Method of ONO stack formation
Granted: October 17, 2017
Patent Number:
9793284
A method of controlling the thickness of gate oxides in an integrated CMOS process which includes performing a two-step gate oxidation process to concurrently oxidize and therefore consume at least a first portion of the cap layer of the NV gate stack to form a blocking oxide and form a gate oxide of at least one metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor in the second region, wherein the gate oxide of the at least one MOS transistor is formed during both a first oxidation step and a…
SONOS stack with split nitride memory layer
Granted: October 17, 2017
Patent Number:
9793125
A semiconductor device includes a polysilicon substrate, a first oxide layer formed on the polysilicon substrate, an oxygen-rich nitride layer formed on the first oxide layer, a second oxide layer formed on the oxygen-rich nitride layer, and an oxygen-poor nitride layer formed on the second oxide layer.
Memory subsystem with wrapped-to-continuous read
Granted: October 17, 2017
Patent Number:
9792049
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for accessing data of a memory. A method embodiment operates by receiving one or more requests for data stored across at least a first memory area and a second memory area of a memory. The method continues with performing, by at least one processor, a wrapped read of data within a first memory area of the memory. The method then performs, by the at least one processor, a continuous read of data within a second…
Acoustic processing unit interface for determining senone scores using a greater clock frequency than that corresponding to received audio
Granted: October 10, 2017
Patent Number:
9785613
Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for acoustic modeling. In an embodiment, a speech recognition system is provided. The system includes a processing unit configured to divide a received audio signal into consecutive frames having respective frame vectors, an acoustic processing unit (APU), a data bus that couples the processing unit and the APU. The APU includes a local, non-volatile memory that stores a plurality of senones, a memory buffer…
Methods and devices for reading data from non-volatile memory cells
Granted: September 26, 2017
Patent Number:
9773529
A method for operating a read command of N complementary memory cells, the method includes the steps of determining if each of the first and second memory cells of the N complementary memory cells is in a first binary state or a second binary state, generating a count value by counting a total number of the first and second memory cells that are in the first binary state, and determining if the N complementary memory cells are programmed or erased based on a result of comparing the count…
Position and usage based prioritization for capacitance sense interface
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9766738
A technique for improving capacitive sensing accuracy. Concurrent activations of multiple capacitance sensors within an array of capacitance sensors are sensed. One of the concurrent activations of the multiple capacitance sensors is accepted as a user activation. Remaining ones of the concurrent activations of the multiple capacitance sensors are rejected based on their physical location within the array of capacitance sensors relative to the one of the concurrent activations of the…
Re-enumeration of USB 3.0 compatible devices
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9766902
A host device can download a firmware update to a peripheral device having previously enumerated with the host device. The host device can perform link training with the peripheral device in response to a re-enumeration indication received from the peripheral device. The link training can include switching a Link Training and Status State Machine (LTSSM) in the host device from an active state (U0) to an RX.Detect state and synchronizing with the peripheral device in the RX.Detect state.…
System for re-enumeration of USB 3.0 compatible peripheral devices
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9766901
Described herein is a system comprising a peripheral device that is connected to a host device over a bus compatible with USB 3.0. The host device comprises a reduced functionality USB host controller configured to perform a set of one or more preprogrammed functions from the USB 3.0 specification, and a universal asynchronous receiver and transmitter (UART) configured to sample USB response data received from the peripheral device over the bus.
Microcontroller programmable system on a chip with programmable interconnect
Granted: September 19, 2017
Patent Number:
9766650
A programmable device includes reconfigurable analog circuitry, reconfigurable digital circuitry, a plurality of input/output (I/O) blocks, and a global mapping system. The global mapping system is configured to selectively couple the plurality of I/O blocks with analog functional units of the reconfigurable analog circuitry and with digital functional units of the reconfigurable digital circuitry.
Controlling the latchup effect
Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9759764
A method includes varying spacing between at least one of a source region or a drain region and a well contact region to create a group of configurations. The method further includes determining an effect of latchup on each configuration.
Touch sensing
Granted: September 12, 2017
Patent Number:
9760192
A method and apparatus varying, by interval, a frequency of a drive signal applied to one electrode of each of a plurality of electrode pairs, select a frequency corresponding to the frequency of the drive signal, monitor changes in capacitance of each of the electrode pairs through receive signals at the selected frequency, from the other electrode of each of the plurality of electrode pairs; and determine a position of at least two objects, which are simultaneously on a touch device,…
Acoustic processing unit interface for determining senone scores using a greater clock frequency than that corresponding to received audio
Granted: September 5, 2017
Patent Number:
9753890
Embodiments of the present invention include an apparatus, method, and system for acoustic modeling. In an embodiment, a speech recognition system is provided. The system includes a processing unit configured to divide a received audio signal into consecutive frames having respective frame vectors, an acoustic processing unit (APU), a data bus that couples the processing unit and the APU. The APU includes a local, non-volatile memory that stores a plurality of senones, a memory buffer…
Mutual capacitance sensing array
Granted: September 5, 2017
Patent Number:
9753597
A method and apparatus for sensing a conductive object by a mutual capacitance sensing array is described according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mutual capacitance sensing array comprises one or more sensor elements. Each sensor element comprises an outer frame including a conductive material. A cavity is formed within the interior of the outer frame. In an example embodiment, the sensor elements include transmit (TX) sensor elements and receive (RX) sensor elements…
Stochastic signal density modulation for optical transducer control
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9750097
A controller for optical transducers uses stochastic signal density modulation to reduce electromagnetic interference.
SONOS stack with split nitride memory layer
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9748103
A semiconductor device includes a polysilicon substrate, a first oxide layer formed on the polysilicon substrate, an oxygen-rich nitride layer formed on the first oxide layer, a second oxide layer formed on the oxygen-rich nitride layer, and an oxygen-poor nitride layer formed on the second oxide layer.
Endurance of silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) memory cells
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9747987
Apparatuses and methods of pulse shaping a pulse signal for programming and erasing a Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon (SONOS) memory cell are described. In one method a pulse shape of a pulse signal is controlled to include four or more phases for programming or erasing a SONOS memory cell. A write cycle is performed to program or erase the SONOS memory with the pulse signal with the four or more phases.
Providing a baseline capacitance for a capacitance sensing channel
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9746974
A capacitance-sensing circuit may include a channel input associated with measuring a capacitance of a unit cell of a capacitive sense array. The capacitance-sensing circuit may also include a capacitive hardware baseliner that is coupled to the channel input. The capacitive hardware baseliner may generate a baseline current using a baseline capacitor and may provide the baseline current to the channel input.
Detect and differentiate touches from different size conductive objects on a capacitive button
Granted: August 29, 2017
Patent Number:
9746507
Apparatuses and methods of distinguishing between a finger and a stylus proximate to a touch surface are described. One apparatus includes a first circuit to obtain capacitance measurements of sense elements when a conductive object is proximate to a touch surface. The apparatus also includes a second circuit coupled to the first circuit. The second circuit is operable to detect whether the conductive object activates the first sense element, second sense element, or both, in view of the…
Nonvolatile charge trap memory device having a deuterated layer in a multi-layer charge-trapping region
Granted: August 22, 2017
Patent Number:
9741803
A charge trap memory device is provided. In one embodiment, the charge trap memory device includes a semiconductor material structure having a vertical channel extending from a first diffusion region formed in a semiconducting material to a second diffusion region formed over the first diffusion region, the vertical channel electrically connecting the first diffusion region to the second diffusion region. A tunnel dielectric layer is disposed on the vertical channel, a multi-layer…
Multiple phase-shift photomask and semiconductor manufacturing method
Granted: August 15, 2017
Patent Number:
9733574
Manufacturing of semiconductor devices often involves performed photolithography to pattern and etch the various features of those devices. Such photolithography involves masking and focusing light onto a surface of the semiconductor device for exposing and etching the features of the semiconductor devices. However, due to design specifications and other causes, the semiconductor devices may not have a perfectly flat light-incident surface. Rather, some areas of the semiconductor device…
