Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a first p-channel laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) transistor formed over the semiconductor substrate and additional p-channel LDMOS transistors formed over the semiconductor substrate. First drain and gate electrodes are formed over the substrate and are coupled to the first LDMOS transistor. Additional drain and gate electrodes are formed over the substrate and are coupled to the second LDMOS transistor. A common source electrode for the first and second LDMOS transistors is also formed over the substrate.

Abstract: By a medical implant transceiver implantable within a body of a living organism, a portion of a signal is received from a medical controller transceiver external to the body of the living organism. Based on directions within the portion of the signal, a time duration is determined, after which a subsequent portion of the signal is to be transmitted from the medical controller transceiver. The directions include a value indicative of the time duration. The time duration differs based on the value. The subsequent portion is to be transmitted from the medical controller transceiver after an end of the portion. The medical implant transceiver enters into an inactive state for the time duration and awakens after the time duration has elapsed.

Abstract: A dual resistor ladder DAC includes a coarse ladder including a plurality of coarse ladder resistors and a fine ladder including a plurality of MOS transistors coupled between first and second conductors. A first group of parallel-connected bit-shifting transistors is coupled between the first and third conductors. A second group of parallel-connected MOS bit-shifting transistors is coupled between the third and top conductors. A third group of parallel-connected bit-shifting transistors is coupled between bottom and fourth conductors. A fourth group of parallel-connected bit-shifting transistors is coupled between the second and fourth conductors. Parallel-connected bit-shifting transistors are turned either on or off in response to a plurality of bit-switching bits of a binary number to be converted. One of the bottom, first, second, third, and top conductors is coupled to a DAC output conductor in response to the plurality of bit-switching bits.

Abstract: Testing of integrated circuits is achieved by a test architecture utilizing a scan frame input shift register, a scan frame output shift register, a test controller, and a test interface comprising a scan input, a scan clock, a test enable, and a scan output. Scan frames input to the scan frame input shift register contain a test stimulus data section and a test command section. Scan frames output from the scan frame output shift register contain a test response data section and, optionally, a section for outputting other data. The command section of the input scan frame controls the test architecture to execute a desired test operation.

Abstract: The peripheral circuitry (350, 360, ESD, BH) of an integrated circuit die on a wafer is tested without physically contacting the bond pads of the die.

Abstract: A hard drive write preamplifier includes a first differential pair of PNP BJTs having a first PNP BJT and a second PNP BJT; a first tail current source coupled into emitter of the PNP BJTs of the first differential pair; a second differential pair of NPN BJTs having a first NPN BJT and a second NPN BJT; a second tail current source coupled into the emitters of the NPN BJTs of the second differential pair; wherein a collector of each of the PNP BJTs of the first differential pair are coupled to a corresponding collector the NPN BJTs of the second differential pair; a first shift up PNP BJT having emitter coupled to the collector of a first PNP BJT of the first differential pair; a second shift up PNP BJT having an emitter coupled to the collector of the second PNP BJT of the first differential pair.

Abstract: An integrated CMOS clock generator with a self-biased phase locked loop circuit comprises a phase-frequency detector with a reference signal input, a feedback signal input and an output. A first charge pump of the clock generator has an input connected to the output of the phase-frequency detector and an output that supplies a control voltage. A loop capacitor is connected to the output of the first charge pump. The clock generator further has a second charge pump with an input connected to the output of the phase-frequency detector and an output. In particular, the clock generator has two oscillator blocks.

Abstract: A capacitive microphone transducer integrated into an integrated circuit includes a fixed plate and a membrane formed in or above an interconnect region of the integrated circuit. A process of forming an integrated circuit containing a capacitive microphone transducer includes etching access trenches through the fixed plate to a region defined for the back cavity, filling the access trenches with a sacrificial material, and removing a portion of the sacrificial material from a back side of the integrated circuit.

Abstract: In a first embodiment a TAP 318 of IEEE standard 1149.1 is allowed to commandeer control from a WSP 202 of IEEE standard P1500 such that the P1500 architecture, normally controlled by the WSP, is rendered controllable by the TAP. In a second embodiment (1) the TAP and WSP based architectures are merged together such that the sharing of the previously described architectural elements are possible, and (2) the TAP and WSP test interfaces are merged into a single optimized test interface that is operable to perform all operations of each separate test interface.

Abstract: A clock data recovery system is described. It includes a high pass filter for transmitting a filtered data signal in response to receiving an input data signal; an adder for summing the filtered data signal with a feedback signal, wherein the adder produces a summed input signal; a plurality of clocked data comparators for receiving the summed input signal, wherein the clocked data comparators determine an input data bit value; a plurality of clocked error comparators for receiving an error signal associated with clock recovery; an equalization and adaptation logic for selecting an error sample such that a phase associated with the error sample is locked at a second post cursor; and a phase mixer for transmitting a delay in response to receiving the phase and the delay is transmitted to the clocked-data comparators and the clocked-error comparators.

Abstract: Film mode detection with bad edit detection used in de-interlacing video includes use of combing artifact detection in both 3-2 pull down detection and 2-2 pull down detection. Further, combing artifact detection uses only two field memories by accumulation of partial field statistics for comparisons.

Abstract: Scan testing of plural target electrical circuits, such as circuits 1 through N, becomes accelerated by using the scan test response data output from one circuit, such as circuit 1, as the scan test stimulus data for another circuit, such as circuit 2. After reset, a scan path captures the output response data from the reset stimulus from all circuits. A tester then shifts the captured data only the length of the first circuit's scan path while loading the first circuit's scan path with new test stimulus data. The new response data from all the circuits then is captured in the scan path. This shift and capture cycle is repeated until the first circuit is tested. The first circuit is then disabled and any remaining stimulus data is applied to the second circuit. This process is repeated until all the circuits are tested. A data retaining boundary scan cell used in the scan testing connects the output of an additional multiplexer as the input to a boundary cell.

Abstract: Functional circuits and cores of circuits are tested on integrated circuits using scan paths. Using parallel scan distributor and collector circuits for these scan paths improves test access of circuits and cores embedded within ICs and reduces the IC's power consumption during scan testing. A controller for the distributor and collector circuits includes a test control register, a test control state machine and a multiplexer. These test circuits can be connected in a hierarchy or in parallel. A conventional test access port or TAP can be modified to work with the disclosed test circuits.

Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing a gate dielectric. This method, without limitation, includes subjecting a silicon substrate to a first plasma nitridation process to incorporate a nitrogen region therein. This method further includes growing a dielectric material layer over the nitrogen region using a nitrogen containing oxidizer gas, and subjecting the dielectric material layer to a second plasma nitridation process, thereby forming a nitrided dielectric material layer over the nitrogen region.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a DC-DC converter for voltage conversion in a slave mode an in a master mode and including a phase locked loop. The phase locked loop comprises a controlled oscillator, a filter having an integration capacitor coupled to a control input of the controlled oscillator, a charge pump, and a phase frequency detector. In the slave mode, the controlled oscillator, the filter, the charge pump and the phase frequency detector are coupled to operate as the phase locked loop. There is a comparator coupled with an input to a control input of the controlled oscillator and with an output to the charge pump. In the master mode, the comparator is configured to control the charge pump in response to a control signal at the control input of the controlled oscillator when the phase frequency detector is switched off so as to perform a modulation of the control signal at the control input of the controlled oscillator by charging and discharging the integration capacitor.

Abstract: A method for processing digital image data is provided that includes compressing a block of the digital image data to generate a compressed block, storing the compressed block in an external memory when a number of bits in the compressed block does not exceed a first compression threshold, and storing the block in the external memory when the number of bits in the compressed block exceeds the first compression threshold.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for providing correlation in a CDMA receiver. A Generic Correlation Coprocessor comprises one or more correlation blocks. Each correlation block comprises a correlation input buffer coupled to one or more correlators. The correlators are coupled to an interpolator input buffer and to a correlator output buffer. One or more interpolators are coupled to the interpolation input buffer and to the correlation output buffer. The correlators correlate the received signal with PN codes to produce a correlated signal. The correlated signal is stored in the correlator output buffer and/or the interpolation input buffer, and provided from the interpolation input buffer to the one or more interpolators. The one or more interpolators interpolate the correlated signal to produce an interpolated signal. The interpolated signal is stored in the correlator output buffer. Signals are provided from the correlator output buffer to other receiver processing systems.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided. Generally, an input signal is applied across a main path (through an input network) and across a cancellation path (through a cancellation circuit). The cancellation circuit subtracts a cancellation current from the main path as part of the control mechanism, where the magnitude of the cancellation current is based on a gain control signal (that has been linearized to follow a control voltage).

Abstract: A semiconductor die includes a substrate including a topside including circuit elements configured to provide a circuit function. The die includes at least one multi-layer structure including a first material having a first CTE, a second material including a metal having a second CTE, wherein the second CTE is higher than the first CTE. A coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) graded layer includes at least a dielectric portion that is between the first material and the second material having a first side facing the first material and a second side facing the second material. The CTE graded layer includes a non-constant composition profile across its thickness that provides a graded CTE which increases in CTE from the first side to the second side. The multi-layer structure can be a through-substrate-vias (TSV) that extends through the thickness of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for calibrating automatic white balance (AWB) in a digital system is provided that includes capturing an image of a test target under a natural lighting condition, generating a first color temperature reference from the captured image, and outputting AWB configuration data for the digital system, wherein the AWB configuration data comprises the first color temperature reference and a second color temperature reference generated using the test target under simulated lighting conditions. A method for calibrating automatic white balance (AWB) in a digital system comprising a first imaging sensor is provided that includes receiving a reference for AWB that was generated using an image captured using a second imaging sensor, and compensating a histogram reference into a histogram reference for AWB for the first imaging sensor in the digital system based on R, G, B adjustment values from the second imaging sensor to the first imaging sensor.