With Particular Power Supply Distribution Means Patents (Class 257/207)
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Patent number: 6835972Abstract: A multiple layer power mesh design includes an L-shaped structure and a bow tie-shaped structure. The L-shaped structure provides a plurality of L-shaped power rails in each of four quadrants of the layer. The bow tie-shaped structure includes plurality of vertical power rails in each of a left and right triangularly-shaped portion of the layer. The vertical power rails of the bow tie-shaped structure provide and interface between the upper and lower quadrants of the L-shaped layer. The bow tie-shaped structure provides additional available space which can, for example, be used for routing signal traces. A T-shaped structure is also provided for use with the bow tie-shaped layer. The T-shaped layer provides for improved distances between the VDD and the VSS power rails.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2003Date of Patent: December 28, 2004Assignee: LSI Logic CorporationInventors: Radoslav Ratchkov, Thomas Antisseril, Hiroshi Ishikawa, Prasad Subbarao, Bo Shen, Ruben Molina
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Patent number: 6831317Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing a meshed power and signal bus system on an array type integrated circuit that minimizes the size of the circuit. In a departure from the art, through-holes for the mesh system are placed in the cell array, as well as the peripheral circuits. The power and signal buses of the mesh system run in both vertical and horizontal directions across the array such that all the vertical buses lie in one metal layer, and all the horizontal buses lie in another metal layer. The buses of one layer are connected to the appropriate bus(es) of the other layer using through-holes located in the array. Once connected, the buses extend to the appropriate sense amplifier drivers. The method and apparatus are facilitated by an improved subdecoder circuit implementing a hierarchical word line structure.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2002Date of Patent: December 14, 2004Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.Inventors: Goro Kitsukawa, Takesada Akiba, Hiroshi Otori, William R. McKee, Jeffrey E. Koelling, Troy H. Herndon
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Publication number: 20040238850Abstract: In an integrated circuit device, element power supply lines connected to a circuit containing a plurality of cells, element ground lines connected thereto, a trunk power supply line connected to each of the element power supply lines, and a trunk ground line connected to each of the element ground lines are provided in a first wiring layer. A branch power supply line connected to the trunk power supply line and a branch ground line connected to the trunk ground line are provided in an upper wiring layer located above the first wiring layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2004Publication date: December 2, 2004Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTDInventor: Keiichi Kusumoto
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Patent number: 6825509Abstract: An electronic device such as an integrated circuit includes a power distribution system having a plurality of symmetrical power distribution structures, for example as triplet power line structures, distributed in parallel and spaced evenly across the surface of the electronic device. A plurality of circuit blocks are coupled to receive power through the power distribution structures. Each of the power distribution structures comprises a first power line for providing a first power supply voltage, and a second power line and a third power line for providing a second supply voltage. The second power line and the third power line are disposed symmetrically on opposite sides of the first power line.Type: GrantFiled: November 26, 2001Date of Patent: November 30, 2004Assignee: Corrent CorporationInventors: Jin-Jer Hwan, Haksu Kim, Neel Das, Malcolm A. White
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Publication number: 20040227163Abstract: The gate resistance of a power MOSFET in a semiconductor chip is reduced and the reliability and yield of the gate of the power MOSFET are improved The semiconductor chip includes two or more control electrode pads functioning as control electrodes for a power semiconductor device formed within a semiconductor chip. The two or more control electrode pads are distributed within the periphery of the gate area of the power semiconductor device such that the gate resistance of the power semiconductor device can be reduced. The two or more control electrode pads are connected via bumps or a conductive bonding material to an electrode layer of a multilayer circuit board disposed outside the semiconductor chip.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 20, 2004Publication date: November 18, 2004Inventors: Kozo Sakamoto, Takayuki Iwasaki, Masaki Shiraishi
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Patent number: 6818929Abstract: A standard cell for a plurality of power supplies comprises a first power line and a second power line electrically isolated from the first power line. An N well is arranged in spaced relation with the whole peripheral boundaries of the standard cell. In the case where the standard cells are arranged adjacently to each other in the direction along the power lines or in the direction orthogonal thereto, the N well in the standard cell for a plurality of power supplies is isolated from the N wells of the adjacent standard cells in the direction along the power lines or in the direction orthogonal thereto, as the case may be.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2003Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Masanori Tsutsumi, Junichi Yano, Fumihiro Kimura, Masayuki Matsuda
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Patent number: 6815803Abstract: A semiconductor packaging arrangement, or module, includes a printed circuit board having an electrical interconnect thereon and a semiconductor package mounted to the printed circuit board. The semiconductor package includes a fractional portion of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuit chips thereon, such chips being separated by regions in the fractional portion of the wafer. The fractional portion of the wafer has a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connected to the chips. The package also includes a dielectric member having an electrical conductor thereon. The electrical conductor are electrically connected to the plurality of electrical contacts of the plurality of chips to electrically interconnect such plurality of chips with portions of the electrical conductor spanning the regions in the fractional portion of the wafer.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2000Date of Patent: November 9, 2004Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Manfred Reithinger, Mike Killian, Gerd Frankowsky, Oliver Kiehl, Gerhard Mueller, Ernst Stahl, Hartmud Terletzki, Thomas Vogelsang
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Patent number: 6812555Abstract: A memory card substrate includes a first solder pad assembly formed on a top edge of the memory card substrate. The first solder pad assembly has multiple first solder pads equally spaced from each other and multiple first gaps each sandwiched between two adjacent first solder pads. A second solder pad assembly is formed on a bottom edge of the memory card substrate and has multiple second solder pads equally spaced from each other and multiple second gaps each sandwiched between two adjacent second solder pads. Each first solder pad corresponds to one of the second gaps so that the first solder pads are alternately arranged on the top edge relative to the second solder pads on the bottom edge.Type: GrantFiled: March 10, 2003Date of Patent: November 2, 2004Assignee: Everstone Industry Corp.Inventor: Chien-Hung Chen
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Publication number: 20040206985Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit is described. The circuit has a power circuit structure that efficiently reduces the power drop in areas of the chip of the power circuit. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes the first mesh-style power circuit that supplies a fixed amount of power to a first area and a second mesh-style power circuit that supplies a substantially similar amount of power to a second area. It is desired that the first mesh-style power circuit and the second mesh-style power circuit are separated at a dividing line between the first and second areas.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2004Publication date: October 21, 2004Inventor: Kenichi Ushiyama
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Patent number: 6806514Abstract: A digital pixel sensor-based modular digital imaging system includes several integrated circuit modules. At least one module includes an integrated circuit die having a digital pixel sensor array and a frame buffer, and at least one module includes an integrated circuit die having control circuitry and/or I/O circuitry. In certain embodiments all component modules are generally the same; in other embodiments the component modules include different integrated circuits that perform different functions. A higher pixel count imaging system may be made by disposing several component modules having lower pixel count digital pixel sensor arrays adjacent one another.Type: GrantFiled: October 24, 2001Date of Patent: October 19, 2004Assignee: PiXIM, Inc.Inventors: Hui Tian, Ricardo Motta
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Patent number: 6800883Abstract: In a CMOS basic cell used in fabrication of a gate array semiconductor integrated circuit, each of the gate and the diffusion region of a P-channel transistor is in a hooked shape having bent parts respectively bending to the left and right at the upper and lower portions thereof. Similarly, each of the gate and the diffusion region of an N-channel transistor is in a hooked shape having bent parts respectively bending to the left and right at the upper and lower portions thereof. In the case where a semiconductor integrated circuit is fabricated by arranging basic cells having the same structure on the right and left hand sides of this basic cell, the basic cells adjacent to each other are overlapped by portions thereof corresponding to one grid, so that the portions in the hooked shapes can be alternately inlaid with each other. Accordingly, the semiconductor integrated circuit attains a smaller layout area.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2001Date of Patent: October 5, 2004Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.Inventors: Shigeki Furuya, Hisaki Watanabe, Atsushi Mototani
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Publication number: 20040178424Abstract: A power and ground shield mesh to remove both capacitive and inductive signal coupling effects of routing in integrated circuit device. An embodiment describes the routing of a shield mesh of both power and ground lines to remove noise created by capacitive and inductive coupling. Relatively long signal lines are routed in between fully connected power and ground shield mesh which may be generated by a router during the signal routing phase or during power mesh routing phase. Leaving only the odd tracks or the even tracks for signal routing, power mesh (VDD) and ground mesh (VSS) are routed and fully interconnected leaving shorter segments and thereby reducing the RC effect of the circuit device. Another embodiment presents a technique where the signals are shielded using the power and ground mesh for a gridless routing. Another embodiment presents a multi-layer grid routing technique where signals are routed on even grid and the power and ground lines are routed on odd grid.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 26, 2004Publication date: September 16, 2004Inventor: Iu-Meng Tom Ho
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Patent number: 6792056Abstract: The specification discloses a cancellation circuit that suppresses electromagnetic interference in a high speed circuit using a function generator so as to utilize differential signals to cancel the magnetic field and to couple with the electric field without affecting the quality of signals. The differential signals are generated from a clock pin of the function generator, which is phase shifted by a phase shifter and passes through a microstrip antenna or a stripline antenna so as to emit electromagnetic waves with inversed phases, canceling the originally existent electromagnetic waves.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2000Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Mitac International Corp.Inventor: Yu-Chiang Cheng
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Patent number: 6791127Abstract: A semiconductor chip has a circuit block, a power supply line and a ground line. A condenser chip in which a noise reduction condenser connected to the circuit block is stacked on the semiconductor chip. Because the condenser chip is stacked on the semiconductor chip, it is not necessary to provide a noise reduction condenser on the semiconductor chip and also not to provide a noise reduction condenser on a substrate on which the semiconductor chip is mounted.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2002Date of Patent: September 14, 2004Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Hideo Nunokawa
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Patent number: 6787801Abstract: Integrated circuits are tested on the wafer level through an additional circuit part that is electrically connected via at least one connecting line with the associated integrated circuit. The additional circuit part is integrated into an interspace between the integrated circuits of the wafer. Functions of the integrated circuit can be controlled via the connecting line. For example, in the case of a memory module such as a DRAM, internal voltages and/or currents of the integrated circuit can advantageously be measured even on internal lines which are otherwise only accessible with difficulty. Following the wafer-level testing and dicing of the integrated circuits into individual chips, the additional circuit part becomes unusable.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2002Date of Patent: September 7, 2004Assignee: Infienon Technologies AGInventors: Helmut Fischer, Alan Morgan
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Publication number: 20040169205Abstract: A gate array integrated circuit is provided, which includes first and second voltage supply rails and a row of P-channel type transistors and adjacent N-channel type transistors located between first and second voltage supply rails. Adjacent ones of the P-channel and N-channel transistors have common control terminals. A multiple-bit memory cell is fabricated in the row and includes first and second latches, a read output, a first pass gate coupled between the first latch and the read output, and a second pass gate coupled between the second latch and the read output. The first pass gate includes a first one of the P-channel or N-channel transistors. The second pass gate includes a second one of the same type of the P-channel or N-channel transistors. The first and second same type transistors share a common diffusion region.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 28, 2003Publication date: September 2, 2004Inventors: Michael N. Dillon, Bret A. Oeltjen
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Patent number: 6784558Abstract: An embodiment of an integrated circuit die with staggered bond pads and optimized driver layout includes a staggered array of bond pads with an outer ring of bond pads and an inner ring of bond pads. Driver/ESD circuit cells for the outer ring of bond pads are located to the outside of the bond pads (between the outer ring of bond pads and the nearest die edge). The driver/ESD cells for the inner ring of bond pads are located to the inside of the bond pads (between the inner ring of bond pads and the die core). The integrated circuit die is coupled to a lead frame via bond wires.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2003Date of Patent: August 31, 2004Assignee: Intel CorporationInventor: Michael A. Jassowski
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Patent number: 6781151Abstract: A test vehicle for evaluating a manufacturing process for integrated circuits comprises a staircase of vias and traces arranged for maximum test coverage. The staircase may be combined with several functional cells to produce circuits that exercise many interconnections that may be designed at the minimum design parameters of manufacturing process. The accessibility of many testing methods allows an engineer to quickly find root cause failures and thus make improvements to the manufacturing process.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2002Date of Patent: August 24, 2004Assignee: LSI Logic CorporationInventors: Richard Schultz, Steve Howard
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Publication number: 20040159858Abstract: Well bias circuitry for selectively biasing the voltages of the well areas of an integrated circuit. In one embodiment, the well bias circuitry includes a switching cell located in a row of cells of the integrated circuit for selectively coupling a voltage supply line to a well bias line. The switching cell may include two level shifters, each for providing a voltage to a gate of a coupling transistor to make the coupling transistor non conductive in response to an enable signal. The switching cells may be sequentially coupled such that the coupling transistors of each of the switching cells are not made conductive at the same time so as to reduce inrush current due to changing the well bias from a well bias voltage to a supply voltage. In one example, the switching cells may include delay circuitry for delaying the change in state of the enable signal before being provided to the next switching cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 14, 2003Publication date: August 19, 2004Inventors: Christopher K.Y. Chun, Der Yi Sheu
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Patent number: 6774412Abstract: The present invention provides a fundamental cell, semiconductor integrated circuit device, wiring method and wiring apparatus for designing a layout of a functional circuit block or a semiconductor integrated circuit device using the fundamental cells, with a higher degree of freedom of wirings. The connection terminals 2 and 3 of the fundamental cell 1 are terminals for supplying the power source voltage VDD and ground potential VSS to the N and P type wells. The terminals may be defined as a contact structure between a metal layer and N and P type well areas, and alternatively defined as stacked VIA structure for multilayered metal wiring layers and N and P type well areas if desired in correspondence with the manufacturing process used for manufacturing the semiconductor integrated circuit device implementing the fundamental cell 1. The fundamental cell 1 has neither the connection terminals 2 and 3, nor the power source voltage VDD and ground potential VSS to those two PMOS and NMOS transistors.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: August 10, 2004Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Masaki Komaki
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Publication number: 20040150009Abstract: Buffer that includes an input node, an output node, and a three-transistor charge pump circuit is coupled to the input node and the output node. The buffer generates an output signal that is a delayed version of a signal presented at the input node. The three-transistor charge pump includes a first transistor (e.g., a pass transistor) that includes a drain electrode that is coupled to the input node, a gate electrode and a source electrode; a second transistor that includes a drain electrode that is coupled to a first predetermined voltage, a gate electrode coupled to the drain electrode of the second transistor, and a source electrode coupled to the gate electrode of the first transistor; and a capacitive element that includes a first electrode that is coupled to the source electrode of the second transistor and the gate electrode of the first transistor and a second electrode that is coupled to the output node.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 31, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Inventors: David John Marshall, Ian Erickson, Michael H. Cogdill
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Publication number: 20040150007Abstract: A different electric power supply electric power source cell is proposed which includes paths by which electric power source voltages, the electric potentials of which are different from each other, are respectively taken in from the area pad and the probing pad and by which the voltages are supplied to the blocks requiring these electric power source voltages.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 22, 2003Publication date: August 5, 2004Applicant: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Takaaki Kumagae, Yasuyuki Okada, Masumi Nobata
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Patent number: 6770906Abstract: A semiconductor test chip including a plurality of test functions. The test functions of the semiconductor test chip include bond pad pitch and size effects on chip design, wire bond placement accuracy regarding placement of the wire bond on the bond pad, evaluation of bond pad damage (cratering) effect on the area of the chip below the bond pad during bonding of the wire on the bond pad, street width effects regarding the use of thinner saw cuts in cutting the individual chips from the wafer, thermal impedance effects for thermal testing capabilities, ion mobility evaluation capabilities and chip on board in flip chip application test capabilities.Type: GrantFiled: February 19, 2003Date of Patent: August 3, 2004Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Tim J. Corbett, Raymond P. Scholer, Fernando Gonzalez
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Patent number: 6768144Abstract: A memory array including a bit cell row, a strap cell row, a first power supply line, and a first offset supply line is provided. The bit cell row may include a bit cell that includes a first transistor disposed in a first bit cell body region. The first transistor may include a first active region. The strap cell row may include a strap cell that includes a first strap cell body region. The first strap cell body region may be conductively coupled to the first bit cell body region. The first power supply line may be electrically coupled to the first active region and may provide a first supply voltage potential to the first active region. The first offset supply line may be electrically coupled to the first strap cell body region and may provide a first offset voltage potential to the first bit cell body region via the first strap cell body region. The first supply voltage potential is operable to be different from the first offset voltage potential.Type: GrantFiled: December 31, 2001Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Theodore W. Houston, Sudhir K. Madan
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Patent number: 6768142Abstract: A method for designing an input output cell of an integrated circuit. The input output cell has a required area, a width, and a height. The bonding pad pitch length between adjacent bonding pads of the integrated circuit is measured. The width of the input output cell is specified to be substantially equal to the bonding pad pitch length. The required area is divided by the width to determine a first value, and the height of the input output cell is specified to be substantially equal to the first value. In this manner, the width of the input output cells is no greater than the distance between two adjacent bonding pads, and thus the input output cells can be placed very close together, facilitating their use in input output limited integrated circuit designs. However, the height of the input output cells is no greater than is necessary to enclose the required area of the input output cell, thus facilitating their use in core limited integrated circuit designs.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2002Date of Patent: July 27, 2004Assignee: LSI Logic CorporationInventors: Anwar Ali, Tauman T. Lau, Max M. Yeung, Ken Nguyen, Wei Huang
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Patent number: 6765296Abstract: An integrated circuit interconnect is provided having a dielectric layer disposed between a wide top metal line and a wide bottom metal line. A via-sea in the dielectric layer connects the wide top and wide bottom metal lines by means of a first via having a width, a second via having a width and spaced more than two widths away and less than four widths away from the first via.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd.Inventors: Jae Soo Park, Chivukula Subramanyam, Thow Phock Chua, Hong Lim Lee
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Patent number: 6765245Abstract: A very efficient gate array core cell in which the base core cell consists of a group of 6 PMOS transistors and a group of 6 NMOS transistors. It also includes pre-wiring of 2 of the 6 PMOS transistors, with 2 of the 6 NMOS transistors at polysilicon level or at local interconnect level while leaving the remaining PMOS and NMOS transistors as individual transistors to be interconnected during the functional ASIC metallization process. The core cell also has 2 polysilicon or local interconnect wires embedded in it, which can be used to interconnect transistors for logic function implementation. The core cell defined in this invention is highly flexible and has been analyzed to interconnect all types of logic and memory functions needed for ASIC designs. The layout of the transistors, pre-wiring of the strategic transistors at polysilicon level or at local interconnect level, and embedded polysilicon or local interconnect wires reduce the core cell size significantly.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Bae Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.Inventor: Jai P. Bansal
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Patent number: 6765290Abstract: A diode coupling-based arrangement back-biases each of the semiconductor substrates of a plurality of integrated circuits at the maximum (e.g., most negative) DC voltage applied to any individual circuit, irrespective of a potential variation in applied DC voltages. Each semiconductor chip/substrate includes an auxiliary terminal to which each DC voltage terminal for that chip is diode-coupled. The auxiliary voltage terminal is connected to the underside biasing and thermal dissipation pad of the substrate. When multiple packages are mounted and conductively joined to a shared metallic dissipation region of a support substrate, all auxiliary voltage terminals will be connected in common, so as to back-bias each semiconductor substrate to the most maximum (e.g., most negative) of all applied DC voltages.Type: GrantFiled: April 2, 2002Date of Patent: July 20, 2004Assignee: Intersil Americas Inc.Inventors: Leonel E. Enriquez, Douglas L. Youngblood
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Publication number: 20040135175Abstract: It is an object of the invention to provide a thin, lightweight, high performance, and low in cost semiconductor device and a display device by reducing an arrangement area required for a power supply wiring and a ground wiring of a functional circuit and decreasing a drop in power supply voltage and a rise in ground voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTDInventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
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Patent number: 6762431Abstract: A wafer-level package includes a semiconductor wafer having at least one semiconductor chip circuit forming region each including a semiconductor chip circuit each provided with test chip terminals and non test chip terminals, at least one external connection terminal, at least one redistribution trace provided on the semiconductor wafer, at least one testing member, and an insulating material. A first end of the redistribution trace is connected to one of the test chip terminals and a second end of said redistribution trace is extended out to a position offset from the chip terminals. The testing member is provided in an outer region of the semiconductor chip circuit forming region, and the second end of the redistribution trace is connected to the testing member.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2001Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: Fujitsu LimitedInventor: Shigeyuki Maruyama
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Patent number: 6762489Abstract: A jogging structure for translating wiring connections from points in a first grid to corresponding points in a second grid in a chip carrier module is disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the structure includes a first translation layer, coupled to the first grid, the first translation layer translating the first grid in an x-axis direction. A second translation layer is coupled to the first translation layer, the second translation layer for translating said wiring connections from the first grid in a y-axis direction, the y-axis direction being orthogonal to the x-axis direction. The second translation layer is further coupled to the second grid.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2001Date of Patent: July 13, 2004Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Glenn G. Daves, Jason Frankel, William F. Shutler, Anthony Wayne Sigler, Herbert I. Stoller, John Vetrero, Cathy Ann Zadany
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Patent number: 6759698Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes cells, cell rows and potential feeders. Each cell includes a partial trunk that is used to constitute a power supply trunk and/or a ground trunk, and that is electrically isolated from the remaining components within the cell. Each cell row includes a plurality of cells placed adjacently, and the power supply trunk and/or ground trunk composed of the partial trunks. The potential feeders selectively connect one of the power supply trunk and ground trunk of any one of the plurality of cell rows to the components within the cells to supply them with the potential of the power supply trunk and/or ground trunk. This enables the components in the adjacent cells to be supplied with different potentials.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2002Date of Patent: July 6, 2004Assignee: Renesas Technology Corp.Inventor: Genichi Tanaka
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Patent number: 6753547Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus which facilitates wafer level burn-in testing of semiconductor dies. Sacrificial busses on the wafer supply voltage to respective on die Vcc and Vss sacrificial voltage pads during burn-in testing. The Vcc sacrificial pad on each die is connected to a secondary Vcc pad through an on-die sacrificial metal bus. An on-die fuse is interposed between the secondary Vcc pad and a normal Vcc die bonding pad. The fuse will blow when a die draws excessive current isolating a defective die from other dies on the wafer which are connected to the sacrificial busses. The Vss sacrificial pad is connected to a normal Vss die bonding pad through a sacrificial metal bus. After burn-in testing, the structures are removed. During this removal, the on-die sacrificial metal busses protect the secondary Vcc pad and Vss bonding pad. The secondary Vcc pad, Vcc bonding pad and Vss bonding pad can then be exposed for additional die testing.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2001Date of Patent: June 22, 2004Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Kevin M. Devereaux
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Patent number: 6744081Abstract: An integrated circuit with a power and ground distribution system having a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, and an insulating layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer. A first ring is formed in the first layer, where the first ring forms a first loop around a peripheral portion of the integrated circuit. First straps are formed in the first layer, where the first straps have connections to the first ring. First horizontal members are formed in the first layer, where the first horizontal members have connections to the first ring. Second horizontal members are formed in the first layer, where the second horizontal members do not have connections to the first ring. A second ring is formed in the second layer, where the second ring forms a second loop around the peripheral portion of the integrated circuit. The second ring is interleaved with the first ring. Second straps are formed in the second layer, where the second straps have connections to the second ring.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: LSI Logic CorporationInventors: Radoslav Ratchkov, Maad Al-Dabagh
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Patent number: 6745380Abstract: A method of producing a layout for a mask for use in semiconductor production includes a two-stage, iterative optimization of the position of scatter bars in relation to main structures being carried out. In a first stage, following first production of scatter bars and carrying out an OPC, scatter bars are again generated based on the corrected main structures. A renewed OPC is then carried out, followed by the renewed formation of scatter bars. This is repeated until the layout has been optimized sufficiently. Then, in the second stage, defocused exposure of the layout is simulated and, if required, further adaptation of the scatter bars is carried out. The first and second iterative stages can also be employed independently of each other. The common factor in the iterations is that the scatter bar positions are varied with each iteration and is therefore optimized.Type: GrantFiled: September 3, 2002Date of Patent: June 1, 2004Assignee: Infineon Technologies AGInventors: Christof Tilmann Bodendorf, Jörg Thiele
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Publication number: 20040099884Abstract: An integrated circuit having signal traces, power traces, and ground traces. The signal traces are disposed on at least one signal distribution layer, and the signal traces on the at least one signal distribution layer are formed at no more than a first thickness. The power traces and ground traces are formed on at least one power ground distribution layer, where the at least one power ground distribution layer is an overlying layer of the integrated circuit relative to the at least one signal distribution layer. The power traces and ground traces on the at least one power ground distribution layer are formed at no less than a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness of the signal traces. In this manner, the signal traces, which can be formed with a relatively thin thickness, can be placed very close together on the signal distribution layers, and have sufficient conductivity for the signals transmitted thereon.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2002Publication date: May 27, 2004Inventor: Edwin M. Fulcher
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Patent number: 6734472Abstract: A power and ground shield mesh to remove both capacitive and inductive signal coupling effects of routing in integrated circuit device. An embodiment describes the routing of a shield mesh of both power and ground lines to remove noise created by capacitive and inductive coupling. Relatively long signal lines are routed in between fully connected power and ground shield mesh which may be generated by a router during the signal routing phase or during power mesh routing phase. Leaving only the odd tracks or the even tracks for signal routing, power mesh (VDD) and ground mesh (VSS) are routed and fully interconnected leaving shorter segments and thereby reducing the RC effect of the circuit device. Another embodiment presents a technique where the signals are shielded using the power and ground mesh for a gridless routing. Another embodiment presents a multi-layer grid routing technique where signals are routed on even grid and the power and ground lines are routed on odd grid.Type: GrantFiled: April 25, 2002Date of Patent: May 11, 2004Assignee: Synplicity, Inc.Inventor: Iu-Meng Tom Ho
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Patent number: 6730946Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device capable of reducing its size, increasing density, preventing a deterioration in circuit characteristics. And increasing flexibility in wiring design. The semiconductor device comprises a chip core region and an IO region on a semiconductor substrate. In the chip core region, a large number of circuits are arranged. In the IO region, a ring wiring of a laminated structure with a top layer corresponding to a first potential, and a bottom layer corresponding to a second potential is provided. The top layer of the ring wiring and the circuits are connected via first connecting lines, and the bottom layer and the circuits are connected via second connecting lines, so electric power is supplied to the circuits.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2002Date of Patent: May 4, 2004Assignee: Sony CorporationInventor: Akira Saito
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Patent number: 6727597Abstract: An integrated circuit having a first plurality of wire bond pads located along a horizontal axis, a second plurality of wire bond pads located along a vertical axis, and a plurality of C4 pads arranged in a grid array wherein each grid is defined by the intersection of one of the first wire bond pads and one of the second wire bond pads.Type: GrantFiled: December 27, 2001Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Gregory F. Taylor, George L. Geannopoulos
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Patent number: 6727532Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit device which has realized high speed operation, high integration density and highly efficient layout of the RAM macro, in which a memory array which is divided into four sections in the X and Y coordinates directions is disposed, a first input circuit for receiving a signal which requires optimization for a signal delay is disposed to the center of such four memory arrays, a second input circuit for receiving a data input and control signals thereof is disposed to the center of Y coordinate corresponding to the extending direction of the word line and a signal line for transferring an input signal from the external circuit of the RAM macro to the first and second input circuits is formed using an upper layer wiring for the wiring to form the memory array.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2002Date of Patent: April 27, 2004Assignees: Renesas Technology Corp., Hitachi ULSI Systems Co., Ltd.Inventors: Takao Saotome, Takeshi Suzuki, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Shigeru Nakahara, Keiichi Higeta
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Publication number: 20040061144Abstract: A twin-cell type semiconductor memory device in which the area of a chip can be reduced. In the twin-cell type semiconductor memory device for storing data in at least one pair of memory cells as complementary information, memory cells are arranged at each of a plurality of word lines at intervals at which bit lines are located. At least the one pair of memory cells, which have stored the complementary information and which indicate a plurality of areas each connected to a pair of bit lines, form a twin cell.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2003Publication date: April 1, 2004Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITEDInventors: Ayako Sato, Masato Matsumiya, Satoshi Eto
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Patent number: 6710459Abstract: A flip-chip package board having signal bump pads, power bump pads and ground bump pads grouped together into respective inner bump pad rows and sequentially laid down on one side of the group of core bump pads so that the power bump pad row and the ground bump pad row alternate between signal bump pad rows. In addition, the outer bump pads are positioned in such a way that the shortest possible separation between neighboring outer bump pads is used. This invention also provides a flip chip having an active surface with a plurality of die pads thereon that corresponds in position to the bump pads on the flip-chip package board.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2002Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.Inventor: Chi-Hsing Hsu
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Patent number: 6707164Abstract: A package of a semiconductor chip with array-type bonding pads. The semiconductor chip has a plurality of bonding pads located about periphery of the chip, in which the semiconductor chip is characterized at the bonding pads being positioned in at least four rows along each side of the chip, the four rows comprising an inner row, a mid-inner row, a mid-outer row, and an outer row. The inner row and the mid-inner row of the bonding pads consist of signal pads, and the outer row and the mid-outer row of the bonding pads consist of power pads and ground pads.Type: GrantFiled: May 10, 2002Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: Acer Laboratories Inc.Inventors: Wen-Lung Cheng, Hung-Cheng Huang, I-Feng Chang
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Patent number: 6707139Abstract: A plurality of unit areas having one to a plurality of MOSFETs for implementing specific logic circuits are placed in a first direction. A first interconnection extending in the first direction is formed over each unit area. A second interconnection extending in the first direction is formed along the plurality of unit areas and outside the unit areas. Wiring dedicated areas provided with a third interconnection extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction are respectively provided between the adjacent unit areas. A logic circuit formed in each unit area has both a first connection form connected to the first interconnection and a second connection form connected to the third interconnection, via the second interconnection, according to combinations with the wiring dedicated areas adjacent thereto, as needed.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2001Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi, ULSI Systems Co., LTDInventors: Isamu Fujii, Kiyoshi Nakai, Yukihide Suzuki, Sadayuki Morita, Hidekazu Egawa, Katura Abe, Noriaki Sakamoto
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Patent number: 6707077Abstract: An interconnect bus for a microelectromechanical system is disclosed. Various attributes for an electrical trace bus that facilitate the routing of signals throughout at least a portion of the system and/or the layout of the microelectromechanical system on a wafer are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: March 16, 2002Date of Patent: March 16, 2004Assignee: MEMX, Inc.Inventor: Samuel Lee Miller
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Patent number: 6696712Abstract: A semicustom IC including a plurality of basic cells disposed on a semiconductor substrate, a first macrocell, a second macrocell adjacent to the first macrocell, and a power supply line. The first macrocell and the second macrocell are each formed using at least one basic cell and a plurality of interconnection layers. The first macrocell is formed using first basic cells of the plurality of basic cells and using interconnection layers disposed over the first basic cells. The power supply line is for supplying power to the first macrocell and is formed around the first macrocell using an upper interconnection layer of the plurality of interconnection layers. The second macrocell is formed below the power supply line using a basic cell and a lower interconnection layer, extending over the basic cell, of the plurality of interconnection layers.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2000Date of Patent: February 24, 2004Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventor: Yuki Yonesaka
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Publication number: 20040026716Abstract: Regular circuits and redundant circuits are provided, a plurality of relievable first wiring lines and a plurality of irrelievable second wiring lines are arranged in the same wiring layer as what constitutes the regular circuits and in the same direction, and at the same time the irrelievable wiring lines are arranged adjoining one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2003Publication date: February 12, 2004Inventors: Manabu Ishimatsu, Yoshihiko Inoue, Hiroshi Yoshioka, Masahito Suzuki
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Patent number: 6690073Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit which is capable of being manufactured with a higher packing density and a small-size structure of standard cells is described. In the semiconductor integrated circuit, substrate regions and source regions are shared by adjacent standard cells as well as common contact regions which are located inward displaced respectively from the centers of the substrate regions.Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2001Date of Patent: February 10, 2004Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Yasunobu Umemoto, Toshikazu Sei, Toshiki Morimoto, Hiroaki Suzuki
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Patent number: 6683336Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit, a supply method of supplying multiple supply voltages therefor, and a record medium for storing a program of the supply method for supplying multiple voltages therefor in which a first cell to which multiple supply voltages are supplied is extracted (Step S1), the extracted cells are divided into groups (Step S2), cells for voltage supply are added and arranged according to the number of the groups (Step S3), and the cell for the voltage supply are connected to the first cell for supplying the plurality of voltages through a net for a power source supply (Step S4).Type: GrantFiled: July 3, 2000Date of Patent: January 27, 2004Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha ToshibaInventors: Mutsunori Igarashi, Hiroshi Tanaka, Kimiyoshi Usami, Takashi Ishikawa, Masahiro Kanazawa, Chiharu Mizuno
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Patent number: 6670672Abstract: A discrete NROM cell, at least comprising: a substrate; a first ON stacking gate and a second ON stacking gate over the substrate, wherein the ON stacking gate is a structure having a nitride layer over a bottom oxide layer; an oxide layer formed over the substrate covering the first and second ON stacking gate; a polysilicon layer formed over the oxide layer; and the source/drain implanted in the substrate and next to the ON stacking gates. The structure of discrete NROM cell of the invention can solve the problem of the electrons being trapped in the nitride layer of NROM cell, and also control the source/drain implant and ON structure at precisely symmetrical positions.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2002Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.Inventors: Kent Kuohua Chang, Erh-Kun Lai