Abstract: A programmable divide-by-N counter employs a plurality of speed enhancement techniques to provide an overall operational speed corresponding to the speed at which a single-clocked flip-flop is capable of being toggled. The counter configuration provides flexibility in selecting the value of N, the programmable divisor, as well as the possibility of increasing the length the counting chain without producing a reduction in overall operational speed. The speed enhancement techniques are primarily located in the reset logic portion of the counter. A key aspect utilized through-out the overall circuit is that critical signal propagation paths in terms of speed of operation present no more than four gate delay intervals in total response time.

Abstract: A dice separation technique involves producing a depressed street pattern (14) on the front device processing major surface of a wafer (11) before thinning the wafer down to a desired thickness. After mounting the wafer (11) on a suitable carrier, it is thinned down and selectively metallized to from backside contacts. Semiconductor material is removed from the central regions of the streets (14). Exposed material damaged by the material removal is also removed to eliminate micro-cracking while producing dice (12 and 13) having straight and smooth orthogonal edges. The present technique is particularly suitable for working with brittle compound semiconductor material between die areas having FETs or MMICs embedded therein.

Abstract: An apparatus for coupling a waveguide structure to a printed circuit transmission line connected to a solid state device requiring a DC bias comprising: a hollow waveguide connector; a base mounted onto that connector and supporting the transmission line; a transition element, preferably a coupling ridge, for RF coupling the waveguide connector to the transmission line; a connecting means for feeding the DC bias voltage from an external bias network through the wall of the waveguide connector and the transition element to the transmission line. The connecting means, and the transition element are DC insulated from the other parts of the waveguide connector. The built-in DC bias eliminates the need for biasing networks, RF chokes, filters and DC blocks mounted on the printed circuit.

Abstract: A common-drain high frequency power oscillator is configured by electrically reversing the channel of a GaAsFET transistor. Such an oscillator can be flip-chip mounted for reduced thermal resistance and has superior oscillation characteristics as compared with conventional common-source oscillators. Specifically, its gain is nearly constant with frequency, oscillation is less critically dependent on terminal impedance, and it can be operated with a single polarity voltage supply.