IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,248,743
Granted Patent B2
US 12,248,743 · App. 17/685,166 · Granted Mar 11, 2025

Cell architecture with backside power rails

Inventors: Sharath Koodali Edathil (Austin, TX); Marlin Wayne Frederick, Jr. (Austin, TX)
Assignee: Arm Limited
G06F30/373G06F30/327G06F30/394G06F30/398
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,248,743
App. No.
17/685,166
Granted
Mar 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various implementations described herein refer to a method. The method may be configured to synthesize standard cells for a physical design having a power supply net with power supply rails. The method may be configured to employ a place-and-route tool so as to define edge-types for each standard cell of the standard cells in the physical design based on the power supply net and the power supply rails that touch at least one edge of each standard cell of the standard cells.

Claims (41)

1. A device, comprising:

one or more cells having a backside power distribution network (BPDN) cell architecture comprising:

a first power rail coupled to a first power supply and comprising a first power rail segment configured to provide the first power supply to the one or more cells; and

a grounded power rail coupled to ground, wherein either the first power rail or the grounded power rail is configurable with a power rail interruption.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the power rail interruption corresponds to a rail continuity break, and further comprising:

a second power rail coupled to a second power supply and comprising a second power rail segment that is configured to provide the second power supply to the one or more cells, wherein the second power segment is configured to be positioned in spatial intervals corresponding to the rail continuity break.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein;

the rail continuity break comprises a rail opening; and

at least one of the first, second, or grounded power rail is formed with the same or different backside metal layers (BML).

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein:

the second power segment is configured to be positioned in the spatial intervals;

first and second rail openings are formed on opposing sides of the second power segment; and

the first and second power rails are arranged corresponding to a single-row or multi-row of cells, wherein the single-row of cells comprise placement restrictions on an upper edge, and wherein the multi-row of cells comprise no placement restrictions.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first power rail is arranged corresponding to a single row corresponding of cells, and wherein at least one of the one or more cells is configured with placement restrictions on east edges, west edges, and north edges.

6. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second power rails are arranged corresponding to a multi-row of cells, wherein at least one of first or second rows of the multi-row of cells is configured to provide the second power supply to an inside edge of the one or more cells, and wherein a third row of the multi-row of cells is configured to provide the first power supply to an outside edge of the one or more cells.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the first and second power rails are arranged corresponding to a multi-row of cells, and wherein at least one of first or second rows of the multi-row of cells is configured to provide the first power supply to an inside edge of the one or more cells, and wherein a third row of the multi-row of cells is configured to provide the second power supply to an outside edge of the one or more cells.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising: a first cell boundary corresponding to one or more areas that define a first useful span of device (USOD), wherein the USOD is enclosed within the cell boundary.

9. The device of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first power rail or the grounded power rail is configured at least partially as a removed rail, as a single segmented rail, or as a multi-segmented rail.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein:

the removed rail refers to an absence of a configurable supply rail in one or more of the multiple rail positions;

the single segmented rail refers to presence of a single segmented supply rail in one or more of the multiple rail positions that is coupled to a primary power supply, coupled to a secondary power supply, or unconnected to any power supply; and

the multi-segmented rail refers to multiple segments that are separated with gapped spatial intervals so as to provide interruption between different rail segments that are coupled to a primary power supply, coupled to a secondary power supply, or unconnected to any power supply.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more cells having a backside power distribution network (BPDN) cell architecture comprise a multi-cell architecture having multiple cell structures of multiple cell types,

wherein each cell structure has a backside power distribution network with backside power rails arranged in the multiple cell types, and

wherein each cell structure has a grounded edge and a configured edge that provides a non-powered edge, an extended-power edge, or a powered edge with an interruption.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein:

each cell structure includes the backside power distribution network with the backside power rails arranged in the multiple cell types so as to provide at least one of the first power supply, a second power supply and the ground.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the multiple cell types include:

a first cell type having the grounded edge coupled to the ground and the configured edge that provides the non-powered edge.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the multiple cell types include:

a second cell type having the grounded edge coupled to the ground and the configured edge that provides the extended-power edge coupled to the primary power supply or the secondary power supply.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the multiple cell types include:

a third cell type having the grounded edge coupled to the ground and the configured edge that provides the powered edge coupled to the primary power supply or the secondary power supply, and wherein the powered edge has an interruption with another non-powered edge inserted in the gapped spatial interval provided by the interruption.

16. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more cells comprises a no power edge (NPE) cell type configured with no power rail in the first power rail segment and configured with an NPE edge and the grounded power rail.

17. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more cells comprises an extended power edge (EXT) cell type configured with an un-named power rail (UPPR) in the first power rail segment associated with an EXT edge and the grounded power rail.

18. The device of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more cells having a backside power distribution network (BPDN) cell architecture comprise a multi-cell architecture having multiple cell structures of multiple cell types, and

wherein the BPDN cell architecture comprises: a first row comprising of one or more of an extended power edge (EXT) cell type; a no power edge (NPE) cell type; and an un-named power rail (UPPR) cell type.

19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:

a segmented power rail is disposed between the grounded power rail, and an upper grounded power rail, wherein the grounded power rail comprises a lower grounded power rail.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the segmented power rail segment comprises one or more of UNPR segments, no power (NP) segments, first power supply (PPWR) segments, and second power supply (SPWR) segments.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2022
From: EDATHIL, SHARATH KOODALI; FREDERICK, MARLIN WAYNE, JR
To: ARM LIMITED
Reel/Frame 059309/0315 →
Continuity (2)
Division 17091229 · Nov 6, 2020
Related Publication 20220188496A1 · Jun 16, 2022
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