Use of plate oxide layers to increase bulk oxide thickness in semiconductor devices
Granted: September 2, 2014
Patent Number:
8822296
Semiconductor devices and methods for making such devices are described. The semiconductor devices are made by providing a semiconductor substrate with an active region, providing a bulk oxide layer in a non-active portion of the substrate, the bulk oxide layer having a first thickness in a protected area of the device, providing a plate oxide layer over the bulk oxide layer and over the substrate in the active region, forming a gate structure on the active region of the substrate, and…
MEMS multi-axis gyroscope with central suspension and gimbal structure
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8813564
Various examples include microelectromechanical die for sensing motion that includes symmetrical proof-mass electrodes interdigitated with asymmetrical stator electrodes. Some of these examples include electrodes that are curved around an axis orthogonal to the plane in which the electrodes are disposed. An example provides vertical flexures coupling an inner gimbal to a proof-mass in a manner permitting flexure around a horizontal axis.
Capacitor controlled switch system
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8818005
A switch controller is provided that uses one or more capacitors to generate a slow turn on/slow turn off switch control signals to suppress audible switching noise in an audio switch. In some embodiments, an analog inverter and a capacitor are used to generate the switch control signals, while in other embodiments two capacitors are used to generate the switch control signals. To conserve power between switching states, routing logic is provided that ties the switch control signals to…
Audio jack reset
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8817994
This document provides apparatus and methods for providing low-power operation of an interface circuit during an interval when a port of the interface circuit is in an uncoupled state.
One-time programmable fuse read
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8817517
This document discusses, among other things, a reference voltage generator circuit coupled to a plurality of fuse read circuits. The reference voltage generator circuit can be configured to mirror a reference current to produce a reference voltage and a gate bias voltage. The plurality of fuse read circuits can each be coupled to the reference voltage generator circuit and can also be coupled to a fuse of a plurality of fuses. Each fuse read circuit of the plurality of fuse read circuits…
Hybrid control techniques for series resonant converter
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8817498
A DC to DC converter system, includes inverter circuitry having a first and a second switch, the inverter circuitry further configured to generate a first and a second gate control signal, the signals configured to open and close the first and second switch, respectively, and generate an AC signal from a DC input signal. The system further includes transformer circuitry configured to transform the AC signal into a sinusoidal AC signal, second stage circuitry configured to rectify the…
Systems and methods for output control
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8816721
The present disclosure provides an output control circuit including a signal feedback circuit and an enable control circuit, wherein the signal feedback circuit is configured to compare an output voltage with a set output voltage threshold and to output a disable signal to an enable control circuit when the output voltage arrives at the set output voltage threshold, and wherein the enable control circuit is configured to stop an operation of a translation circuit, upon reception of the…
Shielded gate MOSFET device with a funnel-shaped trench
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8816431
A MOSFET device has a funnel-shaped trench etched in a semiconductor substrate. The funnel-shaped trench has flared rim extending from a wider cross section trench mouth at the surface of the semiconductor substrate to a narrower cross section trench body portion which terminates in an epilayer portion of the semiconductor substrate. A gate electrode is disposed in the trench on the flared rim. Source and gate regions of the device abut upper and lower portions of the flared rim,…
Charge balance semiconductor devices with increased mobility structures
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8816429
Charge balanced semiconductor devices with increased mobility structures and methods for making and using such devices are described. The semiconductor devices contain a substrate heavily doped with a dopant of a first conductivity type, a strained region containing a strain dopant in an upper portion of the substrate, an epitaxial layer being lightly doped with a dopant of a first or second conductivity type on the strained region, a trench formed in the epitaxial layer with the trench…
Technique for controlling trench profile in semiconductor structures
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8815744
A method for forming a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. Trenches are formed in a semiconductor region using a masking layer such that the trenches have a first depth, a first width along their bottom, and sidewalls having a first slope. The masking layer is removed, and a bevel etch is performed to taper the sidewalls of the trenches so that the sidewalls have a second slope less than the first slope.
Pulsed gate driver
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8810293
A gate driver includes a control input receiving a control signal, an output to provide an amplified output signal to the gate, and controller. The controller produces an adaptive pulse train varying with the control signal. An adaptive incrementer produces a sequence of numbers that set a slew rate of the switch, and a look-up table is fed with the sequence of numbers, and associates the numbers produced by the adaptive incrementer with values representing the duty cycle of the output…
High temperature operating package and circuit design
Granted: August 12, 2014
Patent Number:
8803239
The invention provides a semiconductor device that is thermally isolated from the printed circuit board such that the device operates at a higher temperature and radiates heat away from the printed circuit board. In another embodiment, the semiconductor is stacked onto a second device and optionally thermally isolated from the second device.
Shielded gate field effect transistors
Granted: August 12, 2014
Patent Number:
8803207
In one general aspect, an apparatus can include a trench disposed in a semiconductor region, a shield dielectric layer lining a lower portion of a sidewall of the trench and a bottom surface of the trench, and a gate dielectric lining a upper portion of the sidewall of the trench. The apparatus can also include a shield electrode disposed in a lower portion of the trench and insulated from the semiconductor region by the shield dielectric layer, and an inter-electrode dielectric (IED)…
Self-sustaining, high voltage tolerant power supply
Granted: July 29, 2014
Patent Number:
8791679
A power supply system is provided that provides voltage clamping capabilities to provide over voltage protection to circuit elements and circuit systems. The power supply includes isolation mechanisms that generate a regulated power supply that is independent of an input power source. Voltage addition/multiplication techniques may be utilized to generate a reference voltage, from the regulated power supply, that is capable of setting a maximum voltage on a clamped power supply. The power…
Power semiconductor devices having termination structures
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8786045
In one general aspect, a termination structure can include a plurality of pillars of a first conductivity type formed inside a termination region of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type where the plurality of pillars define a plurality of concentric rings surrounding an active area of a semiconductor device. The termination structure can include a conductive field plate where the plurality of pillars includes a first pillar coupled to the conductive field…
Superjunction structures for power devices and methods of manufacture
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8786010
A power device includes a semiconductor region which in turn includes a plurality of alternately arranged pillars of first and second conductivity type. Each of the plurality of pillars of second conductivity type further includes a plurality of implant regions of the second conductivity type arranged on top of one another along the depth of pillars of second conductivity type, and a trench portion filled with semiconductor material of the second conductivity type directly above the…
SiC bipolar junction transistor with overgrown emitter
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8785945
New designs for silicon carbide (SiC) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and new methods of manufacturing such SiC BJTs are provided. The SiC BJT can include a collector region, a base region, and an emitter region where the collector region, the base region, and the emitter region are arranged as a stack. The emitter region can form an elevated structure defined by outer sidewalls disposed on the stack. The base region can have a portion interfacing the emitter region and defining an…
Power management with over voltage protection
Granted: July 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8779626
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods to provide an internal supply rail with over voltage protection using a host power source, an external power source, and a switch configured to receive indications of host and external power source validity. In an example, the switch can be configured to provide the internal supply rail using the host power source when the indication of host power source validity indicates a valid host power source and the external power…
Audio device switching with reduced pop and click
Granted: July 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8779962
This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods including an analog-to-digital controller (ADC) configured to receive an enable signal and to provide an ADC output signal to control logic, wherein the control logic is configured to provide a control voltage to a control input of a switch. In an example, the control voltage includes the ADC output signal when the ADC output signal is below a first threshold or above a second threshold. In certain examples, the control…
Constant Vswitch
Granted: July 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8779839
This document discusses, among other things, a signal switch circuit including a first field effect transistor (FET) configured to couple a first node to a second node in an on-state and a charge pump circuit configured to provide a first supply voltage to control the FET, wherein a reference voltage of the charge pump circuit is coupled to a well of the FET to maintain a constant gate to source voltage of the FET during the on-state.
