Patents Assigned to Monolithic Power Systems
  • Publication number: 20160351520
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) chip includes a copper structure with an intermetallic coating on the surface. The IC chip includes a substrate with an integrated circuit. A metal pad electrically connects to the integrated circuit. The copper structure electrically connects to the metal pad. A solder bump is disposed on the copper structure. The surface of the copper structure has a coating of intermetallic. The copper structure can be a redistribution layer and a copper pillar that is disposed on the redistribution layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2015
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Hunt Hang JIANG
  • Patent number: 9502251
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a LDMOS device in a semiconductor substrate of a first doping type, including: implanting a series of dopants into the semiconductor substrate using a first mask, and forming a first region of a second doping type adjacent to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, a second region of the first doping type located beneath the first region, and a third region of the second doping type located beneath the second region; implanting dopants into the semiconductor substrate using a second mask, and forming a fourth region of the second doping type adjacent to the first, second and third regions, wherein the fourth region extends from the surface of the semiconductor substrate to approximately the same depth as the third region; and implanting dopants into the first region using a third mask, and form a first well of the first doping type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2016
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Joel M. McGregor, Jeesung Jung, Ji-Hyoung Yoo, Eric K. Braun
  • Patent number: 9496382
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a field effect transistor (“FET”), a termination structure and associated method for manufacturing. The termination structure for the FET includes a plurality of termination cells arranged substantially in parallel from an inner side toward an outer side of a termination area of the FET. Each of the termination cells comprises a termination trench and a guard ring region located underneath the bottom of the termination trench in the semiconductor layer. Each termination trench is lined with a termination insulation layer, and is filled with a first conductive spacer and a second conductive spacer respectively against an inner sidewall and an outer sidewall of the termination trench and spaced apart from each other with a space, and a dielectric layer filling the space between the first and the second spacers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tiesheng Li, Rongyao Ma
  • Patent number: 9496792
    Abstract: A controller used in a multi-phase switching converter, including: a bias current generator that generates a plurality of bias current signals; a temperature balance modulating circuit that generates a plurality of on time signals based on the plurality of the bias current signals; and a logic circuit that generates a plurality of control signals based on the plurality of on time signals. The plurality of the control signals is used to control a plurality of switching circuits of the multi-phase switching converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Qian Ouyang
  • Patent number: 9496781
    Abstract: A soft start circuit for a switching converter, the soft start circuit has an internal soft start voltage generating circuit, an amplifier circuit and a buffer circuit, the internal soft start voltage generating circuit provides an internal soft start voltage, the amplifier circuit has a first input terminal receiving the internal soft start voltage, a second input terminal receiving a soft start reference signal and an output terminal, the buffer circuit has an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit and an output terminal providing the soft start reference signal. An external soft start capacitor coupled to the output terminal of the amplifier circuit is charged to provide an external soft start voltage, and the soft start reference signal is provided based on the internal soft start voltage and the external soft start voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Lei Li
  • Patent number: 9485819
    Abstract: A light-emitting element driver system has a power conversion circuit, a second switch and a control circuit, the power conversion circuit has a primary circuit, a transformer, a first rectified circuit and a second rectified circuit, the second rectified circuit provides a first signal, the second switch has a first terminal coupled to an output terminal of the first rectified circuit and a second terminal to provide a second signal, when a dimming signal is in a first state, the control circuit provides a first control signal to control the power conversion circuit based on the first signal, and meanwhile provides a second control signal to control the second switch based on the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Bairen Liu, Qiming Zhao, Licheng Sheng, Bo Yu, Hongqiang Qin, Eric Yang
  • Publication number: 20160315538
    Abstract: A multiphase power supply includes several constant ON-time (COT) DC-DC converter integrated circuits (ICs), with each COT DC-DC converter IC providing an output voltage of a phase of the multiphase power supply. The COT DC-DC converter ICs are sequentially turned ON one after another in interleaved fashion. A COT DC-DC converter IC receives a control signal at a take pin and, in response, turns ON its output switch. The COT DC-DC converter IC generates another control signal at a pass pin. The next COT DC-DC converter IC turns ON its output switch in response to receiving the other control signal from the previous COT DC-DC converter IC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2015
    Publication date: October 27, 2016
    Applicant: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: James NGUYEN, Yan DONG, Jinghai ZHOU, Rohan SAMSI
  • Patent number: 9479043
    Abstract: A control circuit for a switching converter having a comparison circuit, a synchronization unit, an ON-time control circuit and a logic unit, the comparison circuit provides a comparison signal based on a reference signal and an output signal of the switching converter, the synchronization unit provides a first synchronization signal and a second synchronization signal based on a first clock signal, a second clock signal and the comparison signal, the first synchronizing signal is generated by synchronizing the comparison signal with the first clock signal, the second synchronizing signal is generated by synchronizing the comparison signal with the second clock signal, the ON-time control circuit provides an ON-time control signal, the logic unit provides a switching control signal to control the switching converter based on the first synchronization signal, the second synchronization signal and the ON-time control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lijie Jiang, Xiaokang Wu, Suhua Luo, Qian Ouyang
  • Patent number: 9479046
    Abstract: A PFC circuit includes: a switching circuit having a power switch; an on time control circuit for controlling an on time period of the power switch; a first off time control circuit; a second off time control circuit; and a logic circuit selectively controls the power switch working under CCM or DCM; when working under CCM, the first off time control circuit controls an off time period of the power switch and when working under DCM, the second off time control circuit controls the off time period of the power switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sicong Lin, Yiqing Jin, Yuancheng Ren, Junming Zhang
  • Patent number: 9473027
    Abstract: A voltage regulator with hybrid adaptive voltage position includes a resistor, a controllable current source, a current DAC and an error amplifier. The resistor has a first terminal coupled to the output voltage of the voltage regulator and a second terminal. The controllable current source is coupled to the second terminal of the resistor to provide a main current proportional to the output current of the voltage regulator. The current DAC is configured to receive a digital signal and the output current, and provide a tuning current to the second terminal of the resistor based on the digital signal and the output current. The error amplifier generates a compensation signal based on a reference voltage and the voltage at the second terminal of the resistor, so as to adjust the output voltage of the voltage regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventor: Yan Dong
  • Patent number: 9472943
    Abstract: An offline power converter provides low EMI and quick reaction by slowly turning off a power switch at normal operation, and fast turning off the power switch when surge event happens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Joseph Urienza, Peng Liu
  • Patent number: 9467045
    Abstract: A SMPS has a switching circuit and a controller. The switching circuit has an input terminal and an output terminal, and also includes a switch and an inductor, wherein the switching circuit regulates an output voltage at the output terminal based on an input voltage at the input terminal by controlling a switching action of the switch. The controller generates a switching control signal to control the switch, where the switching control signal transits from a first state to a second state when an output signal at the output terminal satisfies a predetermined condition, and the switching control signal transits from the second state to the first state after a period of time. And a switching frequency of the switch and an inductor ripple current of the inductor both vary with the input voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: John Fogg, Jian Jiang, Junyong Gong
  • Patent number: 9467136
    Abstract: An electrical circuit includes monolithic integrated circuit (IC) switch devices that are connected in parallel. A monolithic IC switch device includes a first pin, a second pin, and a power switch that connects the first pin to the second pin through the power switch when the electrical circuit is turned ON. The monolithic IC switch device includes a current balancing circuit that controls the power switch to reduce an output current of the monolithic IC switch device when the output current of the monolithic IC switch device increases above the average of the output currents of monolithic IC switch devices in the electrical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: James Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9467039
    Abstract: A ripple suppression circuit has a filter circuit and a follower circuit. The filter circuit has a first input terminal coupled to a signal source to receive a ripple signal and an output terminal to output a filter signal which is the sum of the average value of the ripple signal and a positive bias signal. The follower circuit has a first input terminal, a second input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the first input terminal is coupled to the signal source to receive the ripple signal, the second input terminal is coupled to the output terminal of the filter circuit to receive the filter signal, the follower circuit provides an output signal at the output terminal, the output signal at least partially follows the filter signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naixing Kuang, Zilin Fan, Yuancheng Ren
  • Patent number: 9455625
    Abstract: A switching converter with slope compensation circuit, the slope compensation circuit has a first voltage source, a first operation circuit, a first switch, a first capacitor, a second switch and a first controlled current source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Bo Zhang
  • Patent number: 9449546
    Abstract: A LED driver, a LED driving method and a controller for LED driver are discussed in the present invention. The LED driver detects the phase of the input signal which is phase cut by a triac from a pre-E-transformer. The LED driver regulates the current flowing through the LED strings by varying the phase of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naixing Kuang, Jiaqi Yu, Yuancheng Ren
  • Patent number: 9450052
    Abstract: An EEPROM memory cell with a coupler region is disclosed. The coupler region has a well and at least one feeder region formed in the well. The at least one feeder region is configured to provide majority carriers to a channel region defined in the well so that a portion of the channel region adjoining the top surface of the coupler region is inverted during an erase operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Albert Bergemont, Eric Braun, Joel M. McGregor
  • Patent number: 9444327
    Abstract: A boost PFC converter, a method and a control circuit used for boost PFC converter are discussed in the present invention. The boost PFC converter decreases the switching frequency when a line voltage is around zero, so that the whole operating efficiency is not decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sicong Lin
  • Patent number: 9431845
    Abstract: A switching charger having a control circuit configured to provide a control signal; a power stage turned ON and OFF by the control signal; an inductor coupled between the power stage and a load; and an output capacitor coupled in parallel with the load; a current sense circuit integrated to the control circuit to sense a current flowing through the power stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: CHENGDU MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Min Xu, Zhengui Bai, Xiaoqing Li, Yuancheng Ren
  • Patent number: 9431906
    Abstract: A converter circuit has an error amplifier to provide an error signal; a proportional amplifier to provide a gain signal according the error signal and an output voltage of the converter circuit; a first comparator, generating a pulse signal according to the gain signal and a comparison signal; and a timer, generating a timing signal according to the pulse signal to indicate the on time and the off time of the converter circuit; and wherein either the gain signal or the comparison signal comprises a ramp component, and wherein the on time of the converter circuit is constant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Bo Yang, Xiaoyu Xi