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US 8,575,761 B2Granted
Segmented supply rail configuration for a digital integrated circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorRemy Chevallier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An array of functional cells includes a subset of cells powered by at least one supply rail. That supply rail is formed of first segments located on a first metallization level and second segments located on a second metallization level with at least one conductor element extending between the first and second segments to electrically connect successive segments of the supply rail.
Claims20
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- an array of functional cells including a subset of functional cells powered by at least one supply rail to which each functional cell of the subset is connected, wherein said supply rail comprises:
- a first rail segment extending on a first metallization level in a first direction;
- a second rail segment extending on a second metallization level also in the first direction and aligned with the first rail segment;
- a third rail segment extending on the first metallization level also in the first direction and aligned with the first and second rail segments and further separated on the first metallization level from said first rail segment;
- a fourth rail segment extending on the second metallization level also in the first direction and aligned with the first through third rail segments and further separated on the second metallization level from said second rail segment, and
- conductor elements which extend between said first and second metallization levels and connect two successive ones of said first through fourth segments extending in the first direction, and
- wherein at least one of the first through fourth segments has a length which does not extend outside a boundary of a single functional cell.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- functional circuitry;
- a power supply line configured to supply power to said functional circuitry, said power supply line formed in a plurality of metallization levels above said functional circuitry;
- wherein said power supply line includes:
- first and second segments extending in a first metallization level and aligned with each other in a first direction but separated from each other in that first metallization level;
- and
- third and fourth segments extending in a second metallization level and aligned with each other in the first direction but separated from each other in that second metallization level;
- wherein ends of the first and second segments overlap ends of the third and fourth segments;
- and
- vertical conductors interconnecting the overlapping ends of the segments.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.