Patents Assigned to Freescale
  • Publication number: 20080008249
    Abstract: Forming image information of image units (e.g. pixels) of a higher resolution by convoluting information of image units of a lower resolution with coefficients of a multiphase filter. The information of one set of higher resolution image units is formed by convoluting in a first direction the information of the lower resolution image units with a first set of four coefficients. The information of a second set of higher resolution image units is form by convoluting in the first direction the information of the lower resolution image units with a second set of four coefficients. Convolution may also be performed in a second direction with a set of four coefficients. In one example, the image information formed includes intensity information for each image unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Yong Yan
  • Publication number: 20080009251
    Abstract: A wireless mobile device comprising a tuner for converting a received radio frequency signal to a base band signal or intermediate frequency signal and providing the base band signal or intermediate frequency signal to a receiver, wherein the receiver is arranged to provide received data associated with the base band signal or intermediate frequency signal to an application processor for storage in memory, wherein the application processor is arranged to extract the data from memory in an interleaved form and perform error correction on the interleaved data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2005
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Volker Wahl, Lydie Desperben, Edwin Hilkens, Stephane DeMarchi, Khaled Maalej, Jean Sibers
  • Publication number: 20080006880
    Abstract: A method and apparatus is presented that provides mobility enhancement in the channel region of a transistor. In one embodiment, a channel region (18) is formed over a substrate that is bi-axially stressed. Source (30) and drain (32) regions are formed over the substrate. The source and drain regions provide an additional uni-axial stress to the bi-axially stressed channel region. The uni-axial stress and the bi-axially stress are both compressive for P-channel transistors and tensile for N-channel transistors. Both transistor types can be included on the same integrated circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2007
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Marius Orlowski, Suresh Venkatesan
  • Patent number: 7317222
    Abstract: A memory cell is programmed by injecting charge into a charge storage layer of the memory cell. A desired programmed charge results in the charge storage layer over an edge portion of a channel region of the memory cell. An undesired programmed charge results in the charge storage layer over an inner portion of the channel region. Charge tunneling is used to substantially remove the undesired programmed charge in the charge storage layer. In one form the memory cell has a substrate having a channel region, a first dielectric layer over the substrate and a charge storage layer over the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer over the charge storage layer has a first portion that is thicker than a second portion to selectively control the charge tunneling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig T. Swift, Gowrishankar L. Chindalore
  • Patent number: 7316965
    Abstract: A MEMS device (100) is provided that includes a handle layer (108) having a sidewall (138), a cap (132) overlying said handle layer (108), said cap (132) having a sidewall (138), and a conductive material (136) disposed on at least a portion of said sidewall of said cap (138) and said sidewall of said handle layer (138) to thereby electrically couple said handle layer (108) to said cap (132). A wafer-level method for manufacturing the MEMS device from a substrate (300) comprising a handle layer (108) and a cap (132) overlying the handle layer (108) is also provided. The method includes making a first cut through the cap (132) and at least a portion of the substrate (300) to form a first sidewall (138), and depositing a conductive material (136) onto the first sidewall (138) to electrically couple the cap (132) to the substrate (300).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen R. Hooper, Hemant D. Desai, William G. McDonald, Arvind S. Salian
  • Patent number: 7317345
    Abstract: An anti-gate leakage programmable capacitor including at least one capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a first node and a second terminal, a second node, and a control circuit which selectively couples the second terminal of the capacitor to the second node or which drives the second terminal to the same voltage as the first node. In one embodiment, the programmable capacitor includes multiple capacitors, an amplifier having an input coupled to the first node and an output, and a switch circuit coupled to the second node, to each second terminal of each capacitor and to the amplifier output. The switch circuit selectively switches each second terminal of each capacitor between the amplifier output and the second node. The switch circuit may include pairs of switches each controlled by a corresponding select signal to selectively switch a corresponding capacitor between the reference node and the output of the amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hector Sanchez, Xinghai Tang
  • Publication number: 20080005405
    Abstract: A device for controlling data communication flow to a data buffer of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The device receives data communicated from a transmitting device. The received data is placed in a data buffer in memory. The data buffer is defined by a set of buffer descriptors, whereby a number of free buffer descriptors in the set of buffer descriptors is indicative of the amount of free space in the data buffer. A communications controller determines whether the data buffer is subject to overflowing by determining when the number of free buffer descriptors moves below a threshold level (a watermark). The communications controller sends a request to the transmitting device to stop transmitting data in response to determining that the data buffer is possibly subject to an overflow condition, indicating that the data buffer is nearly full.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2006
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: James E. Innis, Iftekhar Ahmed, Matthew Joseph Taylor, David W. Todd
  • Publication number: 20080001199
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device floats the gate of a conventional transistor between two capacitors to store a logic state which can be utilized to store the condition of a circuit such as a latching type circuit such as a flip-flop or register prior to a power down operation to save power. The gate and first terminals of the two capacitors preferably share the same conductive line such as a polysilicon segment. A second transistor and a second set of capacitors store the complementary state of the logic state so that complementary signals are provided for detecting the stored logic state. After the time for power down has ended, the state of the semiconductor storage device made up of the two transistors and four capacitors is sensed, and the detected logic state is loaded back into the latching type circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Alexander Hoefler
  • Publication number: 20080001256
    Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes the steps of: providing a semiconductor substrate (110, 510, 1010, 1610) having a patterned interconnect layer (120, 520, 1020, 1620) formed thereon; depositing a first dielectric material (130, 530, 1030, 1630) over the interconnect layer; depositing a first electrode material (140, 540, 1040, 1640) over the first dielectric material; depositing a second dielectric material (150, 550, 1050, 1650) over the first electrode material; depositing a second electrode material (160, 560, 1060, 1660) over the second dielectric material; patterning the second electrode material to form a top electrode (211, 611, 1111, 1611) of a first capacitor (210, 710, 1310, 1615); and patterning the first electrode material to form a top electrode (221, 721, 1221, 1621) of a second capacitor (220, 720, 1320, 1625), to form an electrode (212, 712, 1212, 1612) of the first capacitor, and to define a resistor (230, 730, 1330).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2007
    Publication date: January 3, 2008
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductors, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas Remmel, Sriram Kalpat, Melvy Miller, Peter Zurcher
  • Patent number: 7315564
    Abstract: A system, method, and computer program product for removing “narrowband” interference from a broader spectrum containing a UWB signal, in a receiver of the UWB signal. The RFI is extracted from a broader spectrum to remove interference from the UWB signal, by employing an impulse response in a radio front-end of the UWB receiver that is matched with an incoming wavelet employed as part of a UWB signal to be received, matching the impulse response to the wavelet and its time-shifted and inverted versions, passing the wavelet unscathed through the receiver, and excising narrowband signals (continuous tones). Exemplary embodiments for the RFI extraction mechanism include a transmission line circuit, an active transmission line circuit, and an adaptable, controllable phase delay circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: John W. McCorkle
  • Patent number: 7314798
    Abstract: A method of making an array of storage cells includes a first source/drain region underlying a first trench defined in a semiconductor substrate and a second source/drain region underlying a second trench in the substrate. A charge storage stack lines each of the trenches where the charge storage stack includes a layer of discontinuous storage elements (DSEs). A control gate overlies the first trench. The control gate may run perpendicular to the trenches and traverse the first and second trenches. In another implementation, the control gate runs parallel with the trenches. The storage cell may include one or more diffusion regions occupying an upper surface of the substrate between the first and second trenches. The diffusion region may reside between first and second control gates that are parallel to the trenches. Alternatively, a pair of diffusion regions may occur on either side of a control gate that is perpendicular to the trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Gowrishankar L. Chindalore, Cheong M. Hong, Craig T. Swift
  • Patent number: 7315268
    Abstract: An integrator circuit (110) is provided including an amplifier element (170) configured to receive an input signal at an input node, amplify the input signal, and provide an amplified input signal at an output node; a feedback capacitor element (175) connected between the output node and the input node; and a current matching circuit (120) connected to the output node, and configured to sense an output voltage of the amplifier element and to provide a supplemental current (IM) to the input node that is less than or equal to a feedback current (IF) charging the feedback capacitor element. This supplemental current is substantially equal and opposite in polarity to a feedback current when the output voltage satisfies a set criterion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2008
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Merit Y. Hong
  • Patent number: 7312654
    Abstract: A closed loop audio amplifier system and method of powering up/down the system without producing audible artifacts are provided. During power up, a prebias voltage is provided to each output connected to a speaker to increase the voltage to a nominal output level. High impedance switches are then driven at a 50% duty cycle. Feedback from the output is supplied to a servo, which is enabled to fine tune the output voltage. Low impedance switches are then driven at a 50% duty cycle at a quarter cycle timing. The order of the feedback loop depends on which of the high or low impedance switches are driven. The prebias voltage is then removed before audio signals to be amplified are supplied to the system. Timing of driving of the switches is programmable. To power down, essentially the reverse sequence is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: William J. Roeckner, Pallab Midya, Patrick L. Rakers, Lawrence E. Connell, Daniel A. Mavencamp, Bradley C. Stewart
  • Patent number: 7313166
    Abstract: A code division multiple access (CDMA) receiver detects, de-scrambles, and de-spreads multiple channels that utilize different binary codes. The processing that is common to all channels can be performed once thus saving gate count and power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc
    Inventor: Wayne H. Bradley
  • Patent number: 7312129
    Abstract: A semiconductor process and apparatus use a predetermined sequence of patterning and etching steps to etch a gate stack (62) formed over a substrate (11) and a first spacer structure (42), thereby forming etched gate structures (72, 74) that are physically separated from one another but that control a substrate channel (71) subsequently defined in the substrate (11) by source/drain regions (82, 102, 84, 104) that are implanted around the etched gate structures (72, 74). Depending on how the first spacer structure (42) is positioned and configured, the channel (71) may be controlled to provide either a logical AND gate (100) or logical OR gate (200) functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Sinan Goktepeli, Alexander B. Hoefler, Marius K. Orlowski
  • Publication number: 20070294504
    Abstract: A virtual address cache and a method for sharing data. The virtual address cache includes: a memory, adapted to store virtual addresses, task identifiers and data associated with the virtual addresses and the task identifiers; and a comparator, connected to the memory, adapted to determine that data associated with a received virtual address and a received task identifier is stored in the memory if at least a portion of the received virtual address equals at least a corresponding portion of a certain stored virtual address and if at least one of the following criteria is fulfilled: the received task identifier equals a stored task identifier, (ii) a stored task identifier associated with the certain stored virtual address indicates that the data is shared between multiple tasks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2004
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Itay Peled, Moshe Anschel
  • Publication number: 20070290231
    Abstract: A bipolar transistor (100) is manufactured using the following processes: (a) forming a base electrode layer (129) as a portion of a base electrode over a semiconductor substrate (110); (b) forming a first portion of an emitter electrode (154) over the base electrode layer; (c) forming a mask layer (280) over a first portion of the base electrode layer, a portion of the first portion of the emitter electrode and a portion of the semiconductor substrate; and (d) implanting a dopant into a second portion of the base electrode layer after forming the emitter electrode after forming the mask layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay P. John, James A. Kirchgessner, Matthew W. Menner
  • Publication number: 20070293013
    Abstract: A semiconductor component is formed using the following processes: (a) forming a first dielectric layer over the semiconductor substrate; (b) forming a base electrode for the bipolar transistor over the dielectric layer; (c) forming an oxide nitride structure over the base electrode; (d) forming a first spacer adjacent to the oxide nitride structure and the base electrode; (e) removing a top layer of the oxide nitride structure; (f) removing a first portion of the dielectric layer; (g) forming an epitaxial layer over the semiconductor substrate; (h) forming a second spacer over the epitaxial layer; and (i) forming an emitter electrode over the epitaxial layer and adjacent to the second spacer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Publication date: December 20, 2007
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay P. John, James A. Kirchgessner, Matthew W. Menner
  • Patent number: 7309638
    Abstract: A semiconductor component comprises a first semiconductor region (110, 310), a second semiconductor region (120, 320) above the first semiconductor region, a third semiconductor region (130, 330) above the second semiconductor region, a fourth semiconductor region (140, 340) above the third semiconductor region, a fifth semiconductor region (150, 350) above the second semiconductor region and at least partially contiguous with the fourth semiconductor region, a sixth semiconductor region (160, 360) above and electrically shorted to the fifth semiconductor region, and an electrically insulating layer (180, 380) above the fourth semiconductor region and the fifth semiconductor region. A junction (145, 345) between the fourth semiconductor region and the fifth semiconductor region forms a zener diode junction, which is located only underneath the electrically insulating layer. In one embodiment, a seventh semiconductor region (170) circumscribes the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth semiconductor regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2007
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishnu Khemka, Vijay Parthasarathy, Ronghua Zhu, Amitava Bose, Todd C. Roggenbauer
  • Publication number: 20070285951
    Abstract: A switching circuit includes (a) a bridge circuit (122) with a first output (266) to drive a load (130); and (b) a driver circuit (120) comprising a pair of cascode amplifiers (250, 251) receiving complementary inputs and a bias voltage, wherein the driver circuit (120) is electrically coupled to the bridge circuit (122).
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2006
    Publication date: December 13, 2007
    Applicant: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: David E. Bien