Patents by Inventor Martin Alter
Martin Alter 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).
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Patent number: 7315052Abstract: A power transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate and including a lateral array of polysilicon lines separated by alternating source and drain regions includes one or more body contact diffusion regions formed in the source regions where each body contact diffusion region has a length that extends to the edges of the two adjacent polysilicon lines, and one or more body pickup contacts where each body pickup contact is formed over a respective body contact diffusion region. In one embodiment, the body contact diffusion regions are formed in a fabrication process using ion implantation of dopants of a first type through a body diffusion mask. Each body contact diffusion region defined by an exposed area in the body diffusion mask has a drawn area that overlaps the respective two adjacent polysilicon lines.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2006Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Micrel, Inc.Inventor: Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20070246790Abstract: In a method to form a DMOS or bipolar transistor, two epitaxial silicon layers are grown over a silicon substrate instead of the typical one low-resistivity epitaxial layer. The bottom epitaxial layer has a relatively high resistivity of, for example 10 ohms-cm, while the upper epitaxial layer, acting as a drift region, may have a conventional low resistivity such as 3 ohms-cm. The bottom epi layer, being less doped than the upper epi layer, causes a wider and deeper depletion region to occur for a given drain or collector voltage, as compared to a depletion region where the entire epitaxial layer is formed of the upper epitaxial layer composition. Therefore, the parasitic capacitor's depletion region will be wider and deeper when employing the bottom epitaxial layer. The wider and deeper depletion region in the lower epitaxial layer lowers the overall parasitic capacitance value. This improves the switching speed of the transistor.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 20, 2006Publication date: October 25, 2007Inventors: Raymond Zinn, Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20070205461Abstract: A power transistor formed on a semiconductor substrate and including a lateral array of polysilicon lines separated by alternating source and drain regions includes one or more body contact diffusion regions formed in the source regions where each body contact diffusion region has a length that extends to the edges of the two adjacent polysilicon lines, and one or more body pickup contacts where each body pickup contact is formed over a respective body contact diffusion region. In one embodiment, the body contact diffusion regions are formed in a fabrication process using ion implantation of dopants of a first type through a body diffusion mask. Each body contact diffusion region defined by an exposed area in the body diffusion mask has a drawn area that overlaps the respective two adjacent polysilicon lines.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 2, 2006Publication date: September 6, 2007Inventor: Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20070138648Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation layer forming the top surface of the semiconductor chip and a metal pad formed on the passivation layer and a discrete electronic device having a first terminal formed on a first surface and a second terminal formed on a second surface opposite the first surface of the discrete electronic device where the first surface of the discrete electronic device is attached to the metal pad using a conductive adhesive structure. The semiconductor chip and the discrete electronic device are encapsulated in an encapsulation material. An electrical connection is formed between the metal pad and one of a bond pad of the semiconductor chip or a package post of the integrated circuit package. In one embodiment, the metal pad is an aluminum pad and a metal line connects the metal pad to a bond pad of the semiconductor chip.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2007Publication date: June 21, 2007Applicant: MICREL, INC.Inventors: Chuck Vinn, Martin Alter
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Patent number: 7211893Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described. Another exemplary embodiment illustrated the use of chip-scale processes for interconnecting discrete integrated circuits.Type: GrantFiled: November 3, 2004Date of Patent: May 1, 2007Assignee: Micrel, IncorporatedInventors: Martin Alter, Robert Rumsey
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Patent number: 7195952Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation layer forming the top surface of the semiconductor chip and a metal pad formed on the passivation layer and a discrete electronic device having a first terminal formed on a first surface and a second terminal formed on a second surface opposite the first surface of the discrete electronic device where the first surface of the discrete electronic device is attached to the metal pad using a conductive adhesive structure. The semiconductor chip and the discrete electronic device are encapsulated in an encapsulation material. An electrical connection is formed between the metal pad and one of a bond pad of the semiconductor chip or a package post of the integrated circuit package. In one embodiment, the metal pad is an aluminum pad and a metal line connects the metal pad to a bond pad of the semiconductor chip.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2005Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: Micrel, Inc.Inventors: Chuck Vinn, Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20070001004Abstract: In mixed-component, mixed-signal, semiconductor devices, selective seal ring isolation from the substrate and its electrical potential is provided in order to segregate noise sensitive circuitry from electrical noise generated by electrically noisy circuitry. Appropriate predetermined sections of such a mixed use chip are isolated from the substrate through a non-ohmic contact with the substrate without compromising reliability of the chip's isolation from scribe region contamination.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2006Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20070001240Abstract: In mixed-component, mixed-signal, semiconductor devices, selective seal ring isolation from the substrate and its electrical potential is provided in order to segregate noise sensitive circuitry from electrical noise generated by electrically noisy circuitry. Appropriate predetermined sections of such a mixed use chip are isolated from the substrate through a non-ohmic contact with the substrate without compromising reliability of the chip's isolation from scribe region contamination.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2006Publication date: January 4, 2007Inventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, Martin Alter
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Patent number: 7145211Abstract: In mixed-component, mixed-signal, semiconductor devices, selective seal ring isolation from the substrate and its electrical potential is provided in order to segregate noise sensitive circuitry from electrical noise generated by electrically noisy circuitry. Appropriate predetermined sections of such a mixed use chip are isolated from the substrate through a non-ohmic contact with the substrate without compromising reliability of the chip's isolation from scribe region contamination.Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2004Date of Patent: December 5, 2006Assignee: Micrel, IncorporatedInventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20060216855Abstract: An integrated circuit package includes a semiconductor chip having a passivation layer forming the top surface of the semiconductor chip and a metal pad formed on the passivation layer and a discrete electronic device having a first terminal formed on a first surface and a second terminal formed on a second surface opposite the first surface of the discrete electronic device where the first surface of the discrete electronic device is attached to the metal pad using a conductive adhesive structure. The semiconductor chip and the discrete electronic device are encapsulated in an encapsulation material. An electrical connection is formed between the metal pad and one of a bond pad of the semiconductor chip or a package post of the integrated circuit package. In one embodiment, the metal pad is an aluminum pad and a metal line connects the metal pad to a bond pad of the semiconductor chip.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2005Publication date: September 28, 2006Inventors: Chuck Vinn, Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20060012003Abstract: In mixed-component, mixed-signal, semiconductor devices, selective seal ring isolation from the substrate and its electrical potential is provided in order to segregate noise sensitive circuitry from electrical noise generated by electrically noisy circuitry. Appropriate predetermined sections of such a mixed use chip are isolated from the substrate through a non-ohmic contact with the substrate without compromising reliability of the chip's isolation from scribe region contamination.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2004Publication date: January 19, 2006Applicant: Micrel, IncorporatedInventors: Shekar Mallikarjunaswamy, Martin Alter
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Patent number: 6917105Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2003Date of Patent: July 12, 2005Assignee: Micrel, IncorporatedInventor: Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20050127505Abstract: Active circuit elements for semiconductor devices are integrated with chip-scale bump-out beams. In some embodiments, regions of the beam itself are employed as part of an active element. The bump-out beam is employed to construct selected components of the active circuit elements such as a resistor, an inductor, a capacitor, or an antenna for the semiconductor device.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 8, 2004Publication date: June 16, 2005Inventor: Martin Alter
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Patent number: 6900538Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described. Another exemplary embodiment illustrated the use of chip-scale processes for interconnecting discrete integrated circuits.Type: GrantFiled: January 20, 2004Date of Patent: May 31, 2005Assignee: Micrel, Inc.Inventors: Martin Alter, Robert Rumsey
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Publication number: 20050062156Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described. Another exemplary embodiment illustrated the use of chip-scale processes for interconnecting discrete integrated circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 3, 2004Publication date: March 24, 2005Inventors: Martin Alter, Robert Rumsey
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Publication number: 20050046022Abstract: Active circuit elements for semiconductor devices are integrated with chip-scale bump-out beams. In some embodiments, regions of the beam itself are employed as part of an active element. The bump-out beam is employed to construct selected components of the active circuit elements such as a resistor, an inductor, a capacitor, or an antenna for the semiconductor device.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 26, 2003Publication date: March 3, 2005Applicant: MICREL, INCORPORATEDInventor: Martin Alter
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Publication number: 20040245633Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described. Another exemplary embodiment illustrated the use of chip-scale processes for interconnecting discrete integrated circuits.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2004Publication date: December 9, 2004Inventors: Martin Alter, Robert Rumsey
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Publication number: 20040245631Abstract: Wafer-level chip-scale packaging technology is used for improving performance or reducing size of integrated circuits by using metallization of pad-to-bump-out beams as part of the integrated circuit structure. Chip-scale packaging under bump metal is routed to increase the thickness of top metal of the integrated circuit, increasing current carrying capability and reducing resistance. An exemplary embodiment for a power MOSFET array integrated structure is described.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2003Publication date: December 9, 2004Applicant: Micrel, IncorporatedInventor: Martin Alter
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Patent number: 6711046Abstract: Programmable semiconductor elements, such as zener diodes, are used in an optical array. In one embodiment, an array of zener diodes is formed on a substrate surface and selectively zapped (programmed) to create a reflective filament between anode and cathode contacts of the selected zener diodes. Light is then applied to the surface. The reflected (or transmitted) light pattern may be used for conveying optical information or exposing a photoresist layer. In one use of the array to selectively expose a photoresist layer, the array helps to determine which genes have been expressed in a BioChip. Devices other than zener diodes may also be programmed to create a reflective filament for optically conveying information, such as bipolar transistors, MOSFETS, and non-semiconductor devices. The reflective filament can be a portion of a fuse or anti-fuse.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2001Date of Patent: March 23, 2004Assignee: Micrel, IncorporatedInventor: Martin Alter
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Patent number: 6621138Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a polysilicon layer in which a first region of a first conductivity type and a second region of a second conductivity type is formed. The first region and the second region form a p-n junction in the polysilicon layer. The semiconductor device further includes a first metallization region in electrical contact with the first region and a second metallization region in electrical contact with the second region. In operation, a low resistance path is formed between the first and second metallization region when a voltage or a current exceeding a predetermined threshold level is applied to the first or the second region. The voltage or current is applied for zap trimming of the p-n junction where the voltage or current exceeding a predetermined threshold level, together with the resulting current or resulting voltage, provides power sufficient to cause the low resistance path to be formed.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2002Date of Patent: September 16, 2003Assignee: Micrel, Inc.Inventor: Martin Alter