Backside Wiring Layout for Dense Standard Cell Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity of integrated circuits due to miniaturization and reduced power supply voltage leads to significant parasitic effects from wiring, necessitating improved methods for arranging interconnecting lines to enhance routing efficiency and reduce power loss.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a backside wiring pattern on a substrate with internal connection nodes and gate lines, along with frontside and backside contacts, allows for increased routing freedom and reduced complexity, enabling efficient signal transmission and power distribution within the integrated circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the width, gap space, and height of wires are reduced to increase integration density, then the degree of integration is improved, but the parasitic element of the wiring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a backside wiring layer on the opposite side of the substrate from the frontside wiring layer, effectively moving the wiring solution to another dimension (the third dimension through substrate thickness). This allows power and ground signals to be routed on the backside, separating them from the frontside signal wiring, thereby reducing parasitic coupling and interference while maintaining high integration density on the frontside.
2Quantity of substance
If the size of the standard cell is reduced to increase cell density, then the integration density is improved, but the complexity of arranging interconnecting lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
By utilizing the backside of the substrate for wiring, the patent effectively adds a vertical dimension to the routing space. This allows interconnecting lines to be arranged more freely without being constrained to the two-dimensional plane of the frontside, thereby reducing arrangement complexity even as cell density increases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the wiring function into two separate layers: frontside wiring for signal transmission and backside wiring for power and ground distribution. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized independently, simplifying the arrangement of interconnecting lines while maintaining high cell density.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the voltage of the power supply is reduced to decrease power consumption, then power consumption is reduced, but the influence of parasitic elements on the integrated circuit increases
Solution Approach 1:
The backside wiring layer provides a dedicated path for power and ground signals, physically separating them from signal wiring on the frontside. This separation reduces parasitic coupling and interference, allowing the circuit to operate reliably at lower voltages where parasitic effects would otherwise be more significant.
Solution Approach 2:
The backside wiring layer acts as an intermediary structure that mediates between the power supply and the frontside circuitry. By providing a low-impedance power and ground distribution network on the backside, it reduces the impact of parasitic elements on signal integrity, enabling lower operating voltages.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes a substrate and a plurality of standard cells on the substrate. A standard cell of the plurality of standard cells includes a backside wiring pattern arranged on a lower portion of the substrate and including at least an internal connection node of the standard cell and a plurality of gate lines arranged on an upper portion of the substrate and extending in a first horizontal direction. At least one of the plurality of gate lines functions as an input pin of the standard cell.