Maximum voltage selection circuit and method and sub-selection circuit
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8773168
A maximum voltage selection circuit and method and a sub-selection circuit are provided. The maximum voltage selection circuit includes a peripheral signal circuit and a selection circuit with N channels of input voltages. The peripheral signal circuit provides an operating mode signal and a reference voltage to the selection circuit including N sub-selection circuits coupled to the N channels of input voltages respectively. A sub-selection circuit determines its operating mode according…
Superjunction structures for power devices and methods of manufacture
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8772868
A power device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of alternately arranged pillars of first and second conductivity types. At least one of the plurality of pillars of second conductivity type includes a first trench epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type disposed on a trench sidewall of the second trench and a trench bottom surface of the second trench, a second trench epitaxial layer of the second conductivity type disposed on the first trench epitaxial layer…
Technique for controlling trench profile in semiconductor structures
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8772169
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.
Remote display glasses camera system and method
Granted: July 1, 2014
Patent Number:
8767083
A system including a digital camera and remote display glasses. The remote display glasses include a frame, at least one display, and a first and a second temple configured to support the display proximate to at least one of the user's eyes when the remote display glasses are worn on the user's head. The digital camera includes a lens configured to capture light, an electronic viewfinder; a video processor configured to generate an image, and a camera switch configured to selectively…
Ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) monitor
Granted: June 24, 2014
Patent Number:
8760824
This document discusses, among other things, a self-test (ST) ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) monitor configured to generate a simulated ground fault starting in a first half-cycle of a first cycle of AC power and extending into a second half-cycle of the first cycle of AC power, wherein the first half-cycle of the first cycle of AC power precedes the second half-cycle of the first cycle of AC power. Further, the ST GFCI monitor can detect a response to the simulated ground…
Simulating power supply inductor current
Granted: June 24, 2014
Patent Number:
8760134
One embodiment described herein provides a circuit to approximate the inductor current of a power supply that includes a capacitor; charge/discharge circuitry configured to charge the capacitor with a voltage that is proportional to an input voltage rail of the power supply, and discharge the capacitor with a voltage that is proportional to the output voltage of the power supply; and error correction circuitry is configured to adjust the voltage that is proportional to the input voltage…
Boost converter with multi-mode synchronous rectifier
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8754616
This document discusses methods and apparatus for converting an input voltage level to an output voltage level that can be different from the input voltage level. In an example, a converter can include a first switch configured to couple an inductor to a load, a second switch configured to initiate current flow in the inductor, a third switch coupled to a current source, and a controller configured to couple the first switch to the third switch to form a current mirror, to conduct…
Accurate ninety-degree phase shifter
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8754694
An apparatus includes a drive signal circuit for MEMS sensor. The drive signal circuit includes an input configured to receive a voltage signal representative of charge generated by the MEMS sensor, a phase-shift circuit electrically coupled to the input and configured to phase shift an input signal by substantially ninety degrees, and a comparator circuit with hysteresis. An input of the comparator is electrically coupled to an output of the phase-shift circuit and an output of the…
Package with multiple dies
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8754509
A semiconductor die package is disclosed. It includes a leadframe structure comprising a first die attach pad and a second die attach pad. A plurality of leads extend from the first and second die attach pads. The plurality of leads includes at least a first control lead and a second control lead. A first semiconductor die including a first device is mounted on the first die attach pad, and a second semiconductor die has a second device is mounted on the second die attach pad. A housing…
Bipolar junction transistor with stair profile
Granted: June 10, 2014
Patent Number:
8748943
A semiconductor device and a method of forming a structure in a target substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method comprises the step of providing a masking layer on the target substrate and providing a stair-like profile in the masking layer such that the height of a step of the stair-like profile is smaller than the thickness of the masking layer. Further, the method comprises the step of performing anisotropic etching of the masking layer and the target…
Active noise cancellation
Granted: June 10, 2014
Patent Number:
8750531
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for active noise cancellation. One example system includes a digital ANC circuit configured to receive first audio information from a first microphone and to produce an a digital anti-noise signal configured to attenuate noise sensed by the first microphone; an analog ANC circuit configured to receive second audio information from a second microphone and to produce an analog anti-noise signal configured to attenuate noise…
Noise reduction method with chopping for a merged MEMS accelerometer sensor
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8742964
An apparatus includes a capacitance-to-voltage converter circuit configured to be electrically coupled to a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) sensor circuit. The capacitance-to-voltage converter circuit includes a differential chopping circuit path configured to receive a differential MEMS sensor output signal and invert a polarity of the differential chopping circuit path, and a differential sigma-delta analog to digital converter (ADC) circuit configured to sample the differential…
Apparatus and methods of soft-start in a hysteretic power converter
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8742741
In one general aspect, a power supply circuit can include a power stage configured to be coupled to a power source and configured to deliver an output voltage to a load circuit, and can include a comparator coupled to the power stage and configured to receive a reference voltage. The power supply circuit can also include a hysteresis control circuit configured to receive at least one of a feedback voltage or a reference voltage and configured to change a hysteresis of the comparator in…
Field effect transistor with gated and non-gated trenches
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8742401
A field effect transistor includes a plurality of trenches extending into a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type. The plurality of trenches includes a plurality of gated trenches and a plurality of non-gated trenches. A body region of a second conductivity extends in the semiconductor region between adjacent trenches. A dielectric material fills a bottom portion of each of the gated and non-gated trenches. A gate electrode is disposed in each gated trench. A conductive…
Micromachined inertial sensor devices
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8739626
A micromachined inertial sensor with a single proof-mass for measuring 6-degree-of-motions. The single proof-mass includes a frame, an x-axis proof mass section attached to the frame by a first flexure, and a y-axis proof mass section attached to the frame by a second flexure. The single proof-mass is formed in a micromachined structural layer and is adapted to measure angular rates about three axes with a single drive motion and linear accelerations about the three axes.
Peripheral device host charging
Granted: May 27, 2014
Patent Number:
8736227
This document discusses, among other things, a charging emulator configured to be coupled to an electrical interface, the charging emulator including a control circuit configured to receive information about a peripheral device coupled to the electrical interface and a charger circuit configured to provide power to the electrical interface using the received peripheral device information. In an example, the charging emulator can include a component of a host device including a low-power…
Schottky diode with opposite-polarity schottky diode field guard ring
Granted: May 27, 2014
Patent Number:
8736013
In one general aspect, an apparatus includes a metal or metal silicide contact layer disposed on an n-well region of a semiconductor substrate to form a primary Schottky diode. The apparatus includes a p-well guard ring region of the semiconductor substrate abutting the primary Schottky diode. The metal silicide contact layer has a perimeter portion extending over the p-well guard ring region of the semiconductor substrate and the p-well guard ring region has a doping level establishing…
High voltage clamp circuit
Granted: May 20, 2014
Patent Number:
8729950
This document discloses, among other things, a voltage clamp circuit where an output voltage equals an input voltage for at least a portion of a first range of input voltages, and where the output voltage is less than the input voltage for at least a portion of a second range of input voltages.
Differential thermistor circuit
Granted: May 20, 2014
Patent Number:
8727616
This document discusses, among other things, an apparatus and method for providing temperature information. In an example, an integrated circuit apparatus can include a first resistor configured to be coupled to a first terminal of a temperature-sensitive resistance, a second resistor configured to be coupled to a second terminal of the temperature-sensitive resistance, and a temperature information circuit configured to receive a first voltage from the first terminal of the…
Efficient input voltage sensing technique
Granted: May 13, 2014
Patent Number:
8724278
This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for detecting a charging current from a startup circuit to a controller without power loss from a voltage divider, and for providing information representative of the charging current to the controller.
