Segmented-width thin-film sense resistors with width-distributed terminal land connections

Abstract

A thin-film resistor circuit for an integrated circuit provides low resistance by segmenting a thin-film resistor to provide a wider effective thin-film resistor in a smaller die. The die includes a substrate, multiple electronic devices integrated on the substrate and interconnected to form at least a portion of an electronic circuit, a plurality of interconnect lands arranged in a grid that interconnect the devices with external terminals, and a thin-film resistor implemented by two or more thin-film resistor segments that operate in parallel in the circuit. The segments are disposed between different pairs of adjacent columns of the grid interconnect lands, with one of the thin-film resistor segments electrically connected along its width to lands of a first column of the grid of interconnect lands, and another one of the thin-film resistor segments is electrically connected along its width to lands of a second column of the grid interconnect lands.