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US 4,731,643 AGranted
Logic-circuit layout for large-scale integrated circuits
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsBradford Dunham, Joseph M. Fitzgerald, Robert R. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A VLSI chip has multiple annular rings of circuit cells, interspersed with annular wiring channels for interconnecting the cells. Another wiring layer runs perpendicular to the rings. A central chip area contains all the I/O connections for the chip.
Claims15
An integrated-circuit chip, comprising:
- a substrate having a central point substantially in the center of the area of said chip;
- multiple circuit rings disposed substantially concentrically about said central point and substantially conforming to the overall outline of said chip, each of said rings including multiple circuit cells;
- multiple wiring bays disposed substantially cocnetrically about said central point and interspersed with said circuit rings, each of said bays including multiple interconnections between said circuit cells;
- multiple input/output connections located within a central area substantially inside said rings, said connections comprising substantially all the external connections of said chip,
- said wiring bays being formed in a first conductive layer on said chip and substantially all of said interconnections running parallel to the direction of said bays.
2 more elements
An integrated-circuit chip, comprising:
- a substrate having a central point substantially in the center of the area of said chip;
- multiple circuit rings disposed substantially concentrically about said central point and substantially conforming to the overall outline of said chip, each of said rings including multiple circuit cells;
- multiple wiring bays disposed substantially concentrically about said central point and interspersed with said circuit rings, each of said bays including multiple interconnections between said circuit cells;
- multiple input/output connections located with a central area substantially inside said rings, said connections comprising substantially all the external connections of said chip,
- said chip further comprising:
- a pair of substantially ring-shaped central power busses in said central area and coupled to some of said input/output connections;
- and
- multiple radial power busses connected to said central power busses and to said circuit rings.
5 more elements
A rectangular integrated-circuit chip, comprising:
- a rectangular substrate having a central point substantially in the center of said chip;
- multiple closed-loop rectangular circuit rings disposed substantially concentrically about said central point and and substantially conforming to the overall outline of said chip, each of said rings including multiple circuit cells;
- multiple wiring bays disposed substantially concentrially about said central point and interspersed with said circuit rings, each of said bays including multiple interconnections among said circuit cells;
- and
- multiple input/output connections located within a central area substantially inside said rings.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.