Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope sensor has a sensing mass and a quadrature error compensation control loop for applying a force to the sensing mass to cancel quadrature error. To detect fault, the quadrature error compensation control loop is opened and an additional force is applied to produce a physical displacement of the sensing mass. A quadrature error resulting from the physical displacement of the sensing mass in response to the applied additional force is sensed. The sensed quadrature error is compared to an expected value corresponding to the applied additional force and a fault alert is generated if the comparison is not satisfied.

Abstract: A method includes providing a power supply package (PSP) that includes a power supply, an RFID tag, and a power switch, where a control terminal of the power switch is coupled to an output terminal of the RFID tag, and load path terminals of the power switch are coupled between an output terminal of the PSP and a first terminal of the power supply, where a control register of the RFID tag is pre-programmed with a first value such that the RFID tag is configured to generate a first control signal that turns off the power switch; receiving, by the RFID tag, a second value for the control register of the RFID tag; and writing, by the RFID tag, the second value to the control register of the RFID tag such that the RFID tag is configured to generate a second control signal that turns on the power switch.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope includes a driving mass and a driving circuit that operates to drive the driving mass in a mechanical oscillation at a resonant drive frequency. An oscillator generates a system clock that is independent of and asynchronous to the resonant drive frequency. A clock generator circuit outputs a first clock and a second clock that are derived from the system clock. The drive loop of the driving circuit including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit that is clocked by the first clock and a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit that is clocked by the second clock.

Abstract: A first side of a tapeless leadframe package is etched to form a ring shaped protrusion and a lead protrusion extending from a base layer. An integrated circuit die is mounted to tapeless leadframe package in flip chip orientation with a front side facing the first side. An electrical and mechanical attachment is made between a bonding pad of the integrated circuit die and the lead protrusion. A mechanical attachment is made between the front side of the integrated circuit die and the ring shaped protrusion. The integrated circuit die and the protrusions from the tapeless leadframe package are encapsulated within an encapsulating block. The second side of the tapeless leadframe package is then etched to remove portions of the base layer and define a lead for a leadframe from the lead protrusion and further define a die support for the leadframe from the ring shaped protrusion.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a semiconductor die with multiple contact pads electrically coupled to a single lead via a single wire, and methods for fabricating the same. In one or more embodiments, multiple contact pads are electrically coupled to each other by a plurality of conductive layers stacked on top of each other. The uppermost conductive layer is then electrically coupled to a single lead via a single wire.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) gyroscope includes a driving mass and a driving circuit that operates to drive the driving mass in a mechanical oscillation at a resonant drive frequency. An oscillator generates a system clock that is independent of and asynchronous to the resonant drive frequency. A clock generator circuit outputs a first clock and a second clock that are derived from the system clock. The drive loop of the driving circuit including an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit that is clocked by the first clock and a digital signal processing (DSP) circuit that is clocked by the second clock.

Abstract: A drive signal is applied to a MEMS gyroscope having several intrinsic resonant modes. Frequency and amplitude of mechanical oscillation in response to the drive signal is sensed. At startup, the drive signal frequency is set to a kicking frequency offset from a resonant frequency corresponding to a desired one of the intrinsic resonant modes. In response to sufficient sensed amplitude of mechanical oscillation at the kicking frequency, a frequency tracking process is engaged to control the frequency for the drive signal to sustain mechanical oscillation at the frequency of the desired one of the plurality of intrinsic resonant modes as the oscillation amplitude increases. When the increasing amplitude of the mechanical oscillation exceeds a threshold, a gain control process is used to exercise gain control over the applied drive signal so as to cause the amplitude of mechanical oscillation to match a further threshold. At that point start-up terminates.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a semiconductor die with multiple contact pads electrically coupled to a single lead via a single wire, and methods for fabricating the same. In one or more embodiments, multiple contact pads are electrically coupled to each other by a plurality of conductive layers stacked on top of each other. The uppermost conductive layer is then electrically coupled to a single lead via a single wire.

Abstract: A tensile strained silicon layer is patterned to form a first group of fins in a first substrate area and a second group of fins in a second substrate area. The second group of fins is covered with a tensile strained material, and an anneal is performed to relax the tensile strained silicon semiconductor material in the second group of fins and produce relaxed silicon semiconductor fins in the second area. The first group of fins is covered with a mask, and silicon-germanium material is provided on the relaxed silicon semiconductor fins. Germanium from the silicon germanium material is then driven into the relaxed silicon semiconductor fins to produce compressive strained silicon-germanium semiconductor fins in the second substrate area (from which p-channel finFET devices are formed). The mask is removed to reveal tensile strained silicon semiconductor fins in the first substrate area (from which n-channel finFET devices are formed).

Abstract: A semiconductor package having an aperture in a die pad and solder in the aperture coplanar with a surface of the package is disclosed. The package includes a die pad, a plurality of leads, and a semiconductor die coupled to the die pad with a die attach material. A cavity or aperture is formed through the die pad to expose a portion of the die attach material. Multiple solder reflows are performed to reduce the presence of voids in the die attach material. In a first solder reflow, the voids of trapped gas that form when attaching the die to the die pad are released. Then, in a second solder reflow, solder is added to the aperture coplanar with a surface of the die pad. The additional solder can be the same material as the die attach material or a different material.

Abstract: A sensor management system includes a cloud-based sensor configuration system and an electronic device. The electronic device includes a sensor unit. The sensor unit includes configuration data that controls operation of the sensor unit. The configuration data includes a classifier that classifies feature sets generated from sensor signals of the sensor unit. The electronic device sends sensor data to the cloud-based sensor configuration system. The cloud-based sensor configuration system analyzes the sensor data and generates a new classifier customized for the sensor unit based on the sensor data. The cloud-based sensor configuration system sends the new classifier to the electronic device. The electronic device replaces the classifier in the sensor unit with the new classifier.

Abstract: Motion activity data is collected from at least one sensor. An initial motion activity classifier function is applied to the motion activity data to produce an initial motion activity posteriorgram. Pre-processing and segmenting the motion activity data into windows produces segmented motion activity data from which sensor specific features are extracted. An updated motion activity classifier function is generated from the extracted sensor specific features. Subsequent motion activity data is also collected from the at least one sensor, and the updated motion activity classifier function is applied to the subsequent motion activity data to produce an updated motion activity posteriorgram.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system that includes a sensor and a signal conditioner coupled to the sensor. The signal conditioner includes signal processing circuitry coupled to the sensor and offset cancellation circuitry. The offset cancellation circuitry includes a sign detector configured to output a high signal or a low signal based on a sign of an output signal from the signal processing circuitry, an integrator coupled to the sign detector, and a divider coupled to the integrator and to an input of the signal processing circuitry.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a micro module with a support structure. The micro module includes a carrier substrate having contacts and a bonding pad, a semiconductor die, and a support structure. The semiconductor die is positioned on the bonding pad and is electrically coupled to the contacts. The support structure is positioned on the bonding pad and adjacent to the semiconductor die. The support structure reinforces the bonding pad such that the bonding pad is more rigid than flexible. As a result, an external force applied to the micro module is less likely to cause the micro module to bend and damage the semiconductor die.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for performing a low-power presence check are provided. In the method and apparatus, a controller detects a presence of a tag by at least causing the antenna to generate a magnetic field over a first time period for detecting the tag, measuring an antenna voltage over a second time period, causing the antenna to cease generating a magnetic field over a third time period longer than the first time period and comparing the antenna voltage to an antenna reference voltage to determine whether the tag is present. The controller detects the presence of the tag in response to receiving a command from a host device for performing the low-power presence check. The command may be a one-time command for every presence check stage or a command that is repeatedly received each time the controller detects the presence of the tag.

Abstract: A user identification based control system includes a time of flight ranging sensor configured to sense a distance to a person, where the time of flight ranging sensor is positioned so the sensed distance is a function of a height of the person. Processing circuitry is coupled to the time of flight ranging sensor and configured to identify the person based upon sensed distance and to generate control signals to control peripheral components based upon the identity of the person. The time of flight ranging sensor may also be used to sense speed of the person for identification purposes. In general, the time of flight ranging sensor is positioned a known height over a surface on which the person is present, such as in the doorway or on a ceiling of a room.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to leadless semiconductor packages with improved wettable flanks that encourage the formation of solder fillets when the leadless semiconductor package is mounted to a substrate. The solder fillets are consistently formed and are easily detectable by inspection systems, such as automated optical inspection (AOI) systems.

Abstract: An interconnect structure for use in coupling transistors in an integrated circuit is disclosed, including various configurations in which ferroelectric capacitors exhibiting negative capacitance are coupled in series with dielectric capacitors. In one embodiment, the negative capacitor includes a dielectric/ferroelectric bi-layer. When a negative capacitor is electrically coupled in series with a conventional dielectric capacitor, the series combination behaves like a stable ferroelectric capacitor for which the overall capacitance can be measured experimentally, and tuned to a desired value. The composite capacitance of a dielectric capacitor and a ferroelectric capacitor having negative capacitance coupled in series is, in theory, infinite, and in practice, very large. A series combination of positive and negative capacitors within a microelectronic interconnect structure can be used to make high capacity DRAM memory cells.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for detecting rotational speed and early failures of an electronic device. The system includes a rotating disk affixed to a rotating shaft of the electronic device. The rotating disk has projections extending from its periphery. A time of flight ranging system determines distance to the projections extending from the rotating disk. Processing circuitry determines a rotational speed of the rotating shaft from the determined distances to the projections extending from the rotating disk, and detects whether the electronic device is undergoing an early failure from the determined distances to the projections extending from the rotating disk. Rotational speed is determined from the time between successive peaks in the determined distances, and early failures (for example, due to wobble of the shaft) are determined where the peaks vary unexpectedly in magnitude.

Abstract: A power supply interface includes a first switch that couples an input terminal to an output terminal. A voltage dividing bridge is coupled to receive a supply potential. A comparator has a first input connected to a first node of the bridge and a second input configured to receive a constant potential. A digital-to-analog converter generates a control voltage that is selectively coupled by a second switch to a second node of the bridge. A circuit control controls actuation of the second switch based on operating mode and generates a digital value input to the converter based on a negotiated set point of the supply potential applied to the input terminal.