INTEGRATED CIRCUIT HAVING PADS AND INPUT/OUTPUT (I/O) CELLS

摘要

A pad ( 20 ) is electrically connected to a first I/O cell ( 14 ) while also physically overlying active circuitry of a second I/O cell ( 16 ). Note that although the pad ( 20 ) overlies the second I/O cell ( 16 ), the pad ( 20 ) is not electrically connected to the I/O cell ( 16 ). Such a pattern may be replicated in any desired manner so that the I/O cells (e.g. 300 - 310 ) may have a finer pitch than the corresponding pads ( 320 - 324 and 330 - 335 ). In addition, the size of the pads may be increased (e.g. pad 131 may be bigger than pad 130 ) while the width "c" of the I/O cells ( 132 - 135 ) does not have to be increased. Such a pattern (e.g. 500 ) may be arranged so that the area required in one or more dimensions may be minimized.