Programmable tiles
First Claim
1. An integrated circuit comprising:
- a laterally-extending substrate on which there is defined an elongated function area composed of at least three tile areas joined one to the next, a first and second of the tile areas being structured as terminating tile areas of the elongated function area and a third of the tile areas being differently structured as a middle tile area interposed between the terminating tile areas;
wherein each of the tile areas is of substantially the same size so that a tiled plurality of such tile areas may define a grid;
wherein each tile area includes within its boundaries P and N field effect transistors having source and drain portions defined in a diffusion layer of the substrate and gate portions defined by a gate layer overlying the diffusion layer, the gate portions of the P and N transistors being joined to one another by a common segment of the gate layer;
wherein each tile area further includes an input wire piece extending in a first lateral direction above the gate layer, the input wire piece connecting by way of a contact to a central portion of the common gate layer segment and other portions of the common gate layer segment defining the gate portions of the P and N transistors; and
wherein each tile area also includes an output wire piece extending in a second lateral direction different from the first lateral direction, the output wire piece passing insulatively by the input wire piece of its respective tile area, the output wire piece being positioned to contact to at least the drain portion of one of the P and N transistors in its respective tile area.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a set of functional components (tiles), consisting in part of subgate elements, which, by their design, facilitate the creation of dense integrated circuits, without forfeiting the capability of modifying the functionality of individual tiles by late mask programming techniques. Overall densities approach those obtained with hand-crafted, custom designs can be obtained in part because such components are designed to be tiled throughout a storage logic array, permitting the creation of orthogonal logic gates as well as individual gates (and more complex functions) the functionality of which is distributed horizontally, vertically and even in a zigzag fashion. Moreover, the transition time from prototype to high volume manufacturing is reduced significantly due to the ease with which even complex functions can be repaired and enhanced.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a laterally-extending substrate on which there is defined an elongated function area composed of at least three tile areas joined one to the next, a first and second of the tile areas being structured as terminating tile areas of the elongated function area and a third of the tile areas being differently structured as a middle tile area interposed between the terminating tile areas; wherein each of the tile areas is of substantially the same size so that a tiled plurality of such tile areas may define a grid; wherein each tile area includes within its boundaries P and N field effect transistors having source and drain portions defined in a diffusion layer of the substrate and gate portions defined by a gate layer overlying the diffusion layer, the gate portions of the P and N transistors being joined to one another by a common segment of the gate layer; wherein each tile area further includes an input wire piece extending in a first lateral direction above the gate layer, the input wire piece connecting by way of a contact to a central portion of the common gate layer segment and other portions of the common gate layer segment defining the gate portions of the P and N transistors; and wherein each tile area also includes an output wire piece extending in a second lateral direction different from the first lateral direction, the output wire piece passing insulatively by the input wire piece of its respective tile area, the output wire piece being positioned to contact to at least the drain portion of one of the P and N transistors in its respective tile area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An integrate circuit comprising:
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a laterally extending substrate; a first elongated function area defined on said substrate to extend in a first lateral direction, the first function area having a first output wire extending therethrough in the first lateral direction and a first input wire extending therein along a second lateral direction at an angle to the first lateral direction, the first function area further having a first set of complementary P and N type field effect transistors, the gates of the transistors in the first set of complementary transistors being coupled to the first input wire, a drain of one transistor in the first set being coupled to the first output wire; and a second elongated function area defined on said substrate to extend in the second lateral direction, the second function area having a second output wire extending therethrough in the second lateral direction and a second input wire extending therein along the first lateral direction, the second function area further having a second set of complementary P and N type field effect transistors, the gates of the transistors in the second set being coupled to the second input wire, a drain of one transistor in the second set being coupled to the second output wire; wherein the output wire of the first function area is coextensive with the input wire of the second function area.
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5. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a laterally-extending upper conductor layer having upper wire pieces; a laterally-extending lower conductor layer having lower wire pieces, the lower wire pieces crossing under the upper wire pieces; a via layer interposed between the upper and lower conductor layers, the via layer having defined therein a predetermined pattern of vias for coupling preselected wire pieces of the upper conductor layer to preselected wire pieces of the lower conductor layer; a base structure composed of one or more laterally-extending base layers below the lower conductor layer, including a conductive gate layer, the base structure including diffusion regions for defining source and drain portions of P-type and N-type field effect transistors, each transistor having a gate electrode defined by a portion of the gate layer; a first laterally-extending tile area for defining at least part of a first elongated function area, the first tile area encompassing within its boundaries a first portion of the base structure including at least a first P-type transistor and at least a first N-type transistor, wherein the gate electrodes of the first P-type and N-type transistors are defined by a first continuous and nonlinear portion of the gate layer, the first tile area further encompassing a first output wire-piece defined by a wire piece in a first of the lower and upper conductor layers, the first output wire-piece being coupled to a drain portion of at least one of the first P-type and N-type transistors and extending in a first of different lateral directions for conducting a first output signal of the first function are in said first lateral direction, the first tile area further encompassing a first input wire-piece defined by a wire piece in a second of the lower and upper conductor layers, the first input wire-piece extending in a second of the different lateral directions and connecting to the first gate layer portion for conducting a first input signal of the first function area in said second lateral direction to the gate electrodes of the first P-type and N-type transistors; and a second laterally-extending tile area for defining in combination with the first tile area at least part of the first elongated function area, the second tile area encompassing within its boundaries a second portion of the base structure including at least a second P-type transistor and a second N-type transistor, wherein the gate electrodes of the second P-type and N-type transistors are defined by a second continuous and nonlinear portion of the gate layer, the second tile area further encompassing a second output wire-piece defined by a wire piece in the first of the lower and upper conductor layers, the second output wire-piece extending in the first lateral direction, being coupled to a drain portion of at least one of the second P-type and N-type transistors, and being further coupled to the first output wire-piece of the first tile area for conducting the first output signal of the first function area in said first lateral direction at least partially through the second tile area, the second tile area further encompassing a second input wire-piece defined by a wire piece in the second of the lower and upper conductor layers, the second input wire-piece extending in the second lateral direction and connecting to the second gate layer portion for conducting a second input signal of the first function area in said second lateral direction to the control electrodes of the second P-type and N-type transistors. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification