Patents by Inventor Michael Sperl

Michael Sperl 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: 8227310
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit comprises: providing a semiconductor topography comprising an active transistor laterally adjacent to a trench capacitor formed in a semiconductor substrate, the active transistor comprising a source junction and a drain junction, wherein a barrier layer is disposed along a periphery of the trench capacitor for isolating the trench capacitor; forming an interlevel dielectric across the semiconductor topography; concurrently etching (i) a first opening through the interlevel dielectric to the drain junction of the active transistor and the trench capacitor, and (ii) a second opening through the interlevel dielectric to the source junction of the active transistor; and filling the first opening and the second opening with a conductive material to form a strap for electrically connecting the trench capacitor to the drain junction of the active transistor and to also form a contact for electrically connecting the source junction to an overlying level of the integrated cir
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John E. Barth, Jr., Kangguo Cheng, Michael Sperling, Geng Wang
  • Publication number: 20100032742
    Abstract: A method of forming an integrated circuit comprises: providing a semiconductor topography comprising an active transistor laterally adjacent to a trench capacitor formed in a semiconductor substrate, the active transistor comprising a source junction and a drain junction, wherein a barrier layer is disposed along a periphery of the trench capacitor for isolating the trench capacitor; forming an interlevel dielectric across the semiconductor topography; concurrently etching (i) a first opening through the interlevel dielectric to the drain junction of the active transistor and the trench capacitor, and (ii) a second opening through the interlevel dielectric to the source junction of the active transistor; and filling the first opening and the second opening with a conductive material to form a strap for electrically connecting the trench capacitor to the drain junction of the active transistor and to also form a contact for electrically connecting the source junction to an overlying level of the integrated cir
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John E. Barth, JR., Kangguo Cheng, Michael Sperling, Geng Wang
  • Publication number: 20100002478
    Abstract: A system to improve a voltage multiplier may include a voltage multiplier circuit, and a capacitor carried by the multiplier circuit. The system may also include a transistor to charge an up voltage of the capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Charlie C. Hwang, Paul D. Muench, Donald W. Plass, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20100001804
    Abstract: A system to improve a voltage-controlled oscillator may include a voltage-controlled oscillator. The system may also include a switch to control a first voltage passing through the voltage-controlled oscillator based upon a digital tune bit used to control the voltage-controlled oscillator's gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: David M. Friend, George E. Smith, III, Michael Sperling, James D. Strom
  • Publication number: 20100001696
    Abstract: A system to improve a multistage charge pump may include a capacitor, a first plate carried by the capacitor, and a second plate carried by the capacitor opposite the first plate. The system may also include a clock to control charging and discharging of the capacitor. The system may further include a power supply to provide a power supply voltage across the first plate and the second plate during charging of the capacitor. The system may also include a voltage line to lift the second plate to an intermediate voltage during discharging of the capacitor. The system may further include an output line connected to the first plate during discharging of the capacitor to provide an output voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Charlie C. Hwang, Paul D. Muench, Donald W. Plass, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20100001709
    Abstract: A system to generate a reference for a charge pump may include a diode-connected transistor providing a reference voltage, and an output transistor. The system may also include a reference circuit to provide a current that is substantially temperature insensitive and the reference circuit delivers the current across the diode-connected transistor thereby enabling the reference voltage to move with processing of the diode-connected transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: John E. Barth, JR., Charlie C. Hwang, Paul D. Muench, Donald W. Plass, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20100001788
    Abstract: A system to evaluate charge pump output may include a comparator to compare a charge pump output voltage to a reference voltage to generate a comparison result. The system may also include a divider to divide down a clock signal. The system may further include a logical conjunction unit to operate on the comparison result and the divided down clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2008
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: John E. Barth, JR., John A. Fifield, Fadi H. Gebara, Jente B. Kuang, Michael Sperling
  • Patent number: 7510518
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for making standing folds in a material web and a knife folding machine (1) for producing such standing folds. The knife folding machine has at least two folding knives (2, 3), which are situated one opposite the other with respect to the material web (4). A folding channel (5) extends from the folding knives (2, 3) in the folding direction (F). In order to reduce the costs involved in resetting the knife folding machine (1) to other material webs (4) to be folded or at the end of a material web (4), a work transfer device (14) is provided, which, in an ejection mode, has a stop (24) which juts into the projection area of the standing folds (26) in the folding channel (5) in the folding direction (F). As a result of the work transfer device (14), the standing fold parcel (26) in the folding channel (5) is able to be ejected and to be further processed in normal fashion by following appliances, without waste being incurred.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Assignee: Karl Rabofsky GmbH
    Inventors: Arno Heinen, Roland Pietschmann, Peter Rieckhoff, Detlef Rothgänger, Michael Sperling, Frank Matecka
  • Publication number: 20080007272
    Abstract: On-chip sensor to detect power supply vulnerabilities. The on-chip sensor employs a sensitive delay chain and an insensitive delay chain to detect power supply undershoots and overshoots without requiring external off-chip components. Undershoots and overshoots outside a user-defined threshold are detected. The undershoots and overshoots are indicated by a relative difference in phase of the two delay chains. The two delay chains are programmable to detect various frequencies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank Ferraiolo, Anuja Sehgal, Peilin Song, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20070164754
    Abstract: The lower power on-chip power supply noise sensor detects high frequency overshoots and undershoots of the power supply voltage. The sensor has two resistor chains that span the full power rail, with a reactive element to form a low pass filter as part of one of the resistor chains. By this expedient the high frequency transient behavior differs between the two chains, while the low frequency behavior is equivalent. This allows a voltage comparison to be made with comparators. The comparator output can be latched or transmitted as a sampling signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George Smith, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20070164753
    Abstract: A power supply history monitor. The monitor receives a short duration anomalous signal, e.g., from a power supply, and produces a digitized signal representing the anomalous signal as an output. The monitor receives a signal from a signal input, and includes an analog delay element in series with the signal input, a sample and hold element receiving a signal from the analog delay element, an analog signal processor receiving an output of the sample and hold element, and an analog to digital converter receiving an analog output of the analog signal processor. The output of the power supply history monitor is a digital output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 18, 2006
    Publication date: July 19, 2007
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: George Smith, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20070141311
    Abstract: An elastic material that lowers extension tension over a given range without a significant impact on the retractive tension or stress relaxation. The elastic laminate includes a first set of elastic members attached to one or more substrates while the elastic members are stretched, and a second set of elastic members or an elastic film attached to the one or more substrates while the elastic members or film are stretched to a different extent than the first set of elastic members. Both the substrate(s) and one of the sets of elastic members or film are gathered when the other set of elastic members or film is relaxed. Also included is a method of making the differentially-stretched elastic laminate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventors: Mark Mleziva, Michael Sperl
  • Publication number: 20070142813
    Abstract: A garment with a gasket flap that exposes an ever increasing area of higher coefficient of friction or grip zone in response to an increased load in the garment due to body exudates or the like. The grip zone has a coefficient of friction that is greater than the portion of the gasket flap initially exposed to the wearer's skin. The gasket flap may be positioned at various places in the garment to prevent slipping or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2005
    Publication date: June 21, 2007
    Inventor: Michael Sperl
  • Publication number: 20060247593
    Abstract: A stretchable absorbent article has a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, a front waist region, a back waist region, a crotch region extending longitudinally between and interconnecting said front and back waist regions, a length, and a width. The absorbent article has a liquid impermeable outer cover stretchable in at least one direction and a liner in opposed relationship with the outer cover and stretchable in at least one direction. At least one of the liner and the outer cover has a width substantially equal to the width of the absorbent article along the length thereof. An absorbent structure is disposed between the liner and the outer cover and extends from the crotch region to at least one of the front waist region and the back waist region of the article. The outer cover is elastic and is configured to improve the fit of the absorbent article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2005
    Publication date: November 2, 2006
    Applicant: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sperl, Richard Kamps
  • Publication number: 20060181324
    Abstract: Delay elements and delay lines having glitchless operation are disclosed. By way of example, apparatus for delaying an input signal comprises a reference current generator for generating a constant current, wherein the constant current is insensitive to a variation of a power supply voltage, at least one variable bias voltage generator coupled to the reference current generator for generating a set of bias voltages based on the constant current generated by the reference current generator and a digitally programmable delay control input, and at least one delay element coupled to the at least one variable bias voltage generator for delaying the input signal by a constant delay which is determined by the set of bias voltages generated by the at least one variable bias voltage generator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2005
    Publication date: August 17, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Dreps, Frank Ferraiolo, Daniel Friedman, Seongwon Kim, Hector Saenz, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20060176080
    Abstract: CMOS circuitry used to multiplex between data inputs suffers from high sensitivity to power supply noise, resulting in delay variations. By utilizing current controlled inverters in a multiplexer structure, power supply insensitivity can be achieved with either of two multiplexing methods. The first method places switches on the data inputs while the second places the switches on the analog bias voltages inherent to a current controlled inverter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Sperling, Seongwon Kim, Paul Muench, Hector Saenz
  • Publication number: 20060176096
    Abstract: A power supply voltage insensitive delay element is provided that enables a digital signal to be delayed without variation due to power supply vulnerabilities. Current is limited through the transistors of the delay element using bias voltages produced by a bias voltage generator coupled to the delay element. The bias voltage generator and the delay element are included in a delay line which facilitates the providing of a delay that is insensitive to voltage fluctuations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2005
    Publication date: August 10, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Dreps, Frank Ferraiolo, Daniel Friedman, Seongwon Kim, Robert Reese, Hector Saenz, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20060164059
    Abstract: The on-chip power supply noise sensor detects high frequency overshoots and undershoots of the power supply voltage. By creating two identical current sources and attaching a time constant circuit to only one, the high frequency transient behavior differs while the low frequency behavior is equivalent. By comparing these currents, the magnitude of very high frequency power supply noise can be sensed and used to either set latches or add to a digital counter. This has the advantage of directly sensing the power supply noise in a manner that does not require calibration. Also, since the sensor requires only one power supply, it can be used anywhere on a chip. Finally, it filters out any lower frequency noise that is not interesting to the circuit designer and can be tuned to detect down to whatever frequency is needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2005
    Publication date: July 27, 2006
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Dreps, Seongwon Kim, Michael Sperling
  • Publication number: 20060149204
    Abstract: A disposable absorbent article comprising a bodyside liner, an outer cover, and an absorbent core sandwiched between the liner and the outer cover. When exposed to liquid under a specific set of conditions, the absorbent core exhibits planar growth of at least about 15% in at least one of the longitudinal and transverse directions at one or more positions. In particular embodiments, such planar growth can deliver improved fit, donning, and/or accident-awareness characteristics to disposable absorbent articles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Publication date: July 6, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Niemeyer, Sherry VanDyke, Michael Sperl
  • Publication number: 20060069365
    Abstract: An absorbent composite has at least one first region and at least one second region. The first region includes an elastomeric polymer at a first concentration and at least one absorbent material, such as superabsorbent material, and the second region includes an elastomeric polymer at a second concentration. The absorbent composite can provide improved attachment within an absorbent article, such as a stretchable absorbent article, even after fluid loading, while maintaining suitable absorbent properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2004
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Inventors: Michael Sperl, Davis Hoang Nhan, Gabriel Adam, David Jackson, Barry Fitzsimons, Hoa Wilhelm