Blank bit and processor instructions employing the blank bit
Granted: August 12, 2014
Patent Number:
8806183
Reading a value into a register, checking to see if the value is a NULL, and then jumping out of a loop if the value is a NULL is a common task that processors perform. To speed performance of such a task, a novel “blank bit” is added to the flag register of a processor. When a first instruction (arithmetic, logic or load) is executed, the instruction operands are checked to see if any is a NULL character value. Information on the result of the check is stored in the blank bit.…
Lead and lead frame for power package
Granted: August 5, 2014
Patent Number:
8796837
A power device includes a semiconductor chip provided over a substrate, and a patterned lead. The patterned lead includes a raised portion located between a main portion and an end portion. At least part of the raised portion is positioned over the semiconductor chip at a larger height than both the main portion and the end portion. A bonding pad may also be included. The end portion may include a raised portion, bonded portion, and connecting portion. At least part of the bonded portion…
Bias current control of laser diode instrument to reduce power consumption of the instrument
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8787415
Embodiments for driving a laser diode includes generating a bias current having a duty cycle that is less than 100%. The current level of the bias current is insufficient to turn on the laser diode. A drive current is generated and combined with the bias current to turn on the laser diode almost instantly.
Pulse matching delay-locked loop
Granted: June 17, 2014
Patent Number:
8754684
A delay-locked loop (DLL) involves a pulse generating circuit that generates first and second pulses from an input clock signal. The second pulse is generated one clock signal period later than the first pulse. The first pulse is supplied to the input of a delay line. An edge of a delayed version of the first pulse as output from the delay line is phase-aligned with respect to a corresponding edge of the undelayed second pulse such that the DLL locks. The sending of pulses through the…
Power transistor with increased avalanche current and energy rating
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8742451
A field-effect transistor involves a drain electrode, a drift region, a body region, a source region, a gate insulator layer, and a gate electrode. The drift region is disposed above the drain electrode. The body region extends down into the drift region from a first upper semiconductor surface. The source region is ladder-shaped and extends down in the body region from a second upper semiconductor surface. The first and second upper semiconductor surfaces are substantially planar and…
Vertical power MOSFET and IGBT fabrication process with two fewer photomasks
Granted: June 3, 2014
Patent Number:
8741709
A process for fabrication of a power semiconductor device is disclosed in which a single photomask is used to define each of p-conductivity well regions and n-conductivity type source regions. In the process a single photomask is deposited on a layer of polysilicon on a wafer, the polysilicon layer is removed from first regions of the power semiconductor device where the p-conductivity well regions and the n-conductivity type source regions are to be formed, and both p-conductivity type…
Transformer drive for low conduction loss rectifier in flyback converter
Granted: May 27, 2014
Patent Number:
8737094
A flyback converter involves a bipolar transistor (BJT) and a parallel-connected diode as the rectifying element in the secondary side of the converter. The transformer of the converter has a primary winding, a first secondary winding, and a second secondary winding. A first end of the first secondary winding is coupled to the BJT base. A first end of the second secondary winding is coupled to the BJT collector and to the anode of the diode. The first and second secondary windings are…
Power device manufacture on the recessed side of a thinned wafer
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8716067
A recess is formed into a first side of a wafer such that a thinned center portion of the wafer is formed, and such that the central portion is surrounded by a thicker peripheral edge support portion. The second side of the wafer remains substantially entirely planar. After formation of the thinned wafer, vertical power devices are formed into the first side of the central portion of the wafer. Formation of the devices involves forming a plurality of diffusion regions into the first side…
Solderless die attach to a direct bonded aluminum substrate
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8716864
A DBA-based power device includes a DBA (Direct Bonded Aluminum) substrate. An amount of silver nanoparticle paste of a desired shape and size is deposited (for example by micro-jet deposition) onto a metal plate of the DBA. The paste is then sintered, thereby forming a sintered silver feature that is in electrical contact with an aluminum plate of the DBA. The DBA is bonded (for example, is ultrasonically welded) to a lead of a leadframe. Silver is deposited onto the wafer back side and…
Stable diodes for low and high frequency applications
Granted: May 6, 2014
Patent Number:
8716745
A diode is defined on a die. The diode includes a substrate of P conductivity having an upper surface and a lower surface, the substrate having first and second ends corresponding to first and second edges of the die. An anode contacts the lower surface of the substrate. A layer of N conductivity is provided on the upper surface of the substrate, the layer having an upper surface and a lower surface. A doped region of N conductivity is formed at an upper portion of the layer. A cathode…
IGBT assembly having circuitry for injecting/extracting current into/from an auxiliary P well
Granted: April 1, 2014
Patent Number:
8686513
An IGBT die structure includes an auxiliary P well region. A terminal, that is not connected to any other IGBT terminal, is coupled to the auxiliary P well region. To accelerate IGBT turn on, a current is injected into the terminal during the turn on time. The injected current causes charge carriers to be injected into the N drift layer of the IGBT, thereby reducing turn on time. To accelerate IGBT turn off, charge carriers are removed from the N drift layer by drawing current out of the…
Recovering energy from an IrDA/remote control transmitter circuit
Granted: March 25, 2014
Patent Number:
8682168
A portable electronic device with an IrDA transmitter LED is used to transmit both IrDA signals and remote control infrared signals. The device transmits remote control infrared signals with reduced power consumption. During a relatively longer remote control signal pulse, an inductor saturates and stores energy when a drive current flows from a power supply, through the inductor and then through the LED. An energy-transferring circuit transfers a portion of the energy stored in the…
Low-power wireless network beacon for turning off and on fluorescent lamps
Granted: February 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8653935
A low-power wireless network involves a plurality of RF-enabled fluorescent lamp starter units. In each of a plurality of intervals, a receiver of a starter unit operates in a receive mode during a beacon slot time, and for the majority of the rest of the interval operates in a low-power sleep mode. The starter unit wakes up and listens for a beacon each beacon slot time, regardless of whether a beacon is transmitted during that interval or not. A starter unit can be commanded to…
Power MOSFET having selectively silvered pads for clip and bond wire attach
Granted: February 18, 2014
Patent Number:
8653667
A packaged power field effect transistor device includes a power field effect transistor die, a DBA substrate, a clip, a wire bond, leads, and an amount of plastic encapsulant. The top of the DBA has a plurality of metal plate islands. A sintered silver feature is disposed on one of the islands. A silvered backside of the die is directly bonded to the sintered silver structure of the DBA. The upper surface of the die includes a first aluminum pad (a source pad) and a second aluminum pad…
Low forward voltage rectifier
Granted: February 11, 2014
Patent Number:
8649199
A Low Forward Voltage Rectifier (LFVR) includes a bipolar transistor, a parallel diode, and a base current injection circuit disposed in an easy-to-employ two-terminal package. In one example, the transistor is a Reverse Bipolar Junction Transistor (RBJT), the diode is a distributed diode, and the base current injection circuit is a current transformer. Under forward bias conditions (when the voltage from the first package terminal to the second package terminal is positive), the LFVR…
Bipolar junction transistor for current driven synchronous rectifier
Granted: February 11, 2014
Patent Number:
8648399
A Reverse Bipolar Junction Transistor (RBJT) integrated circuit comprises a bipolar transistor and a parallel-coupled distributed diode. The bipolar transistor involves many N-type collector regions. Each N-type collector region has a central hole so that P-type material from an underlying P-type region extends up into the hole. A collector metal electrode covers the central hole forming a diode contact at the top of the hole. When the distributed diode conducts, current flows from the…
Receiving an IR control signal through a Fresnel lens of a motion sensor
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8587415
A wall switch motion sensor detects motion using a lens and an infrared detector, and in response performs a function (for example, turns on a light). The motion sensor is also adapted to respond to IR remote control signals of the type customarily used to control electronic consumer devices in the home. In one example, a user uses an ordinary remote control device to transmit a sequence of IR control signals and dead times toward the motion sensor. The detector in the motion sensor…
Power MOSFET having selectively silvered pads for clip and bond wire attach
Granted: November 19, 2013
Patent Number:
8586480
A packaged power field effect transistor device includes a power field effect transistor die, a DBA substrate, a clip, a wire bond, leads, and an amount of plastic encapsulant. The top of the DBA has a plurality of metal plate islands. A sintered silver feature is disposed on one of the islands. A silvered backside of the die is directly bonded to the sintered silver structure of the DBA. The upper surface of the die includes a first aluminum pad (a source pad) and a second aluminum pad…
Reflow of thermoplastic sheet for passivation of power integrated circuits
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8575767
A sheet of material includes a layer of the insulative thermoplastic material such as PET (poly(ethylene terephthalate)). The sheet is placed down over the wirebonds and a semiconductor die of a substrate assembly so that the sheet contacts the wirebonds and/or the semiconductor die. In one example, the sheet is a preform and the bottom of the sheet includes a layer of tacky adhesive that adheres the sheet to the substrate assembly. The sheet is then heated such that the PET softens and…
Controlling transmission power in an IrDA/RC transmitter circuit
Granted: September 24, 2013
Patent Number:
8543002
An infrared LED of an IrDA transceiver module is usable to transmit IrDA signals as well as RC control signals. When making an IrDA transmission, the IrDA LED is driven with a lower amount of current. When making an RC transmission, the IrDA LED is driven with an increased amount of current such that infrared emissions received by an RC receiver are of adequate power to be received as RC control signals. A current-limiting circuit allows more LED current to flow the longer current is…
