Process tunable resistor with user selectable values
View Patent ↗A process tunable resistor is fabricated by adjusting elements of the resistor during a fabrication process. The elements include legs, turns, and elements such as a parallel sub-legs, that are adjusted in the fabrication process to provide a specific user defined resistance value. The process tunable resistor provides for fixed contact points in order to support pre-existing or define circuit designs.
1. A semiconductor die, comprising:
a die substrate;
a resistor above the die substrate, the resistor including:
a first conductive pathway extending in a first direction, wherein the first conductive pathway has an end,
a second conductive pathway parallel to the first conductive pathway, and
a third conductive pathway having at least a portion that is perpendicular to the first conductive pathway and to the second conductive pathway, wherein the third conductive pathway electrically couples the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, the third conductive pathway is closer to the end of the first conductive pathway than any other conductive pathway that electrically couples the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, the third conductive pathway contacts the first conductive pathway at a first location along the first conductive pathway, and the first location is spaced apart from the end of the first conductive pathway; and
at least one electrical contact structure in contact with the first conductive pathway at a second location along the first conductive pathway, wherein the first location is between the end of the first conductive pathway and the second location along the first conductive pathway.
2. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , wherein the third conductive pathway is one of a plurality of third conductive pathways, individual ones of the third conductive pathways electrically couple the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, and individual ones of the third conductive pathways contact the first conductive pathway at locations spaced apart from the end of the first conductive pathway.
3. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , wherein the third conductive pathway includes at least a portion that is not perpendicular to the first conductive pathway.
4. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , wherein:
the second conductive pathway has an end;
the third conductive pathway contacts the second conductive pathway at a third location along the second conductive pathway;
the third location is spaced apart from the end of the second conductive pathway.
5. The semiconductor die of claim 4 , further comprising:
at least one electrical contact structure in contact with the second conductive pathway at a fourth location along the second conductive pathway; and
the third location is between the end of the second conductive pathway and the fourth location along the second conductive pathway.
6. The semiconductor die of claim 5 , wherein the end of the first conductive pathway is a first end, the at least one electrical contact structure is proximate to a second end of the first conductive pathway, and the second end of the first conductive pathway is opposite to the first end of the first conductive pathway.
7. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , wherein the resistor further comprises:
a fourth conductive pathway parallel to the second conductive pathway; and
a fifth conductive pathway having at least a portion that is perpendicular to the second conductive pathway and to the fourth conductive pathway;
wherein the fifth conductive pathway electrically couples the second conductive pathway and the third conductive pathway, the second conductive pathway has an end, the fifth conductive pathway is closer to the end of the second conductive pathway than any other conductive pathway that electrical couples the second conductive pathway and the third conductive pathway, the fifth conductive pathway contacts the second conductive pathway at a third location along the second conductive pathway, and the third location is spaced apart from the end of the second conductive pathway.
8. The semiconductor die of claim 7 , wherein the fifth conductive pathway is one of a plurality of fifth conductive pathways, individual ones of the fifth conductive pathways electrically couple the second conductive pathway and the fourth conductive pathway, and individual ones of the fifth conductive pathways contact the second conductive pathway at locations spaced apart from the end of the second conductive pathway.
9. The semiconductor die of claim 7 , wherein the fifth conductive pathway includes at least a portion that is not perpendicular to the second conductive pathway.
10. The semiconductor die of claim 7 , wherein:
the fourth conductive pathway has an end;
the fifth conductive pathway contacts the fourth conductive pathway at a fourth location along the fourth conductive pathway;
the fourth location is spaced apart from the end of the fourth conductive pathway.
11. The semiconductor die of claim 7 , wherein the end of the second conductive pathway is a first end of the second conductive pathway, the third conductive pathway is proximate to a second end of the second conductive pathway, the fifth conductive pathway is proximate to the first end of the second conductive pathway, and the second end of the second conductive pathway is opposite to the first end of the second conductive pathway.
12. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical contact structure includes multiple electrical contact structures.
13. The semiconductor die of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first electrical component electrically coupled to the resistor through the one or more electrical contact structures; and
a second electrical component electrically coupled to the resistor through additional one or more electrical contact structures.
14. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor die, comprising:
providing a die substrate;
forming a resistor above the die substrate, the resistor including:
a first conductive pathway extending in a first direction, wherein the first conductive pathway has an end,
a second conductive pathway parallel to the first conductive pathway, and
a third conductive pathway having at least a portion that is perpendicular to the first conductive pathway and to the second conductive pathway,
wherein the third conductive pathway electrically couples the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, the third conductive pathway is closer to the end of the first conductive pathway than any other conductive pathway that electrically couples the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, the third conductive pathway contacts the first conductive pathway at a first location along the first conductive pathway, and the first location is spaced apart from the end of the first conductive pathway; and
forming at least one electrical contact structure in contact with the first conductive pathway at a second location along the first conductive pathway, wherein the first location is between the end of the first conductive pathway and the second location along the first conductive pathway.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the third conductive pathway is one of a plurality of third conductive pathways, individual ones of the third conductive pathways electrically couple the first conductive pathway and the second conductive pathway, and individual ones of the third conductive pathways contact the first conductive pathway at locations spaced apart from the end of the first conductive pathway.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the third conductive pathway includes at least a portion that is not perpendicular to the first conductive pathway.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the third conductive pathway contacts the second conductive pathway at a location spaced apart from an end of the second conductive pathway.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the resistor further includes:
a fourth conductive pathway parallel to the second conductive pathway; and
a fifth conductive pathway having at least a portion that is perpendicular to the second conductive pathway and to the fourth conductive pathway;
wherein the fifth conductive pathway electrically couples the second conductive pathway and the fourth conductive pathway, the second conductive pathway has an end, the fifth conductive pathway is closer to the end of the second conductive pathway than any other conductive pathway that electrically couples the second conductive pathway and the fourth conductive pathway, the fifth conductive pathway contacts the second conductive pathway at a third location along the second conductive pathway, and the third location is spaced apart from the end of the second conductive pathway.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fifth conductive pathway is one of a plurality of fifth conductive pathways, individual ones of the fifth conductive pathways electrically couple the second conductive pathway and the fourth conductive pathway, and individual ones of the fifth conductive pathways contact the second conductive pathway at locations spaced apart from the end of the second conductive pathway.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fifth conductive pathway includes at least a portion that is not perpendicular to the second conductive pathway.
21. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
forming at least one electrical contact structure in contact with the second conductive pathway.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the end of the first conductive pathway is a first end, the at least one electrical contact structure is proximate to a second end of the first conductive pathway, and the second end of the first conductive pathway is opposite to the first end of the first conductive pathway.
23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the at least one electrical contact structure includes multiple electrical contact structures.