Power Gating Cell Layout Using Central Wide and Peripheral Fin Regions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional power gating cell layouts in ASIC design require large chip areas, high costs, and relatively high power consumption due to the need for header and footer switches to cut off power supplies in standby or sleep modes, which limits the miniaturization and efficiency of integrated circuits.

Innovation Solution

The introduction of a power gating cell design featuring a wide active region in the central area and multiple normal active regions in the peripheral area, where the wide active region is on-grid and the normal active regions are off-grid, optimizing the fin structure arrangement to reduce chip area and improve power conversion efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional power gating cell layouts are used with header and footer switches, then power management function is achieved, but chip area increases and manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower management functionVSAvoidchip area

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The power gating cell is divided into a central area containing a first active region with header switch and a peripheral area containing second active regions with footer switches. This segmentation allows optimized placement of different switch types in different areas, improving space utilization and reducing overall chip area while maintaining power management functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the power gating cell are assigned different functions and structures: the central area has a first active region with header switch for cutting off power at the header, while the peripheral area has second active regions with footer switches for cutting off power at the footer. This local differentiation optimizes the layout for both functionality and area efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If conventional power gating cell layouts are used with header and footer switches, then power management function is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower management functionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The power gating cell is divided into a central area containing a first active region with header switch and a peripheral area containing second active regions with footer switches. This segmentation allows optimized placement of different switch types in different areas, improving space utilization and reducing overall chip area while maintaining power management functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the power gating cell are assigned different functions and structures: the central area has a first active region with header switch for cutting off power at the header, while the peripheral area has second active regions with footer switches for cutting off power at the footer. This local differentiation optimizes the layout for both functionality and area efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If conventional power gating cell layouts are used, then power supply cutoff is achieved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower supply cutoff capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The power gating cell is divided into a central area containing a first active region with header switch and a peripheral area containing second active regions with footer switches. This segmentation allows optimized placement of different switch types in different areas, improving space utilization and reducing overall chip area while maintaining power management functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The power gating cell merges header switch and footer switch functionalities into a single integrated structure. The first active region in the central area and second active regions in the peripheral area work together to provide both header and footer power cutoff capabilities, reducing the need for separate power gating structures and thereby reducing overall power consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20240063211A1Power gating cell structure

Publication Date: 2024.02.22 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

A power gating cell on an integrated circuit is provided. The power gating cell includes: a central area; a peripheral area surrounding the central area; a first active region located in the central area, the first active region having a first width in a first direction corresponding to at least four fin structures extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and a plurality of second active regions located in the peripheral area, each second active region having a second width in the first direction corresponding to at least one and no more than three fin structures extending in the second direction.