Abstract: Disclosed is a flipchip scheme where power and ground bumps are arranged in a striped configuration. Specifically, there are a plurality of lines of power bumps, and a plurality of lines of ground bumps. Each line of power bumps is interconnected by a mesh core power bus, and each line of ground bumps is interconnected by a mesh core ground bus. The busses are shorted across the bumps without having to use metal tab extensions. This arrangement provides that: signal routing can be provided between the lines of bumps; and/or the mesh core power busses can be provided as being wider in order to provide improved power mesh performance and/or in order to reduce or eliminate the metal required on the second top-most metal layer.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for disabling unused IO resources in a platform-based integrated circuit. A slice is received from a vendor. The slice includes an IO circuit unused by a customer. The IO circuit is disabled. For example, when the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a power source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a power bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a ground source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a ground bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be left floated, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is not connected to any bonding pad cell of the slice. Next, the IO circuit is removed from the customer's logic design netlist. The IO circuit is inserted in the vendor's physical design database.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a number of probe pads arranged in a staggered manner in a core region of the integrated circuit and a number of bond pads in an Input/Output (I/O) region surrounding the core region. The core region includes logic circuitry therein, and the I/O region is configured to enable the core region to communicate with one or more external circuit(s) through the number of bond pads. The integrated circuit also includes a die metal interconnect separating a bond pad area in the I/O region from a probe pad area in the core region. A dimension of the die metal interconnect and/or a position of the die metal interconnect between the probe pad area and the bond pad area is variable.

Abstract: A method and/or an apparatus of power ring positioning to minimize crosstalk are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an array of fingers between a power ring and a die, applying a signal wire between a bond pad of the die and a particular finger of the array of fingers, and applying a shielding wire between an adjacent bond pad and the power ring, such that the shielding wire is longer than the signal wire and does not couple to any of the array of fingers. The shielding wire may be placed between adjacent ones of the signal wire to minimize crosstalk between the adjacent ones of the signal wire.

Abstract: Disclosed are a system and method of separate probe and bond regions of an integrated circuit (IC). An IC, an I/O region adjacent to the core region to enable the core region, and a die metal interconnect separating a bond pad area in the I/O region from a probe pad area outside the I/O region of the IC are disclosed. The die metal interconnect may have a length that is greater than the bond pad area length and/or the probe pad area length, and a width that is less than the bond pad area width and/or the probe pad area width. An in-front staggering technique may be used at a die corner of the IC to maintain the bond pad area in the I/O region, and a side staggering technique may be used at the die corner of the IC to maintain the bond pad area in the I/O region.

Abstract: A method for electrically coupling a bond pad of an integrated circuit such as a field programmable device, an application-specific integrated circuit, or a rapid chip with an input/output device is disclosed. The bond pad is provided with a plurality of metal layers configurable for making a connection with the input/output device. The bond pad is then coupled to the input/output device with an interconnect structure. The method for electrically coupling the bond pad to the input/output device allows the customer to configure the power and ground pad counts after the slice is created.

Abstract: A method and/or an apparatus of power ring positioning to minimize crosstalk are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an array of fingers between a power ring and a die, applying a signal wire between a bond pad of the die and a particular finger of the array of fingers, and applying a shielding wire between an adjacent bond pad and the power ring, such that the shielding wire is longer than the signal wire and does not couple to any of the array of fingers. The shielding wire may be placed between adjacent ones of the signal wire to minimize crosstalk between the adjacent ones of the signal wire.

Abstract: Disclosed is a flipchip scheme where power and ground bumps are arranged in a striped configuration. Specifically, there are a plurality of lines of power bumps, and a plurality of lines of ground bumps. Each line of power bumps is interconnected by a mesh core power bus, and each line of ground bumps is interconnected by a mesh core ground bus. The busses are shorted across the bumps without having to use metal tab extensions. This arrangement provides that: signal routing can be provided between the lines of bumps; and/or the mesh core power busses can be provided as being wider in order to provide improved power mesh performance and/or in order to reduce or eliminate the metal required on the second top-most metal layer.

Abstract: A method and/or an apparatus of power ring positioning to minimize crosstalk are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an array of fingers between a power ring and a die, applying a signal wire between a bond pad of the die and a particular finger of the array of fingers, and applying a shielding wire between an adjacent bond pad and the power ring, such that the shielding wire is longer than the signal wire and does not couple to any of the array of fingers. The shielding wire may be placed between adjacent ones of the signal wire to minimize crosstalk between the adjacent ones of the signal wire.

Abstract: An integrated circuit with a monolithic semiconducting substrate formed in a chip, where the chip has a peripheral edge, a backside, and an opposing top on which circuitry is formed. A first ring of bonding pads is formed along at least a portion of the peripheral edge. At least one of the bonding pads is configured as a power pad, and at least one of the bonding pads is configured as a ground pad. An intermediate power bus is disposed interior to the first ring of bonding pads on the chip, and forms no direct electrical connections to any core devices. An intermediate ground bus is also disposed interior to the first ring of bonding pads on the chip, and forms no direct electrical connections to any core devices. A power pad wire forms an exclusive electrical connection between the power pad and the intermediate power bus. A ground pad wire forms an exclusive electrical connection between the ground pad and the intermediate ground bus.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for disabling unused IO resources in a platform-based integrated circuit. A slice is received from a vendor. The slice includes an IO circuit unused by a customer. The IO circuit is disabled. For example, when the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a power source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a power bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a ground source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a ground bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be left floated, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is not connected to any bonding pad cell of the slice. Next, the IO circuit is removed from the customer's logic design netlist. The IO circuit is inserted in the vendor's physical design database.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for disabling unused IO resources in a platform-based integrated circuit. A slice is received from a vendor. The slice includes an IO circuit unused by a customer. The IO circuit is disabled. For example, when the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a power source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a power bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a ground source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a ground bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be left floated, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is not connected to any bonding pad cell of the slice. Next, the IO circuit is removed from the customer's logic design netlist. The IO circuit is inserted in the vendor's physical design database.

Abstract: A method and/or an apparatus of power ring positioning to minimize crosstalk are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes generating an array of fingers between a power ring and a die, applying a signal wire between a bond pad of the die and a particular finger of the array of fingers, and applying a shielding wire between an adjacent bond pad and the power ring, such that the shielding wire is longer than the signal wire and does not couple to any of the array of fingers. The shielding wire may be placed between adjacent ones of the signal wire to minimize crosstalk between the adjacent ones of the signal wire.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating slotted metal structures in a semiconductor design is disclosed. Aspects of the present invention include providing a library of different types of pre-slotted building block elements. Thereafter, during chip design, a plurality of the elements are selected from the library and placed in the design in abutment to form a composite slotted metal structure.

Abstract: A method for electrically coupling a bond pad of an integrated circuit such as a field programmable device, an application-specific integrated circuit, or a rapid chip with an input/output device is disclosed. The bond pad is provided with a plurality of metal layers configurable for making a connection with the input/output device. The bond pad is then coupled to the input/output device with an interconnect structure. The method for electrically coupling the bond pad to the input/output device allows the customer to configure the power and ground pad counts after the slice is created.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for implementing a configurable integrated circuit (IC). Aspects of the invention include an IC die; a plurality of input/outputs (I/Os) coupled to the IC die; and a plurality power planes coupled to the IC die for providing power to the plurality of I/Os at different voltages. The plurality of power planes are configured concentrically around the IC die so that any one or more of the I/Os at any location on the IC die can be individually configured to connect to any of the power planes. As a result, any number of I/Os available on the IC die can operate at a given voltage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for implementing a configurable integrated circuit (IC). Aspects of the invention include an IC die; a plurality of input/outputs (I/Os) coupled to the IC die; and a plurality power planes coupled to the IC die for providing power to the plurality of I/Os at different voltages. The plurality of power planes are configured concentrically around the IC die so that any one or more of the I/Os at any location on the IC die can be individually configured to connect to any of the power planes. As a result, any number of I/Os available on the IC die can operate at a given voltage.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to methods for disabling unused IO resources in a platform-based integrated circuit. A slice is received from a vendor. The slice includes an IO circuit unused by a customer. The IO circuit is disabled. For example, when the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a power source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a power bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be tied to a ground source, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is shorted to a ground bus of the IO circuit. When the IO circuit is desired to be left floated, a primary input/output pin of the IO circuit is not connected to any bonding pad cell of the slice. Next, the IO circuit is removed from the customer's logic design netlist. The IO circuit is inserted in the vendor's physical design database.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for creating slotted metal structures in a semiconductor design is disclosed. Aspects of the present invention include providing a library of different types of pre-slotted building block elements. Thereafter, during chip design, a plurality of the elements are selected from the library and placed in the design in abutment to form a composite slotted metal structure.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided which includes at a first, a second, or a third row of bonding pads. A plurality of trace conductors is provided to route the signal of each bonding pad to an I/O ring and/or a core. The trace conductors of different metal widths are configured on a separate and distinct metal layers such that routing may be done above or below the bonding pad rows and other trace conductors. A plurality of vias is provided to connect between the different metal layers. This allows multiple rows of bonding pads to be arranged on the perimeters of the core without having to compromise for small pitch distances or longer routing paths.