a second flip-flop such that the clock output terminal of the first flip-flop electrically connects with the clock input terminal of the second flip-flop.
Claims20
A flip-flop structure defined as a standard cell stored in a cell library, the flip-flop structure comprising:
- a substrate defining an outer periphery comprising a first border, a second border, a third border, and a fourth border, wherein the first border is opposite and parallel to the second border, wherein the third border being opposite and parallel to the fourth border, and wherein each of the third border and the fourth border are perpendicular to each of the first border and the second border;
- a first clock input terminal positioned so as to extend to the first border;
- a second clock input terminal positioned so as to extend to the third border;
- a first clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to the second border;
- and
- a second clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to the fourth border.
A circuit comprising:
- a first flip-flop comprising:
- a first clock input terminal positioned so as to extend to a first border of the first flip-flop;
- a first clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to a second border of the first flip-flop, wherein the second border of the first flip-flop is parallel and opposite to the first border of the first flip-flop;
- and
- a second clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to a third border, and wherein the third border of the first flip-flop is perpendicular to each of the first border of the first flip-flop and the second border of the first flip-flop;
- and
- a second flip-flop comprising:
- a second clock input terminal positioned so as to extend to a first border of the second flip-flop, wherein the first border of the second flip-flop abuts the second border of the first flip-flop, and wherein the second clock input terminal is connected to the first clock output terminal;
- and
- a second clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to a second border of the second flip-flop, wherein the second border of the second flip-flop is parallel and opposite to the first border of the second flip-flop.
A method comprising:
- providing a first flip-flop comprising a first clock input terminal, a first clock output terminal, and a second clock output terminal, the first clock input terminal positioned so as to extend to a first border of the first flip-flop, the first clock output terminal positioned so as to extend to a second border of the first flip-flop, and the second clock output terminal to extend to a third border of the first flip-flop, wherein the first border of the first flip-flop is parallel and opposite the second border of the first flip-flop, and wherein the third border of the first flip-flop is perpendicular to each of the first border of the first flip-flop and the second border of the first flip-flop;
- and
- connecting a second flip-flop to the first flip-flop, wherein connecting the second flip-flop to the first flip-flop comprises:
- positioning the second flip-flop abutting the first flip-flop such that a first border of the second flip-flop abuts the second border of the first flip-flop, and
- connecting the first clock output terminal of the first flip-flop with a clock input terminal of the second flip-flop.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.