Abstract: A semiconductor device (200) comprising a semiconductor substrate (210) having a well (220) located therein and a first dielectric (250) located over the well (220). The semiconductor substrate (210) is doped with a first type dopant, and the well (220) is doped with a second type dopant opposite to that of the first type dopant. The semiconductor device (200) also comprises first and second electrodes (310, 320), wherein at least the first electrodes (310) are located over the well (220) and first dielectric (250). A second dielectric (510) may be located between the first and second electrodes (310, 320).

Abstract: A digital system and method of operation is provided in which a method is provided for cleaning a range of addresses in a storage region specified by a start parameter and an end parameter. An interruptible clean instruction (802) can be executed in a sequence of instructions (800) in accordance with a program counter. If an interrupt (804) is received during execution of the clean instruction, execution of the clean instruction is suspended before it is completed. After performing a context switch (810), the interrupt is serviced (820). Upon returning from the interrupt service routine (830, 834), execution of the clean instruction is resumed by comparing the start parameter and the end parameter provided by the clean instruction with a current content of a respective start register and end register used during execution of the clean instruction. If the same, execution of the clean instruction is resumed using the current content of the start register and end register.

Abstract: A memory array including a bit cell row, a strap cell row, a first power supply line, and a first offset supply line is provided. The bit cell row may include a bit cell that includes a first transistor disposed in a first bit cell body region. The first transistor may include a first active region. The strap cell row may include a strap cell that includes a first strap cell body region. The first strap cell body region may be conductively coupled to the first bit cell body region. The first power supply line may be electrically coupled to the first active region and may provide a first supply voltage potential to the first active region. The first offset supply line may be electrically coupled to the first strap cell body region and may provide a first offset voltage potential to the first bit cell body region via the first strap cell body region. The first supply voltage potential is operable to be different from the first offset voltage potential.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package (30) comprising a substrate (70) having peripheral openings (86) and first and second surfaces (92, 94), a plurality of routing strips (82) being integral with the substrate (70), a plurality of pads (100) centrally disposed on the first surface (92) and electrically connected with at least one of the routing strips (82), a chip (50) having bonding pads (120) adhered to the second surface (84) of the substrate (70), wire bonding (80) electrically connecting at least one bonding pad (120) to at least one of the routing strips (82) and potting material (90) filling the openings (86) to adhere the chip (50) to the substrate (70) and surrounding the wire bonding (80), is disclosed.

Abstract: A conventional volatile SRAM cell is modified into a non-volatile, read only memory cell. This permits a device whose design currently includes on-chip SRAM, but no ROM, to have non-volatile, read only memory with minimal redesign and development effort. The modifications made to the already present SRAM are fairly minimal resulting in much of the modified SRAM being largely unchanged. Because existing on chip, volatile memory is used largely as is with fairly minimal modifications to make the memory non-volatile, the time-to-market for such a device is much shorter than it would have been had the device been redesigned to include conventional ROM.

Abstract: A digital system and method of operation is provided in which several processors (590n) are connected to a shared cache memory resource (500). A translation lookaside buffer (TLB) (310n) is connected to receive a request virtual address from each respective processor. A set of address regions (pages) is defined within an address space of a back-up memory associated with the cache and write allocation in the cache is defined on a page basis. Each TLB has a set of entries that correspond to pages of address space and each entry provides a write allocate attribute (550) for the associated page of address space. During operation of the system, software programs are executed and memory transactions are performed. A write allocate attribute signal (550) is provided with each write transaction request. In this manner, the attribute signal is responsive to the value of the write allocation attribute bit assigned to an address region that includes the address of the write transaction request.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of forming an FeRAM integrated circuit, which includes evaluating the capacitor stack to determine the efficacy of the sidewall diffusion barrier layer deposition. When evaluating the capacitor stack after etching a masking layer portion of the hard mask, if “ears” are seen on top of the stack, the sidewall diffusion barrier layer is sufficiently thick to provide an adequate sidewall barrier. Evaluation may be performed using a standard or tilt scanning electron microscope, for example.

Abstract: A method to more accurately monitor remaining battery life under varying load conditions. The measured battery voltage is adjusted for the current load and then used to determine the remaining battery life according to the battery voltage discharge curve for the battery type and chemistry. Advantageously, in an embodiment the present invention the remaining battery life can be determined despite fluctuations in the current due to a changing load and without monitoring current flow so that the determination of battery life is independent of the battery charging process.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a transistor includes providing a transistor assembly having a semiconductor layer with a first surface, a dielectric layer disposed on the first surface, a gate electrode disposed on the dielectric layer, an insulation layer adjacent at least part of the gate electrode, and a nitride spacer layer adjacent at least part of the insulation layer. The method also includes depositing, on part of the first surface, a material that will react with the semiconductor layer to form silicide and removing the unreacted material. The method further includes etching the nitride spacer layer, depositing a pre-metal spacer layer adjacent at least part of the nitride spacer layer and at least part of the first surface, etch removing a portion of the pre-metal spacer layer to expose part of the silicided portion of the first surface, and forming a contact with the silicided portion of the first surface.

Abstract: A semiconductor package according to the present invention includes a die attachment area for receiving a die attachment material and a stitch bond area for receiving a wire lead from a die. The stitch bond area is adjacent to said die attachment area on the substrate. Moreover, a stud bump is formed on the substrate for preventing the die attachment material from contacting the stitch bond area when a die is attached to the die attachment area. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor package according to the present invention also is disclosed.

Abstract: An integrated circuit located between isolation trenches at the surface of a semiconductor chip comprising a first well of a first conductivity type having a first resistivity. This first well has a shallow buried region of higher resistivity than the first resistivity, extending between the isolation trenches and created by a compensating doping process. The circuit further comprises a second well of the opposite conductivity type extending to the surface between the isolation trenches, having a contact region and forming a junction with the shallow buried region of the first well, substantially parallel to the surface. Finally, the circuit has a MOS transistor located in the second well, spaced from the contact region, and having source, gate and drain regions at the surface. This space is predetermined to create a small voltage drop in I/O transistors for conditioning signals and power to a pad, or large voltage drops in ESD circuits for protecting the active circuitry connected to a pad.

Abstract: A driver (300) which meets wide common mode voltage requirements is provided. Output passgates (310) protect sensitive line driver circuitry (305) from extreme bus voltages; enabling/disabling circuits (315, 316) detect fault conditions to ensure the line driver is disabled when needed, and pull-ups (320) assist in line driver start up by preventing negative voltage conditions on the bus driven by the line driver.

Abstract: A method for converting sample rates includes obtaining coefficients from a sample rate conversion coefficient table. In this method, the table is generated prior to the real-time sample rate conversion using LaGrange Interpolation based on the ratio of the input sample rate to the output sample rate.

Abstract: A semiconductor circuit for multi-voltage operation having built-in electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection is described, comprising a drain extended nMOS transistor and a pnpn silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) merged with the transistor so that a dual npn structure is created and both the source of the transistor and the cathode of the SCR are connected to electrical ground potential, forming a dual cathode, whereby the ESD protection is enhanced. The rectifier has a diffusion region, forming an abrupt junction, resistively coupled to the drain, whereby the electrical breakdown-to-substrate of the SCR can be triggered prior to the breakdown of the nMOS transistor drain. The SCR has anode and cathode regions spaced apart by semiconductor surface regions and insulating layers positioned over the surface regions with a thickness suitable for high voltage operation and ESD protection.

Abstract: A maximum length (M) of compressed codes desired to be decoded in a single lookup is determined. 2M rows are generated, with each row having a bit indicating whether a corresponding M-bit combination, when viewed from the first bit, contains a compression code and a source code corresponding to the compression code. A matching row corresponding to a value represented by M-bits of a source bit stream (“present portion”) is first determined, and the source code in the matching row is set as the decoded value if the matching row is indicated to contain a compression code. If the length (P) of the compression code corresponding to the decoded value is less than M, the last (M−P) bits of the present portion are used as a part of the next portion. Additional bits are used to generate the decoded value if the present portion does not contain the entire compression code.

Abstract: A digital system is provided with a several processors, a private level one (L1) cache associated with each processor, a shared level two (L2) cache having several segments per entry, and a level three (L3) physical memory. The shared L2 cache architecture is embodied with 4-way associativity with corresponding tag arrays (502(n)), four segments per entry and four valid and dirty bits. Each tag entry (1236) includes task-ID qualifier field (522) and a resource ID qualifier field (520). Data is loaded into various of lines (506) in the cache in response to cache access requests when a given cache access request misses. After loading data into the cache in response to a miss, a tag (1236) associated with the data line is set to a valid state (526). In addition to setting a tag to a valid state, qualifier values are stored in qualifier fields (520, 522) in the tag. Each qualifier value specifies a usage characteristic of data stored in an associated data line of the cache.

Abstract: A shift register with low power consumption has memory circuits 151-15N connected in series, gate circuits in memory circuits 152n−1 in the odd-numbered locations become conductive when clock signal CK is high, and gate circuits in memory circuits 152n in the even-numbered locations become conductive when clock signal CK is low, wherein data signals S input are latched for output when the gate circuits are shut off. The circuit configuration is simplified. The Shift register operates every one half of the cycle of clock signal CK, allowing the frequency of clock signal to be reduced by half, resulting in reduced power consumption.

Abstract: A modem comprises circuitry for receiving an analog signal from a line and circuitry for converting the analog signal to a digital signal. The digital signal comprises a plurality of ideal sample points (P0-P3), each separated in time by a period T, and the plurality of ideal sample points comprises a sync sequence (14). The modem further comprises circuitry (34) for detecting the sequence comprising an integer number S of sampling circuits (38, 40), wherein S is two or greater. Each of the sampling circuits comprises circuitry for taking a sample corresponding to each of the plurality of ideal sample points at least once per the period T. Each of the sampling circuits also comprises circuitry for comparing a plurality of taken samples to a correlation sequence. Finally, each of the sampling circuits comprises circuitry for outputting a sync detected signal (SYNC0, SYNC1) in response to a sufficient match between the plurality of taken samples and the correlation sequence.

Abstract: The failure rate of an integrated circuit (IC) is quickly determined by analyzing the corresponding design. The IC is partitioned into multiple cells, with each cell typically containing a logic gate. A default input signal is assumed for each cell and the default failure in time (FIT) rates of the cells are computed. The default signal is selected based on pessimistic assumptions on overshoots. The IC is analyzed to determine the cells (“overshoot cells”) that would actually experience overshoots. Detailed analysis is performed on the overshoot cells to determine exact FIT rates. The failure rate of the IC is determined based on the exact FIT rates for the overshoot cells and the default FIT rates for the remaining cells.

Abstract: Structure and fabrication method of a lateral MOS transistor, positioned on the surface of an integrated circuit fabricated in a semiconductor of a first conductivity type, comprising a source and a drain, each having at the surface a region of the opposite conductivity type extending to the centrally located gate, defining the active area of said transistor; and a semiconductor region within said semiconductor of the first conductivity type, having a resistivity higher than the remainder of the semiconductor, this region extending vertically below the transistor while laterally limited to the area of the transistor such that the resistivity under the gate is different from the resistivity under the source and drain regions.