Voltage regulators with kickback protection
Granted: September 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9148054
The subject matter of this document can be embodied in a method that includes a voltage regulator having an input terminal and an output terminal. The voltage regulator includes a high-side transistor between the input terminal and an intermediate terminal, and a low-side transistor between the intermediate terminal and ground. The voltage regulator includes a low-side driver circuit including a capacitor and an inverter. The output of the inverter is connected to the gate of the…
Method for making magnetic components with M-phase coupling, and related inductor structures
Granted: September 29, 2015
Patent Number:
9147515
An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg.
Maximum power point tracking controllers and associated systems and methods
Granted: September 22, 2015
Patent Number:
9141123
A maximum power point tracking controller includes an input port for electrically coupling to an electric power source, an output port for electrically coupling to a load, a control switching device, and a control subsystem. The control switching device is adapted to repeatedly switch between its conductive and non-conductive states to transfer power from the input port to the output port. The control subsystem is adapted to control switching of the control switching device to regulate a…
Systems and methods for DC-to-DC converter control
Granted: August 11, 2015
Patent Number:
9106201
A regulated, power supply system is described using multiphase DC-DC converters with dynamic fast-turnon, slow-turnoff phase shedding, early phase turn-on, and both load-voltage and drive-transistor feedback to pulsewidth modulators to provide fast response to load transients. In an embodiment, a system master can automatically determine whether all, or only some, slave phase units are fully populated. The programmable system includes fault detection with current and voltage sensing,…
Power management applications of interconnect substrates
Granted: August 4, 2015
Patent Number:
9099340
Various applications of interconnect substrates in power management systems are described.
Integrated circuits including magnetic devices
Granted: July 14, 2015
Patent Number:
9083332
An integrated circuit includes a semiconductor die including one or more switching circuits, a magnetic core having length and width, first and second metallic leads, and integrated circuit packaging material. The first metallic lead forms a first winding turn around a portion of the magnetic core, and the first metallic lead is electrically coupled to the semiconductor die. The second metallic lead forms a second winding turn around a portion of the magnetic core. The first and second…
Chip-scale packaging with protective heat spreader
Granted: June 30, 2015
Patent Number:
9070662
A semiconductor package can include a semiconductor die having an integrated circuit, a first die surface, and an opposite second die surface. A packaging can be attached to the die and have a holder surface opposite the first die surface. A heat spreader can be configured to cover the second die surface and the packaging surface and can be attached thereto by a layer of adhesive positioned between the heat spreader and the semiconductor die. A semiconductor package array can include an…
Voltage regulator with inductor banks and control signal
Granted: May 26, 2015
Patent Number:
9042139
A voltage regulator coupled to an unregulated DC input voltage source by an input terminal, and to a load by an output terminal is disclosed. The voltage regulator converts an input voltage at the input terminal to an output voltage at the output terminal. The voltage regulator includes one or more slaves, and each slave includes a switching circuit which serves as a power switch for alternately coupling and decoupling the input terminal to an intermediate node. The voltage regulator…
Switching circuits for extracting power from an electric power source and associated methods
Granted: May 19, 2015
Patent Number:
9035626
A switching circuit for extracting power from an electric power source includes (1) an input port for electrically coupling to the electric power source, (2) an output port for electrically coupling to a load, (3) a first switching device configured to switch between its conductive state and its non-conductive state to transfer power from the input port to the output port, (4) an intermediate switching node that transitions between at least two different voltage levels at least in part…
Method for making magnetic components with M-phase coupling, and related inductor structures
Granted: April 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9019064
An M phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core including a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, and M legs disposed between and connecting the first and second end magnetic elements. M is an integer greater than one. The coupled inductor further includes M windings, where each winding has a substantially rectangular cross section. Each one of the M windings is at least partially wound about a respective leg.
Coupled inductor with improved leakage inductance control
Granted: April 28, 2015
Patent Number:
9019063
An M-winding coupled inductor includes a first end magnetic element, a second end magnetic element, M connecting magnetic elements, and M windings. M is an integer greater than one. Each connecting magnetic element is disposed between and connects the first and second end magnetic elements. Each winding is wound at least partially around a respective one of the M connecting magnetic elements. The coupled inductor further includes at least one top magnetic element adjacent to and…
Powder core material coupled inductors and associated methods
Granted: April 21, 2015
Patent Number:
9013259
A multi-phase coupled inductor includes a magnetic core formed of a powder magnetic material and first, second, third, and fourth terminals. The coupled inductor further includes a first winding forming at least one turn and at least partially embedded in the core and a second winding forming at least one turn and at least partially embedded in the core. The first winding is electrically coupled between the first and second terminals, and the second winding electrically is coupled…
Lateral double-diffused MOSFET
Granted: March 31, 2015
Patent Number:
8994106
A transistor structure includes a p-type substrate, an n-well implanted in the substrate, a p-doped p-body implanted in the n-well, first and second transistors, an input line, and an output line. The first transistor includes a first gate, a first source, and a first drain, and the second transistor includes a second gate, a second source, and a second drain. The first source includes a first p+ region and a first n+ region, and the first drain includes a second n+ region. The second…
Coupled inductors with leakage plates, and associated systems and methods
Granted: March 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8975995
A coupled inductor includes a ladder magnetic core, a first common leakage plate formed of a magnetic material, and N windings, where N is an integer greater than one. The ladder magnetic core includes first and second rails and N rungs, where each of the N rungs connects the first and second rails. Each of the N windings includes a respective first portion. Each of the N windings is wound around a respective one of the N rungs, and at least two of the N windings are wrapped at least…
Vertical gate LDMOS device
Granted: March 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8969158
A method of fabricating a vertical gate region in LDMOS transistor includes depositing a first masking layer on an n-well region implanted on a substrate, patterning the first masking layer to define an area, depositing a second masking layer over the area, etching through the second masking layer in a first portion of the area to expose the n-well region, and etching the exposed n-well region to form a first trench. The first trench, extending from a surface of the n-well region to a…
Powder core material coupled inductors and associated methods
Granted: February 10, 2015
Patent Number:
8952776
A multi-phase coupled inductor includes a powder core material magnetic core and first, second, third, and fourth terminals. The coupled inductor further includes a first winding at least partially embedded in the core and a second winding at least partially embedded in the core. The first winding is electrically coupled between the first and second terminals, and the second winding electrically is coupled between the third and fourth terminals. The second winding is at least partially…
Switching circuits for extracting power from an electric power source and associated methods
Granted: February 3, 2015
Patent Number:
8946937
An integrated circuit chip includes a first input port, a first output port, and first and second transistors electrically coupled in series across the first input port. The second transistor is also electrically coupled across the first output port and is adapted to provide a path for current flowing through the first output port when the first transistor is in its non-conductive state. The integrated circuit chip additionally includes first driver circuitry for driving gates of the…
Lead assembly for a flip-chip power switch
Granted: January 27, 2015
Patent Number:
8942009
A power switch assembly includes a flip-chip type integrated circuit chip and a lead-frame with a plurality of spaced apart parallel lead sections. The flip-chip type integrated circuit chip includes a distributed transistor, and first and second pluralities of flip-chip interconnects connected to source and drain regions, respectively. The first and second lead sections at least partially overlap along the first axis. Each of the plurality of lead sections includes a contact portion and…
Low profile inductors for high density circuit boards
Granted: January 27, 2015
Patent Number:
8941459
An inductor includes a core formed of a magnetic material and a foil winding wound at least partially around or through at least a portion of the core. A first end of the winding extends away from the core to form an extended output tongue configured and arranged to supplement or serve as a substitute for a printed circuit board foil trace. A second end of the winding forms a solder tab. At least a portion of the extended output tongue and the solder tab are formed at a same height…
Dual gate lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) transistor
Granted: January 20, 2015
Patent Number:
8936980
Method and apparatus for providing a lateral double-diffused MOSFET (LDMOS) transistor having a dual gate. The dual gate includes a first gate and a second gate. The first gate includes a first oxide layer formed over a substrate, and the second gate includes a second oxide layer formed over the substrate. The first gate is located a pre-determined distance from the second gate. A digitally implemented voltage regulator is also provided that includes a switching circuit having a dual…
