Virage Logic Corporation

Synopsys, Inc.

Gene Sluss

Deepak Dattatraya Sherlekar

Tushar R Gheewala

Duane G Breid

Oscar M Siguenza

Mike Colwell

Various methods and apparatuses are described for a power distribution structure. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit contains power gating cells that each contain Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) device switches located relative in the power distribution structure to power up and down a block of logic containing a plurality of individual cells using these MOS device switches. The MOS device switches can be tuned to requirements of a target block of logic in order to meet its optimal voltage drop requirements during its active operational state while minimizing leakage current in its off state.

Structures and methods for optimizing power consumption in an integrated chip design

Various methods and apparatuses are described in which an integrated circuit is organized into rows and columns of macro cells having a layout architecture that includes at least two metal layers and a plurality of traces carrying three or more different potentials of voltage routed by the metal layers. A first, a second, and a third adjacent metal layers extend across the integrated circuit. The plurality of traces carry three or more different potentials of voltage and are routed in the metal layers. A first power trace supplies a VDD voltage potential. A second power trace supplies a VSS voltage potential. A third power trace supplies a third voltage potential to support sleep modes and retain data during sleep modes. All three power supply traces connect to one or more transistors in a first macro cell.

Various methods and apparatuses to route multiple power rails to a cell

An apparatus for a volatile latch circuit. The volatile latch circuit may have a master latch sub circuit coupled to a slave latch sub circuit. The slave latch sub circuit maintains the logic state stored by the volatile latch circuit. The slave sub circuit may connect to a first power trace that continuously provides a first voltage potential to the slave latch sub circuit even during a sleep mode. The master latch sub circuit may connect to a second power trace that provides a second voltage potential to the master latch sub circuit that is switchably turned off during the sleep mode.

Various methods and apparatuses to preserve a logic state for a volatile latch circuit

Various methods and apparatuses are described in which an integrated circuit is organized into rows and columns of macro cells having a layout architecture that includes at least two metal layers and a plurality of traces carrying three or more different potentials of voltage routed by the metal layers. A first, a second, and a third adjacent metal layers extend across the integrated circuit. The first metal layer may be located between the second metal layer and the layer of the macro cells. The second metal layer may be located between the third metal layer and the first metal layer. The third metal layer may be orientated orthogonal to the second metal layer. The plurality of traces carry three or more different potentials of voltage and are routed in the metal layers. A first power trace supplies a VDD voltage potential. A second power trace supplies a VSS voltage potential. A third power trace supplies a third voltage potential. All three power supply traces connect to one or more transistors in a first macro cell.

Various methods and apparatuses are described in which a volatile latch circuit. The volatile latch circuit may have a master latch sub circuit coupled to a slave latch sub circuit. The slave latch sub circuit maintains the logic state stored by the volatile latch circuit. The slave sub circuit may connect to a first power trace that continuously provides a first voltage potential to the slave latch sub circuit even during a sleep mode. The master latch sub circuit may connect to a second power trace that provides a second voltage potential to the master latch sub circuit that is switchably turned off during the sleep mode.

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Pleasanton, CA, United States of America

Gene Sluss