Abstract: Lead frames for semiconductor device packages may include lead fingers proximate to a die-attach pad. A convex corner of the lead frame proximate to a geometric center of the lead frame may be rounded to include a radius of curvature of at least two times a greatest thickness of the die-attach pad. The thickness of the die-attach pad may be measured in a direction perpendicular to a major surface of the die-attach pad. A shortest distance between the die-attach pad and each one of the lead fingers having a surface area larger than an average surface area of the lead fingers may be at least two times the greatest thickness of the die-attach pad.

Abstract: A method of forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor with copper top and bottom plates may begin with a copper interconnect layer (e.g., Cu MTOP) including a copper structure defining the capacitor bottom plate. A passivation region is formed over the bottom plate, and a wide top plate opening is etched in the passivation region, to expose the bottom plate. A dielectric layer is deposited into the top plate opening and onto the exposed bottom plate. Narrow via opening(s) are then etched in the passivation region. The wide top plate opening and narrow via opening(s) are concurrently filled with copper to define a copper top plate and copper via(s) in contact with the bottom plate. A first aluminum bond pad is formed on the copper top plate, and a second aluminum bond pad is formed in contact with the copper via(s) to provide a conductive coupling to the bottom plate.

Abstract: A gate-drive controller for a power semiconductor device includes a master control unit (MCU) and one or more comparators that compare the output signal of the power semiconductor device to a reference value generated by the MCU. The MCU, in response to a turn-off trigger signal, generates a first intermediate drive signal for the power semiconductor device and generates a second intermediate drive signal, different from the first drive signal, when a DSAT signal indicates that the power semiconductor device is experiencing de-saturation. The MCU generates a final drive signal for the power semiconductor when the output signal of the one or more comparators indicates that the output signal of the power semiconductor device has changed relative to the reference value. The controller may also include a timer that causes the drive signals to change in predetermined intervals when the one or more comparators do not indicate a change.

Abstract: Vapor cells may include a body including a cavity within the body. A first substrate bonded to a second substrate at an interface within the body, at least one of the first substrate, the second substrate, or an interfacial material between the first and second substrates may define at least one recess or pore in a surface. A smallest dimension of the at least one recess or pore may be about 500 microns or less, as measured in a direction parallel to at least one surface of the first substrate partially defining the cavity.

Abstract: An apparatus may be communicatively coupled to other nodes in a network. The apparatus may include a control circuit configured to repeatedly issue transmission cycles to the other nodes. A given transmission cycle may include a least one send slot for each of the other nodes to send data. The control circuit may be configured to initiate transmission cycles by issuing beacon signals to the other nodes. The control circuit may be configured to determine when to issue a beacon signal in a given transmission cycle by determining that all of the other nodes have completed all associated send slots in an immediately previous transmission cycle and based upon a determination of the completion of the other nodes' transmission, delaying transmission of the beacon signal for the given transmission cycle.

Abstract: An apparatus having a substrate having first and second substrate contacts; a chip having a front-side chip contact and first and second back-side chip contacts, the front-side chip contact electrically connected to the first substrate contact; a chiplet having a chiplet contact electrically connected the first back-side chip contact; and a lead electrically connected to the second back-side chip contact and electrically connected to the second substrate contact.

Abstract: An active inductor modulator circuit is provided. The active inductor modulator circuit may include a circuit to receive an input signal and provide an output signal at an output terminal of the circuit based on a clock signal, a modulated active inductor coupled to the circuit to improve a time delay between the input signal and the provided output signal, and a modulation clock circuit to generate a delayed clock signal to enable the modulated active inductor prior to a transition of the output signal from a first logic state to a second logic state.

Abstract: A USB control method comprising: counting errors encountered by a USB connection; comparing a number of counted errors to an error count threshold within a set time frame; identifying a port speed configuration for the USB connection; and changing the port speed configuration for the USB connection to a slower port speed configuration than the identified port speed configuration.

Abstract: Described is a digital interface and related systems, method and devices. In some embodiments, an interface may be an interface between a link layer and a physical transmission medium. The interface may be configured for a bit rate and/or reference clock that limits electromagnetic emissions (EME), for example, as compared to a bit rate and/or clock rate specified by interfaces widely used in industry.

Abstract: Methods of using vapor cells may involve providing a vapor cell including a body defining a cavity within the body. At least a portion of at least one surface of the vapor cell within the cavity may include at least one pore having an average dimension of about 500 microns or less, as measured in a direction parallel to the at least one surface. A vapor pressure of a subject material within the cavity may be controlled utilizing the at least one pore by inducing an exposed surface of a subject material in a liquid state within the at least one pore to have a shape different than a shape the exposed surface of the subject material in a liquid state would have on a flat, nonporous surface.

Abstract: A system for transmitting power and data through a two pin connection interface may have a first device having a power source, a first microcontroller with a first communication peripheral coupled with a first pin and a first control port coupled with a gate of a first MOSFET whose switch path couples the power source with the first pin; and a second device having a battery, a second microcontroller with a second communication peripheral coupled with a first pin and a second control port coupled with a gate of a second MOSFET whose switch path couples the battery with the first pin of the second device. When the devices are coupled, the MOSFETs are synchronously turned on and off, wherein during an off-cycle a data transfer between the first and second device takes place through the first and second communication peripherals of the first and second device, respectively.

Abstract: A device with one-time-programmable (OTP) memory, boot code, volatile memory, and non-volatile memory. Boot code may use information in OTP to authenticate code of an implicit owner of the electronic device; receive a first create owner container request; create a first owner container comprising a first signed data image; store the first owner container; and use the first signed data image to authenticate first executable code associated with the first owner. Boot code may transfer ownership from the first owner to a second owner, including authenticating a signed transfer of ownership command using a key stored in the first owner container and creating a second owner container comprising a second signed data image associated with the second owner; storing the second owner container; revoking the first owner container; and using the second signed data image to authenticate second executable code associated with the second owner of the electronic device.

Abstract: An apparatus includes two PHY circuits, each including a PHY transmitter circuit and connected to a universal serial bus (USB)-C connector. The apparatus includes a USB circuit to issue a receiver detect signal through one of the PHY transmitters circuit to the USB-C connector, issue another receiver detect signal through the other PHY transmitter circuit to the USB-C connector, determine which receiver detect signal resulted in a termination in a USB-C element, and consequently determine an orientation of a USB plug connected between the apparatus and the USB-C element.

Abstract: An apparatus may include a first inverter and a second inverter cross-coupled between a first node and a second node to store a signal state represented by complementary voltages at the first node and the second node. The apparatus may further include a first path defined by the second inverter that includes an impedance element to resist a flow of charge suitable to change the signal state. The apparatus may further include the first inverter and a third inverter selectively cross-coupled between the first node and the second node to store a received signal state represented by the complementary voltages at the first node and the second node responsive to an assertion of a write enable signal.

Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor includes a bottom electrode cup, an insulator cup, and a top electrode. The bottom electrode cup includes a laterally-extending bottom electrode cup base, and a bottom electrode cup sidewall extending upwardly from the laterally-extending bottom electrode cup base. The insulator cup is formed in an opening defined by the bottom electrode cup, and includes a laterally-extending insulator cup base formed over the laterally-extending bottom electrode cup base, and an insulator cup sidewall extending upwardly from the laterally-extending insulator cup base. A dielectric sidewall spacer is located between the insulator cup sidewall and the bottom electrode cup sidewall. The top electrode is formed in an opening defined by the insulator cup.

Abstract: A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor module includes an outer electrode, an insulator, an inner electrode, an outer electrode extension structure, an inner electrode contact element, and an outer electrode contact element. The outer electrode includes a plurality of vertically-extending outer electrode sidewalls. The insulator is formed in an opening defined by the vertically-extending outer electrode sidewalls, and includes a plurality of vertically-extending insulator sidewalls. The inner electrode formed in an interior opening defined by the insulator. The outer electrode extension structure extends laterally from a particular vertically-extending outer electrode sidewall. The inner electrode contact element and outer electrode contact element are formed in a metal layer. The inner electrode contact element is electrically connected to the inner electrode, and the outer electrode contact element is electrically connected to the outer electrode extension structure.

Abstract: A low-resistance thick-wire integrated inductor may be formed in an integrated circuit (IC) device. The integrated inductor may include an elongated inductor wire defined by a metal layer stack including an upper metal layer, middle metal layer, and lower metal layer. The lower metal layer may be formed in a top copper interconnect layer, the upper metal layer may be formed in an aluminum bond pad layer, and the middle metal layer may comprise a copper tub region formed between the aluminum upper layer and copper lower layer. The wide copper region defining the middle layer of the metal layer stack may be formed concurrently with copper vias of interconnect structures in the IC device, e.g., by filling respective openings using copper electrochemical plating or other bottom-up fill process. The elongated inductor wire may be shaped in a spiral or other symmetrical or non-symmetrical shape.

Abstract: An array of metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitors formed in an integrated circuit (IC) structure may be used for evaluating misalignments between patterned layers of the IC structure. The array of MOM capacitors may be formed in a selected set of patterned layers, e.g., a via layer formed between a pair of metal interconnect layers. The MOM capacitors may be programmed with different patterned layer alignments (e.g., built in to photomasks or reticles used to form the patterned layers) to define an array of different alignments. When the MOM capacitors are formed on the wafer, the actual patterned layer alignments capacitors may differ from the programmed layer alignments due a process-related misalignment. The MOM capacitors may be subjected to electrical testing to identify this process-related misalignment, which may be used for initiating a correcting action, e.g., adjusting a manufacturing process or discarding misaligned IC structures or devices.

Abstract: A device having a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) data generator circuit to perform a function upon an event and generate digital DAC data based on the function and the event, and a DAC circuit to generate an analog waveform signal from the digital DAC data.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device may include a multi-material toothed bond pad including (a) an array of vertically-extending teeth formed from a first material, e.g., aluminum, and (b) a fill material, e.g., silver, at least partially filling voids between the array of teeth. The teeth may be formed by depositing and etching aluminum or other suitable material, and the fill material may be deposited over the array of teeth and extending down into the voids between the teeth, and etched to expose top surfaces of the teeth. The array of teeth may collectively define an abrasive structure. The multi-material toothed bond pad may be bonded to another bond pad, e.g., using an ultrasonic or thermosonic bonding process, during which the abrasive teeth may abrade, break, or remove unwanted native oxide layers formed on the respective bond pad surfaces, to thereby create a direct and/or eutectic bonding between the bond pads.