Integrated circuit having at least one functional circuit block operating in multi-source power domain and related system with power management
AssigneeMediatek Inc.
InventorsYou-Ming Tsao, Kin Lam Tong, Chun-Fang Peng
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit has a semiconductor layer, at least one metal layer, a plurality of functional circuit blocks formed on the semiconductor layer, and a power mesh formed on the at least one metal layer. The power mesh has a specific area corresponding to a specific functional circuit block of the functional circuit blocks. The specific area at least has a first power trunk of a first power source and a second power trunk of a second power source distributed therein.
Claims22
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- a semiconductor layer;
- at least one metal layer;
- a plurality of functional circuit blocks, formed on the semiconductor layer;
- and
- a power mesh, formed on the at least one metal layer, wherein the power mesh has a specific area corresponding to a specific functional circuit block of the functional circuit blocks, the specific area at least has a first power trunk of a first power source and a second power trunk of a second power source distributed therein.
The integrated circuit of claim. 2, wherein the first power-domain block includes at least one always-on block with no power switch.
The integrated circuit of claim. 2, wherein the first power-domain block includes at least one power-switchable block with a power switch.
The integrated circuit of claim. 2, wherein the first power-domain block includes a source end being a power-switchable block and a destination end being an always-on block or a power-switchable block;
- and the integrated circuit further comprises an isolation cell formed on the semiconductor layer and electrically cascaded to an output port of the source end.
The integrated circuit of claim. 2, wherein the first power-domain block includes a source end being an always-on block, the second power-domain block includes a destination end being an always-on block or a power-switchable block, and the integrated circuit further comprises an enable level shifter formed on the semiconductor layer and electrically cascaded to an input port of the destination end.
The integrated circuit of claim. 2, wherein the first power-domain block includes a source end being a power-switchable block, the second power-domain block includes a destination end being an always-on block or a power-switchable block, the integrated circuit further comprises an enable level shifter and an isolation cell formed on the semiconductor layer, the isolation cell is electrically cascaded to an output port of the source end, and the enable level shifter is electrically cascaded to an input port of the destination end.
A system with power management, comprising:
- a first integrated circuit, comprising at least a first power source and a second power source;
- and
- a second integrated circuit, externally coupled to the first integrated circuit, the second integrated circuit comprising at least one functional circuit block, wherein the functional circuit block has at least one first power-domain block powered by the first power source and at least one second power-domain block powered by the second power source;
- wherein the first integrated circuit enables both of the first power source and the second power source when the second integrated circuit is in a normal mode, and disables the first power source and enables the second power source when the second integrated circuit is in a suspend mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.