Cell architecture to reduce customization in a semiconductor device

• US 6,580,289 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2002
• Issued: 06/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Triad Semiconductor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Viasic, Inc.
• Inventors: Cox, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tokar, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tan, Vibol
• Application Number:
  US10/164,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20020186045A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 326/37-41
• US Class Current: 326/40
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318321 for combinational circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/1736 in which the wiring can be modified
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17728 Reconfigurable logic blocks, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17736 Structural details of routing resources
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17764 for reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/17796 for physical disposition of blocks

Abstract

A semiconductor device and method of testing the device having a plurality of logic cells interconnected using vias to connect routing tracks that are disposed among a plurality of layers in the device. The logic cells in the device including at least two three-input look-up tables, one two-input look-up table and a flip-flop. The components in the logic cell are connected so that any look-up table can drive at least one input of any other look-up table and where the flip-flop is connected to the look-up tables so that any look-up table can drive an input of the flip-flop.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of logic cells interconnected using via connections between routing tracks that are disposed among a plurality of layers, wherein said logic cells comprise;

at least two three-input look-up tables;

at least one two-input look-up table;

a flip-flop; and

wherein the look-up tables are interconnected so that any one look-up table can drive at least one input of at least one other look-up table and the flip-flop is connected to the look-up tables so that any look-up table can drive an input of the flip-flop.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein the logic cells are programmable and the programming is determined using via connections between the routing tracks.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said at least two three-input look-up tables comprises at least one multiplexer.

4. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said at least one two-input look-up table comprises at least one multiplexer.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said logic cells further comprise at least one inverter to buffer and amplify an output signal of the logic cell.

6. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein the logic cells are arranged in an array of programmable cells having a multiplicity of inputs and outputs.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein the device is an application specific integrated circuit.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein said logic cells are programmed for testing the logic functions of the cell during a testing process.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 8 wherein the testing process comprises:

selecting at least one component in said logic cells to test;

sending test data to the at least one component; and

reading the internal nodes of the at least one component using a read circuit in such a manner so as to require a significant charge to flip the state of a read line in the read circuit to indicate that the internal nodes of the at least one component are not floating.

10. The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of layers includes at least three metal layers and a single custom via layer used to interconnect said components in said logic cells.

11. A method of making a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a semiconductor layer comprising a mask-configurable gate array having logic cells that include at least two three-input look-up tables, at least one two-input look-up table and a flip-flop, wherein the look-up tables are interconnected so that any one look-up table can drive at least one input of at least one other look-up table and the flip-flop is connected to the look-up tables so that any look-up table can drive an input of the flip-flop; and

forming a plurality of metal layers disposed on top of the semiconductor layer for routing connections wherein at least some of the plurality of metal layers configures the gate array logic cells.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the gate array logic cells are configured with only some of the plurality of metal layers.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the gate array logic cells are substantially configured with only one of the plurality of metal layers.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one of the plurality of metal layers is a via layer.