Abstract: A capacitor structure which exhibits a constant capacitance at non-negative voltages is provided by erasing a P-well floating gate NMOS transistor prior to its use as a capacitor. By erasing the transistor, a negative threshold voltage is obtained, thereby turning on the transistor and placing the transistor in an inversion state where the MOS capacitance is voltage-independent. Such transistors can be utilized as capacitors, whereby one plate of the capacitor corresponds to the control gate of the transistor and the other plate corresponds to the commonly connected source, drain, P-well, and deep N-well regions of the transistor, in voltage regulator circuits or other circuits in which node stabilization is desired. As a result, the capacitance is constant even at initialization when zero volts is applied.

Abstract: A micro filled material includes a binding material and optionally includes a number of particles. The binding material and the particles can be formed of any conductive or nonconductive material. Using such a micro filled via material, an electrical conductor is formed in a substrate for supporting one or more electronic components using the following steps: placing the micro filled via material between two conductive layers at various locations in a substrate at which an electrical conductor is to be formed; and optionally programming the micro filled via material to reduce the resistance of, or to form an electrical conductor.

Abstract: An adapter is described herein which releasably connects a ball grid array package to a printed circuit board, or to a testing board, such that the ball grid array package may be reused. In a preferred embodiment, an inexpensive base of the adapter contains solder balls or terminals on its bottom surface in the same pattern as the solder balls on the bottom of the ball grid array package. The terminals protrude slightly through the top surface of the base. A conductive elastomer, which conducts in one direction only, is then placed over the top surface of the base of the adapter so as to make electrical contact with the protruding terminals on the base. A ball grid array package is then placed over the conductive elastomer such that the solder balls on the bottom surface of the ball grid array package electrically contact respective terminals on the base.

Abstract: First and second conductivity type regions are produced in a polysilicon layer using only a single masking step. In one embodiment, the polysilicon layer is doped to a first conductivity type. A first oxide layer is then formed and patterned over the polysilicon layer to cover a first region and expose a second region of the polysilicon layer. The exposed second region of the polysilicon layer is then counter-doped, with the first oxide layer acting as a mask to prevent counter-doping of the underlying first region of the polysilicon layer. In accordance with the present invention, n-channel devices with n-type or p-type polysilicon gates and p-channel devices with p-type or n-type polysilicon gates can be formed without having to add a single process step. Thus, n-channel and p-channel devices with two different threshold voltages can be realized without adding a single process step.