Analog circuit power distribution circuits and design methodologies for producing same
View Patent ↗A power distribution circuit built with wiring layers that reside above an analog circuit is described. The power distribution circuit comprises one or more capacitive structures that reside above the analog circuit. At least one of the one or more capacitive structures has electrodes that provide supply and/or reference voltages and their corresponding currents to said analog circuit. A machine readable medium is described to perform a method in order to design the power distribution circuit. The method includes: assigning a specific supply or reference voltage to each of the electrodes; and, determining wiring dimensions for each of the electrodes. The wiring dimensions for the electrodes of at least one of the capacitive structures is are based at least in part on IR drop concerns.
1. A power distribution circuit above an analog circuit, said power distribution circuit built with interconnect wiring of a semiconductor chip integrated circuit that contains said analog circuit, said power distribution circuit comprising a mesh structure that includes:
a) a first group of metallic wires formed in a first layer, said first group of metallic wires running in a first direction;
b) a second group of metallic wires formed in a second layer, said second layer above said first layer, said second group of metallic wires running in a second direction that is different than said first direction;
c) a first electrode of a vertical capacitor comprising a first group of vertically aligned metallic wires each running in a same direction, said first electrode above said first and second layers, said second electrode above said first and second layers;
d) a second electrode of said vertical capacitor comprising a second group of vertically aligned metallic wires each running in said same direction, said second electrode above said first and second layers.
2. The power distribution circuit of claim 1 wherein said first group of metallic wires effect two electrically isolated conductive regions.
3. The power distribution circuit of claim 2 wherein said second group of metallic wires effect two electrically isolated conductive regions, one of said conductive regions of said second group electrically connected to one of said conductive regions of said first group, the other of said conductive regions of said second group electrically connected to the other of said conductive regions of said first group.
4. The power distribution circuit of claim 3 wherein said one of said conductive regions of said second group is electrically connected to said first electrode, and, the other of said conductive regions of said second group is electrically connected to said second electrode.
5. The power distribution circuit of claim 4 further comprising a third group of metallic wires formed in a third layer, said third layer above said first and second electrodes.
6. The power distribution circuit of claim 1 wherein said first and second directions are orthogonal to one another.