Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an IC design method for accommodating crossing line effects. SOLUTION: A preliminary design of the integrated circuit is defined and critical interconnect lines in a preliminary design are identified (21). Further, critical interconnect lines which are affected by the crossing lines in the preliminary design are identified (22) and a transmission line model is defined to represent each critical interconnect line (23). A layout design of the integrated circuit comprising circuit components and parameters thereof is then defined by using the preliminary design and the transmission line model for each critical interconnect line (24). Next, component parameters are extracted from the layout design 25 (26) and the extracted components parameters are used for the simulation of the design (27). During this design process, an environment terminal is provided every transmission line model representing critical interconnect lines affected by a crossing line. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI
Abstract:
Methods are provided for building integrated circuit transformer devices having compact universal and scalable architectures for millimeter wave applications. For example, an integrated circuit transformer (22) is formed on a semiconductor substrate (21) and includes a ground shield (23) formed on the substrate (21), a primary conductor (24) comprising an elongated conductive strip and a secondary conductor (25) comprising an elongated conductive strip. The primary conductor (24) and the secondary conductor (25) are aligned to form a coupled-wire structure that is disposed adjacent to the ground shield (23). The ground shield (23) comprises a pattern of close-ended parallel elongated slots (23a) and parallel conductive strips (23b) that are commonly connected at end portions thereof along edge regions (23c) of the ground shield (23). The slots (23a) and strips (23b) are disposed orthogonal to the primary (24) and secondary (25) conductors. The edge regions (23c) provide current return paths that are collinear to the primary (24) and secondary (25) conductors. The integrated circuit transformer (22) can be used as template or building block, which is parameterized by length, for constructing various integrated circuit devices and modular structures including, but not limited to, power amplifiers, n:l impendence transformers, and power combiners.