IP Library Granted Patent US 10,771,063
Granted Patent B2
US 10,771,063 · App. 16/456,068 · Granted Sep 8, 2020

Configurable first in first out and deserializer circuitry

Inventors: Eah Loon Alan Chuah (Tanjung Tokong, MY); Hui Hui Ngu (Bayan Lepas, MY)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
H03K19/17744H03K19/1774H03K19/1776H03K19/17728H03K19/17732
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,771,063
App. No.
16/456,068
Granted
Sep 8, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit device with a single via layer, in which the via layer includes selectable via sites and/or jumpers. The selectable via sites and/or placement of jumpers may be used to configure and interconnect components and circuitry between distinct layers of multilayer circuits. In some implementations, selectively enabling via sites, such as by filling via opening and/or using jumpers, may form a deserializer circuit with a first via configuration or a first-in first-out (FIFO) circuit with a second via configuration.

Claims (27)

1. An integrated circuit device comprising:

a data interface block;

a plurality of data logic blocks connected to the data interface block at least in part by vias of a via layer, wherein the vias are arranged on the via layer in a via configuration; and

the via layer, wherein the via layer causes the data interface block and the plurality of data logic blocks to operate at least in part as a deserializer circuit when the via configuration of the via layer is a first via configuration and a first-in-first-out (FIFO) circuit when the via configuration of the via layer is a second via configuration.

2. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the first via configuration comprises a first configuration of via sites in the via layer and the second via configuration comprises a second configuration of via sites in the via layer, wherein the first configuration of via sites and the second configuration of via sites are different.

3. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the via layer, based on the configuration of the via layer, causes the integrated circuit device to perform double data rate (DDR) sampling in a third via configuration or a single data rate (SDR) sampling in a fourth via configuration.

4. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the first via configuration and the second via configuration are static.

5. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit device comprises a multiplexer circuit, wherein the multiplexer circuit allows a dynamic configuration of the first via configuration or the second via configuration.

6. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the via layer comprises a plurality of vertical segments, a plurality of horizontal segments, or a combination thereof.

7. The integrated circuit device of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of vertical segments, the plurality of horizontal segments, or a combination thereof, are connected using one or more jumpers.

8. The integrated circuit device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more jumpers allow reconfiguring connections of the via layer, and wherein the reconfiguring results in connecting or disconnecting the plurality of data logic blocks to the data interface block based on the reconfiguration of the via layer.

9. The integrated circuit device of claim 1 , wherein the via layer is associated with a single via mask.

10. A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising:

forming circuitry using a first one or more masks; and

forming vias using a second one or more masks to produce one of a plurality of via configurations, wherein a first via configuration of the plurality of via configurations causes a first portion of the circuitry to operate as a deserializer circuit, and wherein a second via configuration of the plurality of via configurations causes a second portion of the circuitry to operate as a first-in-first-out (FIFO) circuit.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein circuitry of the first via configuration and the second via configuration comprise at least one redundant component, wherein the redundant component is a common component to the integrated circuit resulting from the first via configuration and the integrated circuit resulting from the second via configuration.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least one via site of a via layer used in the first via configuration is unused in the second via configuration.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the vias comprise via sites, wherein the via sites are positioned based on applications to be implemented using a single layer of the vias and its connection to the circuitry.

14. A configurable circuit, comprising:

a circuit comprising one or more data logic blocks comprising one or more flip-flops, one or more multiplexers, one or more inverters, one or more comparators, one or more read address counters, one or more read address decoders, one or more write address counters, one or more write address decoders, or a combination thereof; and

a plurality of vias connected to at least a portion of the circuit to implement a first-in-first-out circuit in a first via configuration or a deserializer circuit in a second via configuration.

15. The configurable circuit of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of vias enabled to implement the first-in-first-out circuit in the first via configuration comprise at least one different enabled via of the plurality of vias to implement the deserializer circuit in the second via configuration.

16. The configurable circuit of claim 14 , the circuit comprising a data interface block, wherein the data interface block is configured for a double data rate (DDR) or a single data rate (SDR) sampling.

17. The configurable circuit of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of data logic blocks comprise two active high latches and two active low latches, a NOR gate with an inverted input, a NAND gate, a tri-state buffer, or a combination thereof.

18. The configurable circuit of claim 17 , wherein the two active high latches, the two active low latches, the NOR gate with an inverted input, the NAND gate, and the tri-state buffer are connected to at least one via of the plurality of vias, wherein at least one via comprises an input connection.

19. The configurable circuit of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of data logic blocks are each connected to a different one bit of a read word line from the one or more read address decoders and a different one bit of a write word line from the one or more write address decoders.

20. The configurable circuit of claim 17 , wherein the one or more flip-flops are activated and data is latched into a respective flip-flop of the one or more flip-flops based on an input high speed clock signal, wherein implementing the first-in-first-out circuit comprises a write clock signal that is half a frequency of the input high speed clock signal, wherein the write clock signal is selected using one of the plurality of vias.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2025
From: ALTERA CORPORATION
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073431/0309 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 9, 2025
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: ALTERA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 072704/0307 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 2, 2019
From: CHUAH, EAH LOON ALAN; NGU, HUI HUI
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 049654/0876 →