Integrated circuit with signal bus formed by cell abutment of logic cells
View Patent ↗An integrated circuit with a signal bus formed by the cell abutment of logic cells. The integrated circuit comprises at least two logic cells. The signal bus is formed by cell abutment of the at least two logic cells. The signal bus is configured to receive a signal and to distribute the signal to each of the at least two logic cells.
1. An integrated circuit comprising:
first and second abutting logic cells;
a signal bus formed at least in part by adjacent portions of each said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive a signal for reducing power and distribute the signal to each of said first and second abutting logic cells to place them in a mode of reduced power; and
power reduction circuitry coupled to said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive the signal from the signal bus and to control power consumption in said first and second abutting logic cells based on the signal.
2. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the signal bus spans across said first and second abutting logic cells.
3. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the signal bus is formed from a conductive layer.
4. The integrated circuit of claim 3 wherein the conductive layer comprises a polycrystalline silicon layer.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 4 wherein said power reduction circuitry includes one or more power reduction transistors and a gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed by a portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 1 further comprising a pin coupled to the signal bus and configured to receive the signal.
7. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the power reduction circuitry comprises one or more power reduction transistors.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein all connections to a supply of power are coupled through a drain of one of the power reduction transistors.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein a drain of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from a semiconductor layer.
10. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein a gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from a polycrystalline silicon layer.
11. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein all circuit connections to a power supply are through a drain of at least one of the one or more power reduction transistors.
12. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein the source connection of the one or more power reduction transistors is made through diffusion.
13. The integrated circuit of claim 7 wherein the gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is parallel to a row of standard cells.
14. A method comprising:
receiving a power reduction signal using a signal bus formed at least in part by adjacent portions of first and second abutting logic cells; and
distributing the power reduction signal to each of the at least two logic cells by way of power reduction circuitry coupled to said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive the power reduction signal from the signal bus and to control power consumption in said first and second abutting logic cells based on the power reduction signal.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the signal bus spans across said first and second abutting logic cells.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein distributing the power reduction signal comprises using the signal bus formed from a conductive layer.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the conductive layer comprises a polycrystalline silicon layer.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising receiving the power reduction signal from a pin coupled to the signal bus.
19. The method of claim 14 wherein the power reduction circuitry comprises one or more power reduction transistors.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein a drain of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from a semiconductor layer.
21. The method of claim 19 wherein a gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from a portion of the signal bus comprising a polycrystalline layer.
22. A standard cell library comprising:
at least two logic cells;
a signal bus formed at least in part by adjacent portions of first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive a power reduction signal and distribute the power reduction signal to each of the at least two logic cells; and
power reduction circuitry coupled to said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive the power reduction signal from the signal bus and to control power consumption in said first and second abutting logic cells based on the power reduction signal.
23. An integrated circuit comprising:
first and second abutting logic cells;
a polycrystalline silicon layer formed at least in part by adjacent portions of each said first and second abutting logic cells, the polycrystalline silicon layer configured to receive a signal for reducing power and to distribute the signal to each of said first and second logic cells to place them in a mode of reduced power; and
power reduction circuitry coupled to said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive the signal from the polycrystalline silicon layer and to control power consumption in said first and second abutting logic cells based on the signal.
24. The integrated circuit of claim 23 wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer spans across said first and second abutting logic cells.
25. The integrated circuit of claim 24 wherein said power reduction circuitry includes one or more power reduction transistors and a gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed by a portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer.
26. The integrated circuit of claim 23 further comprising a pin coupled to the polycrystalline silicon layer and configured to receive the signal.
27. The integrated circuit of claim 23 wherein the power reduction circuitry comprises one or more power reduction transistors.
28. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein all connections to a supply of power are coupled through a drain of one of the power reduction transistors.
29. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein a drain of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from a semiconductor layer.
30. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein a gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is formed from another polycrystalline silicon layer.
31. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein the one or more power reduction transistors comprise NMOS transistors.
32. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein the one or more power reduction transistors comprise PMOS transistors.
33. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein all circuit connections to a power supply are through a drain of at least one of the one or more power reduction transistors.
34. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein the source connection of the one or more power reduction transistors is made through diffusion.
35. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein the gate of the one or more power reduction transistors is parallel to a row of standard cells.
36. The integrated circuit of claim 27 wherein a periodically spaced tap cell is connected to the polycrystalline silicon layer.
37. The integrated circuit of claim 36 wherein the tap cell includes a selected one of a V DD tap and a V SS tap.
38. A method comprising:
receiving a power reduction signal using a polycrystalline silicon layer formed at least in part by adjacent portions of first and second abutting logic cells; and
distributing the power reduction signal to each of said first and second abutting logic cells by way of power reduction circuitry coupled to said first and second abutting logic cells and configured to receive the power reduction signal from the signal bus and to control power consumption in said first and second abutting logic cells based on the power reduction signal.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the polycrystalline silicon layer spans across said first and second abutting logic cells.
40. The method of claim 38 wherein distributing the power reduction signal comprises using the polycrystalline silicon layer.
41. The method of claim 38 further comprising receiving the power reduction signal from a pin coupled to the polycrystalline silicon layer.
42. The method of claim 38 wherein the power reduction circuitry comprises one or more NMOS transistors.
43. The method of claim 42 wherein a drain of the one or more NMOS transistors is formed from a semiconductor layer.
44. The method of claim 42 wherein a gate of the one or more NMOS transistors is formed from a portion of the polycrystalline layer.