Integrated circuit decoupling capacitors
AssigneeAltera Corporation
InventorsIrfan Rahim, William Bradley Vest, Myron Wai Wong
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Power supply decoupling capacitors are provided for integrated circuits. The decoupling capacitors may be distributed in clusters amongst powered circuit components. Each cluster may contain a number of individual capacitor cells that are connected in parallel. Each capacitor cell may contain a capacitor and a resistor connected in series with the capacitor. The capacitors may be metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. The resistor in each cell may limit the current through an individual capacitor in the event of a short in the capacitor due to a dielectric defect.
Claims20
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of power supply decoupling capacitors distributed in clusters on the integrated circuit.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of distributed clusters of power supply decoupling capacitor cells, wherein the capacitor cells in each cluster are connected in parallel, and wherein each capacitor cell comprises:
- a capacitor;
- and
- a resistor connected in series with the capacitor.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- at least one power supply that supplies power across first and second power supply lines;
- a plurality of distributed power supply capacitor cell clusters, each capacitor cell cluster being coupled across the first and second power supply lines, wherein each capacitor cell cluster comprises a plurality of capacitor cells connected in parallel, and wherein each capacitor cell comprises:
- a capacitor;
- and
- a resistor connected in series with the capacitor, wherein the resistor is formed from a source-drain implant region in a semiconductor substrate of the integrated circuit.
A method of reducing power supply noise on an integrated circuit, the method comprising:
- distributing decoupling capacitor cells in clusters of capacitor cells on the integrated circuit, wherein each capacitor cell comprises a capacitor and a resistor connected in series with the capacitor and wherein the resistor in a given cell limits current though that capacitor cell in the event of a short in the capacitor of that cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.