Methods for multi-wire routing and apparatus implementing same

摘要

A rectangular interlevel connector array (RICA) is defined in a semiconductor chip. To define the RICA, a virtual grid for interlevel connector placement is defined to include a first set of parallel virtual lines that extend across the layout in a first direction, and a second set of parallel virtual lines that extend across the layout in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. A first plurality of interlevel connector structures are placed at respective gridpoints in the virtual grid to form a first RICA. The first plurality of interlevel connector structures of the first RICA are placed to collaboratively connect a first conductor channel in a first chip level with a second conductor channel in a second chip level. A second RICA can be interleaved with the first RICA to collaboratively connect third and fourth conductor channels that are respectively interleaved with the first and second conductor channels.

主权项

1. A semiconductor chip, comprising:
a first set of at least two conductors extending in a first direction in a parallel manner, the first set of at least two conductors corresponding to a common electrical node; a second set of at least two conductors extending in a second direction in a parallel manner, the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second set of at least two conductors corresponding to the common electrical node, the first and second sets of at least two conductors located on different levels of the semiconductor chip; and at least two interlevel conductors extending between the different levels of the semiconductor chip such that each of the first set of at least two conductors is connected to at least one of the second set of at least two conductors by one or more of the at least two interlevel conductors.