Domain-specific analog/digital integrated circuits in the gate-forest environment

An innovative concept for domain-specific mixed analog/digital integrated circuits is introduced. Two exemplary ICs are detailed showing how flexible analog circuitry is merged with the customizable digital Gate-Forest to respond to specific multi-client demands. The domains of smart power and analog control are addressed. Direct-write E-beam supports short turn-around prototyping even for environmental conditions that are difficult to simulate. Two chips of 44 mm² have been developed that combine a semicustom core of 2500 equivalent Gate-Forest SOG with analog interfaces for production in a standard 5 V CMOS technology. On the first chip, eight P-channel open-drain 40 V/50 mA output stages are merged with the semicustom core. On the second chip, two types of SAR (Successive-Approximation-Register) A/D-converters have been combined with a Gate-Forest core