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US 2026/0090359 A1Published application
BEOL Power Switch Devices
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsXin Miao, Shingo Suzuki, Saurabh P. Sinha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Integrated circuit devices with power switch circuits formed between topside BEOL (back end of line) metal layers are described. The power switch circuits include active regions and source/drains that can be formed in the spaces between topside metal layers. In certain instances, the power switch circuits are formed in between metal layers furthest away from substrate. The power switch circuits connect to control signal and power routing either above or below the transistors. In various instances, the active regions of the power switch circuits are formed by thin channel materials.
Claims20
An apparatus, comprising:
- a transistor region of an integrated circuit device, the transistor region being above a substrate in a vertical dimension perpendicular to the substrate;
- a first metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the first metal layer having power supply routing coupled to a power supply for the integrated circuit device, the power supply routing being oriented along a first direction in a horizontal dimension;
- a second metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the second metal layer having control signal routing oriented along a second direction in the horizontal dimension;
- output power routing coupled to one or more circuits in the transistor region of the integrated circuit device;
- and
- a power switch circuit positioned between the first metal layer and the second metal layer in the vertical dimension, wherein the power switch circuit includes:
- an active region;
- a gate formed over the active region;
- a source region formed over the active region;
- a drain region formed over the active region;
- a first via coupling the gate to the control signal routing;
- a second via coupling the source region to the power supply routing;
- and
- a third via coupling the drain region to the output power routing.
11 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a transistor region of an integrated circuit device, the transistor region being above a substrate in a vertical dimension perpendicular to the substrate;
- a first metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the first metal layer having power supply routing coupled to a power supply for the integrated circuit device, the power supply routing being oriented along a first direction in a horizontal dimension;
- a second metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the second metal layer having control signal routing and output power routing oriented along a second direction in the horizontal dimension, wherein the output power routing is coupled to one or more circuits in the transistor region of the integrated circuit device, and wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction;
- and
- a power switch circuit positioned between the first metal layer and the second metal layer in the vertical dimension, wherein the power switch circuit includes:
- an active region;
- a gate formed over the active region;
- a source region formed over the active region;
- a drain region formed over the active region;
- a first via coupling the gate to the control signal routing;
- a second via coupling the source region to the power supply routing;
- and
- a third via coupling the drain region to the output power routing.
10 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a transistor region of an integrated circuit device, the transistor region being above a substrate in a vertical dimension perpendicular to the substrate;
- a first metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the first metal layer having power supply routing coupled to a power supply for the integrated circuit device, the power supply routing being oriented along a first direction in a horizontal dimension;
- a second metal layer located above the transistor region in the vertical dimension, the second metal layer having control signal routing and output power routing oriented along the first direction in the horizontal dimension, wherein the output power routing is coupled to one or more circuits in the transistor region of the integrated circuit device;
- and
- a power switch circuit positioned between the first metal layer and the second metal layer in the vertical dimension, wherein the power switch circuit includes:
- an active region;
- a gate formed over the active region;
- a source region formed over the active region;
- a drain region formed over the active region;
- a first via coupling the gate to the control signal routing;
- a second via coupling the source region to the power supply routing;
- and
- a third via coupling the drain region to the output power routing.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.