Power switch for backside power distribution
View Patent ↗Disclosed embodiments herein relate to an integrated circuit including power switches with active regions connected to form a contiguous region. In one aspect, the integrated circuit includes a first layer including a first metal rail extending in a first direction. In one aspect, the integrated circuit includes a second layer above the first layer along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The second layer may include active regions for power switches. In one aspect, the active regions of the power switches are connected to form a contiguous region extending in the first direction. The first metal rail may be electrically coupled to the active regions through via contacts. In one aspect, the integrated circuit includes a third layer above the second layer along the second direction. The third layer may include a second metal rail electrically coupled to some of the power switches through additional via contacts.
1. A method, comprising:
forming a first layer including a first backside metal rail extending in a first direction;
forming a second layer above the first layer along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the second layer includes a first contiguous region configured for forming a set of power switches and extending in the first direction, wherein the first backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the first contiguous region through one or more first via contacts; and
forming a third layer further above the second layer along the second direction, wherein the third layer includes a first front side metal rail electrically coupled to one or more of the set of power switches through one or more second via contacts.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a second backside metal rail in the first layer, wherein the second backside metal rail is separated from the first metal rail by a distance along the first direction.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein a length of the first contiguous region of the second layer is at least 1.1×M×N and less than or equal to 1.4×M×N, where the M is a number of the set of power switches, wherein the M is larger than one, and wherein the Nis larger than four times the distance.
4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
forming a second contiguous region in the second layer;
wherein the second backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the second contiguous region through one or more third via contacts.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a fourth layer, the first layer above the fourth layer along the second direction, wherein the fourth layer includes a plurality of third backside metal rails extending in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, wherein at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails is electrically coupled to the first backside metal rail through one or more fourth via contacts.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails provides a supply voltage to at least one of the set of power switches through the first backside metal rail.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
forming a fifth layer above the third layer along the second direction, wherein the fifth layer includes a second front side metal rail electrically coupled to the first front side metal rail through one or more fifth via contacts, wherein a regulated voltage of the supply voltage is provided from the at least one of the set of power switches to the second front side metal rail through the first front side metal rail.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first contiguous region is configured to form at least source regions or drain regions of respective transistors of the set of power switches.
9. A method, comprising:
forming a first layer including a first backside metal rail and a second backside metal rail each extending in a first direction, wherein the first and second backside metal rails are separated from each other in the first direction with a distance;
forming a second layer above the first layer along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the second layer includes a first contiguous region configured for forming a set of power switches and extending in the first direction, wherein the first backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the first contiguous region through one or more first via contacts; and
forming a third layer further above the second layer along the second direction, wherein the third layer includes a first front side metal rail electrically coupled to one or more of the set of power switches through one or more second via contacts.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a length of the first contiguous region of the second layer is at least 1.1×M×N, where the M is a number of the set of power switches, wherein the M is larger than one, and wherein the N is larger than four times the distance.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein a length of the first contiguous region of the second layer is less than or equal to 1.4×M×N, where the M is a number of the set of power switches, wherein the M is larger than one, and wherein the N is larger than four times the distance.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
forming a second contiguous region in the second layer;
wherein the second backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the second contiguous region through one or more third via contacts.
13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
forming a fourth layer, the first layer above the fourth layer along the second direction, wherein the fourth layer includes a plurality of third backside metal rails extending in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, wherein at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails is electrically coupled to the first backside metal rail through one or more fourth via contacts.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails provides a supply voltage to at least one of the set of power switches through the first backside metal rail.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
forming a fifth layer above the third layer along the second direction, wherein the fifth layer includes a second front side metal rail electrically coupled to the first front side metal rail through one or more fifth via contacts, wherein a regulated voltage of the supply voltage is provided from the at least one of the set of power switches to the second front side metal rail through the first front side metal rail.
16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first contiguous region is configured to form at least source regions or drain regions of respective transistors of the set of power switches.
17. A method, comprising:
forming a first layer including a first backside metal rail and a second backside metal rail each extending in a first direction, wherein the first and second backside metal rails are separated from each other in the first direction with a distance;
forming a second layer above the first layer along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the second layer includes a first contiguous region configured for forming a set of power switches and extending in the first direction, wherein the first backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the first contiguous region through one or more first via contacts; and
forming a third layer further above the second layer along the second direction, wherein the third layer includes a first front side metal rail electrically coupled to one or more of the set of power switches through one or more second via contacts;
wherein a length of the first contiguous region of the second layer is at least 1.1×M×N and less than or equal to 1.4×M×N, where the M is a number of the set of power switches, wherein the M is larger than one, and wherein the N is larger than four times the distance.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
forming a second contiguous region in the second layer;
wherein the second backside metal rail is electrically coupled to the second contiguous region through one or more third via contacts.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
forming a fourth layer, the first layer above the fourth layer along the second direction, wherein the fourth layer includes a plurality of third backside metal rails extending in a third direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, wherein at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails is electrically coupled to the first backside metal rail through one or more fourth via contacts.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of third backside metal rails provides a supply voltage to at least one of the set of power switches through the first backside metal rail.