Patent US6459136B1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US6459136B1 Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Single metal programmability in a customizable integrated circuit device

Assignee: Chip Express Israel Ltd
•
Filing: 2000-11-07
•
Granted: 2002-10-01
•
Expires: 2020-11-07
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A customizable integrated circuit including a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on a substrate for interconnecting a plurality of logic units formed on the substrate, including a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction, a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of the plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of the plurality of elongate conductors; and at least a third routing layer including a plurality of local routing conductors, a plurality of customizable connections, preferably arranged generally in at least one row, between pairs of the plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of the plurality of transversely extending conductors and, preferably, customizable connections between individual ones of the plurality of elongate conductors and a plurality of individual ones of the local routing conductors.

Inventors

  • 👤 Lior Amarilio
  • 👤 Tomer Ben-Chen
  • 👤 Uzi Yoeli

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-07 09:16
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/067; H10W20/40; H10W20/49

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim 171 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and at least a third routing layer including: a plurality of local routing conductors; a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors; and customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and a plurality of individual ones of said local routing conductors, wherein said customizable connections are not provided on said first or said second routing layers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 171 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and at least a third routing layer including: a plurality of local routing conductors; a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors; and customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and a plurality of individual ones of said local routing conductors, wherein said customizable connections are not provided on said first or said second routing layers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 156 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting layer routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and at least a third routing layer including: a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors, said plurality of customizable connections being arranged generally in at least one row, wherein said customizable connections are not provided on said first or said second routing layers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 156 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting layer routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and at least a third routing layer including: a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors, said plurality of customizable connections being arranged generally in at least one row, wherein said customizable connections are not provided on said first or said second routing layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said plurality of customizable connections are arranged generally in at least one row.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 145 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and a third routing layer including: a plurality of customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and one of a ground line and a power supply line, whereby elongate conductors may serve as anti-crosstalk shields between adjacent other ones of said plurality of elongate conductors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 145 words
A customizable integrated circuit comprising: a substrate; a plurality of logic units formed on said substrate; and a plurality of electrically conducting routing layers formed on said substrate for interconnecting said plurality of logic units, said plurality of electrically conducting routing layers including: a first routing layer including a plurality of elongate conductors extending generally in a given direction; a second routing layer including a plurality of transversely extending conductors, each adapted for interconnecting a termination of one of said plurality of elongate conductors to a beginning of another one of said plurality of elongate conductors; and a third routing layer including: a plurality of customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and one of a ground line and a power supply line, whereby elongate conductors may serve as anti-crosstalk shields between adjacent other ones of said plurality of elongate conductors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 59 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said third routing layer also includes a plurality of customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and one of a ground line and a power supply line, whereby elongate conductors may serve as anti-crosstalk shields between adjacent other ones of said plurality of elongate conductors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 59 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 2 and wherein said third routing layer also includes a plurality of customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and one of a ground line and a power supply line, whereby elongate conductors may serve as anti-crosstalk shields between adjacent other ones of said plurality of elongate conductors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 59 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 3 and wherein said third routing layer also includes a plurality of customizable connections between individual ones of said plurality of elongate conductors and one of a ground line and a power supply line, whereby elongate conductors may serve as anti-crosstalk shields between adjacent other ones of said plurality of elongate conductors.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 25 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers do not lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes at least a third and a fourth routing layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 1 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes a single third routing layer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 48 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 10 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes: a plurality of local routing conductors; and a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 25 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 2 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 2 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers do not lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 2 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes at least a third and a fourth routing layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 23 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 2 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes a single third routing layer.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 48 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 15 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes: a plurality of local routing conductors; and a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 25 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 3 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 3 and wherein said first, second and third routing layers do not lie in respective sequential layers over said substrate.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 27 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 3 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes at least a third and a fourth routing layer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 23 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 3 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes a single third routing layer.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 48 words
A customizable integrated circuit according to claim 20 and wherein said at least a third routing layer includes: a plurality of local routing conductors; and a plurality of customizable connections between pairs of said plurality of elongate conductors via individual ones of said plurality of transversely extending conductors.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

GB1135992A Cited
US4240094A Cited
US4924287A Cited
US5679967A Cited
US4960729A Cited
US4933738A Cited
US5049969A Cited
US5260597A Cited
US5903490A Cited
US5742181A Cited
US6331790B1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2005-09-30 2006-04-01 2006-10-01 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2009-09-30 2010-04-01 2010-10-01 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2013-09-30 2014-04-01 2014-10-01 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag