Patent · US Expired

Parameter adjustment in a MOS integrated circuit

US6346427B1 · kind B1 · utility

13Cited by
45References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 1999
Grant dateFeb 12, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 18, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/519
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit including adjusting a parameter of the operation of the integrated circuit, such as power dissipation, after prototype testing by changing only one mask. If prototype testing indicates that the performance specification for power dissipation, for example, is not met, the power dissipation can be adjusted by changing the size of the active areas to change the channel width of the gates of the circuit, by changing the size of the patterns of the active area masks. To decrease power dissipation, the size of the active area is decreased. Only the active mask need be changed. Preferably, the active area around the original contacts are maintained so that the positions of the contacts need not be changed. Consequently, the mask for defining the position of the contacts and the masks for defining the metallization layers need not be changed. To increase power dissipation, the size of the active areas is increased. The values of other parameters may be changed, as well.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.