Standard cell circuits employing voltage rails electrically coupled to metal shunts for reducing or avoiding increases in voltage drop

US10283526B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• QUALCOMM Incorporated · US

Inventors

• John Jianhong Zhu · San Diego, US
• Jeffrey Junhao Xu · San Diego, US
• Mustafa Badaroglu · Kessel-Lo, BE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 21, 2016
• Grant date: May 7, 2019
• Expiry date: Apr 3, 2037

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D84/981
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Standard cell circuits employing voltage rails electrically coupled to metal shunts for reducing or avoiding increases in voltage drop are disclosed. In one aspect, a standard cell circuit is provided that employs active devices that include corresponding gates disposed with a gate pitch. First and second voltage rails having a line width are disposed in a first metal layer. Employing the first and second voltage rails having substantially a same line width reduces the height of the standard cell circuit as compared to conventional standard cell circuits. Metal lines are disposed in a second metal layer with a metal pitch less than the gate pitch such that the number of metal lines exceeds the number of gates. Electrically coupling the first and second voltage rails to the metal shunts increases the conductive area of each voltage rail, which reduces a voltage drop across each voltage rail.