Integrated circuit with multiple layers of circuits
AssigneeArm Limited
InventorsKrisztian Flautner, Robert Campbell Aitken, Stephen John Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit 78 is formed of multiple layers of circuits 14, 16 superimposed to produce stacks of circuit blocks 2, 4. Stack control circuitry 18, 20 is associated with the input and output signals from the circuit blocks to direct these to/from the currently active circuit block(s) as appropriate. The superimposed circuit blocks 2, 4 provide redundancy for each other, both for manufacturing defect resistance and for operational redundancy, such as providing multiple modular redundancy in safety critical environments.
Claims25
An integrated circuit having a major plane, said integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of layers of circuits, said plurality of layers of circuits sharing a corresponding layout of a plurality circuit blocks over at least a portion of said layer, said plurality of layers being superimposed such that over said portions are formed a plurality of stacks of circuit blocks extending perpendicular to said major plane;
- wherein
- each of said plurality of stacks is coupled to stack control circuitry configured to receive one or more input signals to said stack, to supply said one or more input signals to one or more active circuit blocks within said stack, to receive output signals of said one or more active circuit blocks and to form one or more output signals of said stack.
An integrated circuit having a major plane, said integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of layers of circuits, said plurality of layers of circuits sharing a corresponding layout of a plurality circuit block means over at least a portion of said layer, said plurality of layers being superimposed such that over said portions are formed a plurality of stacks of circuit block means extending perpendicular to said major plane;
- wherein
- each of said plurality of stacks is coupled to stack control circuit means for receiving one or more input signals to said stack, supplying said one or more input signals to one or more active circuit blocks within said stack, receiving output signals of said one or more active circuit blocks and forming one or more output signals of said stack.
A method of forming an integrated circuit having a major plane, said method comprising the steps of:
- superimposing a plurality of layers of circuits, said plurality of layers of circuits sharing a corresponding layout of a plurality circuit blocks over at least a portion of said layer, such that over said portions are formed a plurality of stacks of circuit blocks extending perpendicular to said major plane;
- and
- providing stack control circuit coupled to said stack to receive one or more input signals to said stack, to supply said one or more input signals to one or more active circuit blocks within said stack, to receive output signals of said one or more active circuit blocks and to form one or more output signals of said stack.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.