Xilinx, Inc.

Qi Lin

Bang-Thu Nguyen

Hong-Tsz Pan

Anders T Dejenfelt

Yun Wu

Robert A Olah

Michael G Ahrens

Ben Y Sheen

Farshid Shokouhi

Yan E Wang

Zhiyuan Wu

Nui Chong

Sunhom Paak

Shuxian Wu

Sholeh Diba

Yuhao Luo

Xin X Wu

Richard C Li

Jae-Gyung Ahn

Phillip A Young

David Kuan-Yu Liu

Ping-Chin Yeh

Yuezhen Fan

Jonathan Jung-Ching Ho

Abu K Eghan

Bei Zhu

Hing Yee Angela Wong

Cyrus Chang

Hong-Tze Pan

Diane M Hoffstetter

An integrated circuit device having a plurality of stacked dies is described. The integrated circuit device comprises a first die of the plurality of stacked dies having an input/output element configured to receive an input signal, the first die comprising a signal driver circuit configured to provide the input signal to each die of the plurality of stacked dies and a chip select circuit for generating a plurality of chip select signals for the plurality of stacked dies; and a second die of the plurality of stacked dies coupled to the first die, the second die having a function block configured to the receive the input signal; wherein the second die receives the input signal in response to a chip select signal of the plurality of chip select signals that corresponds to the second die. A method of implementing an integrated circuit device having a plurality of stacked dies is also described.

Integrated circuit device having a plurality of stacked dies

An inverter includes: a PMOS comprising: a p-type source region, a p-type drain region, a p-channel region between the p-type source region and the p-type drain region, and a PMOS metal gate region; a NMOS, comprising: an n-type source region, an n-type drain region, an n-channel region between the n-type source region and the n-type drain region, and a NMOS metal gate region; an insulating layer above the p-channel region and the n-channel region, wherein the PMOS metal gate region and the NMOS metal gate region are above the insulating layer; and a gate contact between the NMOS metal gate region and the PMOS metal gate region.

Method and apparatus for suppressing metal-gate cross-diffusion in semiconductor technology

A metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) for an integrated circuit includes a substrate of a first conductivity type, a first well region of a second conductivity type located in the substrate, and a second well region of the second conductivity type located within the substrate. The second well region is functionally connected to the first well region, and the second well region has a surface area greater than a surface area of the first well region. The MOSFET further includes a source of the first conductivity type located in the first well region, a drain of the first conductivity type located in the first well region, a substrate terminal of the second conductivity type located in the first well region, a gate oxide on a top surface of the first well region, and a gate electrode located on a top surface of the gate oxide.

Apparatus and method for reducing plasma-induced damage in pMOSFETS

A method and integrated circuit structure for mitigating metal gate dishing resulting from chemical mechanical polishing. The integrated circuit structure comprises a first area comprising at least one first type device; a second area comprising at least one second type device; a third area comprising at least one capacitor having an uppermost layer of polysilicon, where the capacitor area is greater than a sum of the first and second areas. The method utilizes the polysilicon of the capacitor to mitigate metal gate dishing of a metal gate of at least one device.

Integrated circuit structure having a capacitor structured to reduce dishing of metal layers

An integrated circuit ('IC') fabricated on a semiconductor substrate has an active gate structure formed over a channel region in the semiconductor substrate. A dummy gate structure is formed on a dielectric isolation structure. The dummy gate structure and the active gate structure have the same width. A sidewall spacer on the dummy gate structure overlies a semiconductor portion between a strain-inducing insert and the dielectric isolation structure.

Integrated circuit with stress inserts

A hard implantation mask layer is formed on a semiconductor wafer. An etch mask layer is formed on the hard implantation mask layer and patterned. The hard implantation mask layer is etched to form a well implantation pattern and ions are implanted into the semiconductor wafer to form wells in the semiconductor wafer, in areas where the semiconductor wafer is not covered by the well implantation mask.

Mitigation of well proximity effect in integrated circuits

An integrated circuit device is described. In particular, the integrated circuit comprises a substrate comprising active devices; a plurality of metal layers formed over the substrate, the plurality of metal layers being separated by insulating layers; a plurality of vias enabling connections to the active devices of the substrate; a contact pad support structure defining an opening in a metal layer of the plurality of metal layers and being coupled to an interconnect line; and a contact pad formed over the contact pad support structure. A method of implementing a contact pad in an integrated circuit is also disclosed.

Integrated circuit and method of implementing a contact pad in an integrated circuit

Method and apparatus for compensating an integrated circuit design for mechanical stress effects. One aspect of the invention relates to designing an integrated circuit. Layout data is obtained that describes layers of the integrated circuit. At least one of the layers is analyzed to detect at least one structure susceptible to damage from mechanical stress. A bias is automatically added to each of the at least one structure to reduce mechanical stress of the at least one structure as fabricated. Augmented layout data is then provided for the integrated circuit.

Method and apparatus for compensating an integrated circuit layout for mechanical stress effects

A nonvolatile EEPROM cell having a double poly arrangement provides stored data without sense amplifiers, thereby reducing power requirements. The EEPROM cell has a floating gate in a first poly layer, and a control gate overlapping the floating gate in a second poly layer. This configuration allows for an area-efficient layout that is easily shrinkable as compared to prior art memory cells. In addition, stacking the control and floating gates results in higher capacitive coupling. The EEPROM cell also includes an access gate, a tunnel capacitor, and at least one inverter. In some embodiments, the EEPROM cell can be advantageously used to configure programmable logic without need for a conloading step.

Shrinkable and highly coupled double poly EEPROM with inverter

The present invention provides a tunable circuit for quickly optimizing an electrical field generated by the F-N tunneling operation. To optimize this electrical field, the charging of a positive charge pump is begun after the charging of a negative charge pump. The tunable circuit of the present invention provides a means to detect the optimal negative voltage at which pumping of the positive voltage should begin. The tunable circuit includes a resistor chain coupled between a first reference voltage and a negative voltage from the negative charge pump. When charging of the negative charge pump begins, a comparator compares the voltage at a node within the resistor chain to a second reference voltage. In accordance with the present invention, the node voltage within the resistor chain is equal to the second reference voltage when the negative voltage is equal to the voltage to be detected. Thus, the comparator generates a trigger signal when the voltage at the node decreases to the second reference voltage. This output signal triggers the pumping of the positive charge pump. By changing the resistance within the resistor chain, the positive charge pumping may be initiated at varying negative voltages. In the present invention, additional resistance is added to or removed from the resistor chain via metal options or switches.

Tunable circuit for detection of negative voltages

The present invention provides a tunable circuit for quickly optimizing an electrical field generated by the F-N tunneling operation. To optimize this electrical field, the charging of the positive charge pump is begun after the charging of the negative charge pump. The tunable circuit of the present invention provides a means to detect the optimal negative voltage at which pumping of the positive voltage should begin. The tunable circuit includes a resistor chain coupled between a first reference voltage and a negative voltage from a negative charge pump. When charging of the negative charge pump begins, a comparator compares the voltage at a node within the resistor chain to a second reference voltage. In accordance with the present invention, the node voltage within the resistor chain is equal to the second reference voltage when the negative voltage is equal to the voltage to be detected. Thus, the comparator generates a trigger signal when the voltage at the node decreases to the second reference voltage. This output signal triggers the pumping of the positive charge pump. By changing the resistance within the resistor chain, the positive charge pumping may be initiated at varying negative voltages. In the present invention, additional resistance is added to or removed from the resistor chain via metal options or switches.

A method is provided to increase the speed of a non-volatile memory transistor by increasing the read channel current in the non-volatile memory transistor. This increase in speed is accomplished without increasing the V voltage supply source or decreasing the channel length of the non-volatile memory transistor. The increase in read channel current is accomplished by applying a low voltage to the substrate region of the non-volatile memory transistor, while grounding the source of the non-volatile memory transistor. If the non-volatile memory transistor is located in an array, the low voltage is applied to the sources and drains of non-volatile memory transistors on unselected bit lines to inhibit junction leakage channel current from these unselected non-volatile memory transistors.

Method for enhancement of non-volatile memory cell read current

A plurality of flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) cells is disclosed wherein metal lines couple both the sources and the drains of the flash cells. Reading of these flash cells is accomplished by applying a positive voltage to the source and reading from the associated metal source line. A soft erase scheme for increasing the threshold voltage of over-programmed flash cells is provided that prevents the leakage caused by applying a positive voltage to the drain.

Method to implement flash memory

Method for operating flash memory

A flash electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) cell fabricated in a semiconductor substrate. A first well region having a first conductivity type is located in the semiconductor substrate. A second well region having a second conductivity type, opposite the first conductivity type, is located in the first well region. A non-volatile memory transistor and an independently controllable access transistor are fabricated in the second well region. The non-volatile memory transistor and the access transistor are connected in series, such that the source of the access transistor is coupled to the drain of the non-volatile memory transistor. The first well region, the second well region, the non-volatile memory transistor and the access transistor are biased such that electrons are transferred from the first well region to a floating gate of the non-volatile memory transistor by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling during an erase mode, and electrons are transferred from the floating gate of the non-volatile memory transistor through the access transistor by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling during a program mode. None of the biasing voltages exceed 12 Volts, thereby enabling the flash EEPROM cell to operate in a 3.3 Volt system. In one embodiment, an array of flash EEPROM cells are fabricated in the second well region.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Qi Lin