Guard mesh for noise isolation in highly integrated circuits
AssigneeBroadcom Corporation
InventorsPing Wu, Chinpo Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A methodology of creating integrated circuits with improved noise isolation is presented. The circuitry of an integrated circuits is separated into noise generating circuit blocks and noise sensitive circuit blocks. N-type and P-type diffusion guard rings are placed around each of the circuit blocks. Substantially overlying the N-type and P-type diffusion guard rings are power supply meshes which are intimately in contract with the guard rings below through spaced apart vias. The power supply meshes not only supply power for the circuit blocks, but also reverse-bias the diffusion guard rings for improved noise isolation.
Claims9
A method of designing an integrated circuit for manufacture at and on a semiconductor substrate die surface, said method comprising
- partitioning and placing circuitry of said integrated circuit according to noise characteristics of said circuitry from a netlist of said integrated circuit;
- further partitioning said circuitry into circuit blocks sharing power supplies, said circuit blocks having first and opposite conductivity type diffusion guard band meshes disposed therearound, and defining metal power supply meshes for said circuit blocks to substantially overlie said first conductivity type diffusion guard band meshes and said opposite conductivity type diffusion guard band meshes for intimate electrical contact with and along said first conductivity type and opposite conductivity type diffusion guard band meshes;
- testing said partitioned circuitry against predetermined criteria;
- and
- repeating said partitioning step and said further partitioning and defining step selectively responsive to failure of said partitioned circuitry against said predetermined criteria until said partitioned circuitry passes said predetermined criteria.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.