Flexible, space-efficient I/O circuitry for integrated circuits
US9577640B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 2014 |
| Grant date | Feb 21, 2017 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 2, 2034 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L2924/1431
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. In other aspects, ESD circuitry is provided at corners of the IC layout and optionally within selected I/O slots. Decap circuitry is provided at an outer edge of the IC layout and is scalable in order to meet different requirements.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.