Patents by Inventor David A. Kidd

David A. Kidd has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11145647
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Publication number: 20200152626
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Applicant: United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 10573644
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Publication number: 20180226401
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Publication date: August 9, 2018
    Applicant: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9953974
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: MIE Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9853019
    Abstract: A system having an integrated circuit (IC) device can include a die formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a plurality of first wells formed therein, the first wells being doped to at least a first conductivity type; a global network configured to supply a first global body bias voltage to the first wells; and a first bias circuit corresponding to each first well and configured to generate a first local body bias for its well having a smaller setting voltage than the first global body bias voltage; wherein at least one of the first wells is coupled to a transistor having a strong body coefficient formed therein, which transistor may be a transistor having a highly doped region formed below a substantially undoped channel, the highly doped region having a dopant concentration greater than that the corresponding well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Augustine Kuo
  • Publication number: 20170117273
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2017
    Publication date: April 27, 2017
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9583484
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Publication number: 20170047100
    Abstract: A system having an integrated circuit (IC) device can include a die formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a plurality of first wells formed therein, the first wells being doped to at least a first conductivity type; a global network configured to supply a first global body bias voltage to the first wells; and a first bias circuit corresponding to each first well and configured to generate a first local body bias for its well having a smaller setting voltage than the first global body bias voltage; wherein at least one of the first wells is coupled to a transistor having a strong body coefficient formed therein, which transistor may be a transistor having a highly doped region formed below a substantially undoped channel, the highly doped region having a dopant concentration greater than that the corresponding well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Augustine Kuo
  • Patent number: 9548086
    Abstract: A system having an integrated circuit (IC) device can include a die formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a plurality of first wells formed therein, the first wells being doped to at least a first conductivity type; a global network configured to supply a first global body bias voltage to the first wells; and a first bias circuit corresponding to each first well and configured to generate a first local body bias for its well having a smaller setting voltage than the first global body bias voltage; wherein at least one of the first wells is coupled to a transistor having a strong body coefficient formed therein, which transistor may be a transistor having a highly doped region formed below a substantially undoped channel, the highly doped region having a dopant concentration greater than that the corresponding well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Augustine Kuo
  • Publication number: 20160284698
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2016
    Publication date: September 29, 2016
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9424385
    Abstract: A method for modifying a design of an integrated circuit includes obtaining design layout data for the integrated circuit and selecting at least one SRAM cell in the integrated circuit to utilize enhanced body effect (EBE) transistors comprising a substantially undoped channel layer and a highly doped screening region beneath the channel layer. The method also includes extracting, from the design layout, NMOS active area patterns and PMOS active area patterns associated with the SRAM cell to define an EBE NMOS active area layout and a EBE PMOS active area layout. The method further includes adjusting the EBE NMOS active area layout to reduce a width of at least pull-down devices in the SRAM cell and altering a gate layer layout in the design layout data such that a length of pull-up devices in the at least one SRAM and a length of the pull-down devices are substantially equal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: George Tien, David A. Kidd, Lawrence T. Clark
  • Patent number: 9385121
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of first transistors formed in a substrate and having gate lengths of less than one micron and at least one tipless transistor formed in the substrate and having a source-drain path coupled between a circuit node and a first power supply voltage. In addition or alternatively, an integrated circuit can include minimum feature size transistors; a signal driving circuit comprising a first transistor of a first conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a first power supply node and an output node, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled between a second power supply node and the output node, and a gate coupled to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the first or second transistor is a tipless transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventor: David A. Kidd
  • Patent number: 9319034
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include at least one slew generator circuit comprising at least one body biasable reference transistor, the slew generator circuit configured to generate at least a first signal having a slew rate that varies according to characteristics of the reference transistor; a pulse generator circuit configured to generate a pulse signal having a first pulse with a duration corresponding to the slew rate of the first signal; and a counter configured to generate a count value corresponding to a duration of the first pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: David A. Kidd, Edward J. Boling, Vineet Agrawal, Samuel Leshner, Augustine Kuo, Sang-Soo Lee, Chao-Wu Chen
  • Patent number: 9276561
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device can include at least one oscillator stage having a current mirror circuit comprising first and second mirror transistors of a first conductivity type, and configured to mirror current on two mirror paths, at least one reference transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled to a first of the mirror paths, and a switching circuit coupled to a second of the mirror paths and configured to generate a transition in a stage output signal in response to a stage input signal received from another oscillator stage, wherein the channel lengths of the first and second mirror transistors are larger than that of the at least one reference transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Assignee: MIE Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Chao-Wu Chen
  • Publication number: 20150333738
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device can include at least one oscillator stage having a current mirror circuit comprising first and second mirror transistors of a first conductivity type, and configured to mirror current on two mirror paths, at least one reference transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled to a first of the mirror paths, and a switching circuit coupled to a second of the mirror paths and configured to generate a transition in a stage output signal in response to a stage input signal received from another oscillator stage, wherein the channel lengths of the first and second mirror transistors are larger than that of the at least one reference transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2015
    Publication date: November 19, 2015
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Chao-Wu Chen
  • Publication number: 20150318026
    Abstract: A system having an integrated circuit (IC) device can include a die formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a plurality of first wells formed therein, the first wells being doped to at least a first conductivity type; a global network configured to supply a first global body bias voltage to the first wells; and a first bias circuit corresponding to each first well and configured to generate a first local body bias for its well having a smaller setting voltage than the first global body bias voltage; wherein at least one of the first wells is coupled to a transistor having a strong body coefficient formed therein, which transistor may be a transistor having a highly doped region formed below a substantially undoped channel, the highly doped region having a dopant concentration greater than that the corresponding well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2015
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Augustine Kuo
  • Publication number: 20150303905
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include at least one slew generator circuit comprising at least one body biasable reference transistor, the slew generator circuit configured to generate at least a first signal having a slew rate that varies according to characteristics of the reference transistor; a pulse generator circuit configured to generate a pulse signal having a first pulse with a duration corresponding to the slew rate of the first signal; and a counter configured to generate a count value corresponding to a duration of the first pulse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Publication date: October 22, 2015
    Inventors: David A. Kidd, Edward J. Boling, Vineet Agrawal, Samuel Leshner, Augustine Kuo, Sang-Soo Lee, Chao-Wu Chen
  • Patent number: 9154123
    Abstract: An integrated circuit can include a plurality of drive monitoring sections, each including at least one transistor under test (TUT) having a source coupled to a first power supply node, a gate coupled to receive a start indication, and a drain coupled to a monitor node, at least one monitor capacitor coupled to the monitor node, and a timing circuit configured to generate a monitor value corresponding to a rate at which the TUT can transfer current between the monitor node and the first power supply node; and a body bias circuit configured to apply a body bias voltage to at least one body region in which at least one transistor is formed; wherein the body bias voltage is generated in response to at least a plurality of the monitor values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, Michael S. McGregor, Robert Rogenmoser, David A. Kidd, Augustine Kuo
  • Patent number: 9112484
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device can include at least one oscillator stage having a current mirror circuit comprising first and second mirror transistors of a first conductivity type, and configured to mirror current on two mirror paths, at least one reference transistor of a second conductivity type having a source-drain path coupled to a first of the mirror paths, and a switching circuit coupled to a second of the mirror paths and configured to generate a transition in a stage output signal in response to a stage input signal received from another oscillator stage, wherein the channel lengths of the first and second mirror transistors are larger than that of the at least one reference transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited
    Inventors: Lawrence T. Clark, David A. Kidd, Chao-Wu Chen