US5567988A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Integrated circuit interconnect structure with back reflection suppressing electronic "speed bumps"
Assignee: LSI Corp
•
Filing: 1995-06-07
•
Granted: 1996-10-22
•
Expires: 2015-06-07
Abstract
Abstract A polysilicon interconnect is formed on a microelectronic circuit substrate for conducting signals from a driver to a non-polycrystalline silicon contact which has higher impedance than the interconnect. A plurality of electronic "speed bumps" are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing or disrupting signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact and thereby reducing undesirable back reflection and ringing. The speed bumps can include capacitance altering elements in the form of dielectric strips, or resistance altering elements in the form of low resistance doped areas or high resistance amorphous areas. The speed bumps can include first and second elements having different values of capacitance or resistance which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Inventors
- 👤 Michael D. Rostoker
- 👤 Nicholas F. Pasch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 04:18
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/495
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 58
Claim 1
Independent Claim
54 words
An interconnect structure for a microelectronic device having a substrate, comprising: a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
54 words
An interconnect structure for a microelectronic device having a substrate, comprising: a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A structure as in claim 1, in which the contact has a higher impedance than the interconnect.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
18 words
A structure as in claim 1, in which: the interconnect comprises polysilicon; and the contact comprises non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
A structure as in claim 1, in which the speed bumps comprise a plurality of dielectric strips which are formed over a surface of the substrate and the interconnect and locally alter an effective capacitance of the interconnect.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A structure as in claim 4, in which the dielectric strips have larger dielectric constants than the interconnect.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A structure as in claim 4, in which the dielectric strips comprise first and second dielectric strips having first and second different dielectric constants respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
A structure as in claim 6, in which the dielectric strips are spaced from each other.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A structure as in claim 6, in which the dielectric strips substantially abut against each other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
A structure as in claim 1, in which the speed bumps comprise altered resistance areas of the interconnect.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
A structure as in claim 9, in which the altered resistance areas have higher resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A structure as in claim 10, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas are formed of non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
A structure as in claim 11, in which the altered resistance areas are formed of amorphous silicon.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
18 words
A structure as in claim 9, in which the altered resistance areas have lower resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A structure as in claim 13, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas comprise impurity doping.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
35 words
A structure as in claim 9, in which the altered resistance areas comprise first and second altered resistance areas having first and second different resistances respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
17 words
A structure as in claim 9, in which the altered resistance areas are spaced from each other.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
A structure as in claim 9, in which the altered resistance areas substantially abut against each other.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
51 words
A microelectronic integrated circuit, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
51 words
A microelectronic integrated circuit, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 18, in which the contact has a higher impedance than the interconnect.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 18, in which: the interconnect comprises polysilicon; and the contact comprises non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
39 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 18, in which the speed bumps comprise a plurality of dielectric strips which are formed over a surface of the substrate and the interconnect and locally alter an effective capacitance of the interconnect.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 21, in which the dielectric strips have larger dielectric constants than the interconnect.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
35 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 21, in which the dielectric strips comprise first and second dielectric strips having first and second different dielectric constants respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
17 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 21, in which the dielectric strips are spaced from each other.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 21, in which the dielectric strips substantially abut against each other.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 18, in which the speed bumps comprise altered resistance areas of the interconnect.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 26, in which the altered resistance areas have higher resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 27, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas are formed of non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 28, in which the altered resistance areas are formed of amorphous silicon.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
19 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 26, in which the altered resistance areas have lower resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
23 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 30, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas comprise impurity doping.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
36 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 26, in which the altered resistance areas comprise first and second altered resistance areas having first and second different resistances respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
18 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 26, in which the altered resistance areas are spaced from each other.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
An integrated circuit as in claim 26, in which the altered resistance areas substantially abut against each other.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
57 words
A system including a microelectronic integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
57 words
A system including a microelectronic integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a contact formed on the substrate; an interconnect which is formed on the substrate and connected to the contact; and a plurality of electronic speed bumps which are spaced along the interconnect for disturbing electrical signals propagating along the interconnect toward the contact.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the contact has a higher impedance than the interconnect.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 35, in which: the interconnect comprises polysilicon; and the contact comprises non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
38 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the speed bumps comprise a plurality of dielectric strips which are formed over a surface of the substrate and the interconnect and locally alter an effective capacitance of the interconnect.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 38, in which the dielectric strips have larger dielectric constants than the interconnect.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
34 words
A system as in claim 38, in which the dielectric strips comprise first and second dielectric strips having first and second different dielectric constants respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 38, in which the dielectric strips are spaced from each other.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 38, in which the dielectric strips substantially abut against each other.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the speed bumps comprise altered resistance areas of the interconnect.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 43, in which the altered resistance areas have higher resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
24 words
A system as in claim 44, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas are formed of non-polycrystalline silicon.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 45, in which the altered resistance areas are formed of amorphous silicon.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
A system as in claim 43, in which the altered resistance areas have lower resistances than the interconnect.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 47, in which: the interconnect is formed of polysilicon; and the altered resistance areas comprise impurity doping.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
35 words
A system as in claim 43, in which the altered resistance areas comprise first and second altered resistance areas having first and second different resistances respectively which are spaced along the interconnect in alternating relation.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 43, in which the altered resistance areas are spaced from each other.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 43, in which the altered resistance areas substantially abut against each other.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the integrated circuit comprises a Single Chip Module (SCM).
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the integrated circuit comprises a Multi Chip Module (MCM).
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 35, in which the integrated circuit comprises a Box Level Product (BLP).
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
16 words
A system as in claim 11, in which the integrated circuit comprises a board level product.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3667008A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-10-22 | 2000-04-22 | 2000-10-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-10-22 | 2004-04-22 | 2004-10-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-10-22 | 2008-04-22 | 2008-10-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |