Abstract: A method of providing a CMOS-MEMS structure is disclosed. The method comprises patterning a first top metal on a MEMS actuator substrate and a second top metal on a CMOS substrate. Each of the MEMS actuator substrate and the CMOS substrate include an oxide layer thereon. The method includes etching each of the oxide layers on the MEMS actuator substrate and the base substrate, utilizing a first bonding step to bond the first patterned top metal of the MEMS actuator substrate to the second patterned top metal of the base substrate. Finally the method includes etching an actuator layer into the MEMS actuator substrate and utilizing a second bonding step to bond the MEMS actuator substrate to a MEMS handle substrate.

Abstract: Methods for bonding two wafers are disclosed. In one aspect, a first wafer includes an integrated circuit and the second wafer including a MEMS device. The method comprises depositing a bond pad on a metal on the first wafer and sequentially bonding the first wafer to the second wafer utilizing first and second temperatures. The second wafer is bonded to the bond pad at the first temperature and the bond pad and the metal are bonded at the second temperature. In another aspect, a first wafer including an integrated circuit, the second wafer includes a MEMS device. The method comprises depositing a bond pad on a metal on one of the first wafer and the second wafer and bonding the first wafer to the second wafer at a first temperature via a direct bond interface. The method includes bonding the bond pad to the metal at a second temperature.

Abstract: A method for forming an actuator layer of a MEMS device is disclosed. The method comprising etching the actuator layer and annealing the actuator layer after etching to reduce surface roughness of the MEMS device.

Abstract: An integrated MEMS device comprises two substrates where the first and second substrates are coupled together and have two enclosures there between. One of the first and second substrates includes an outgassing source layer and an outgassing barrier layer to adjust pressure within the two enclosures. The method includes depositing and patterning an outgassing source layer and a first outgassing barrier layer on the substrate, resulting in two cross-sections. In one of the two cross-sections a top surface of the outgassing source layer is not covered by the outgassing barrier layer and in the other of the two cross-sections the outgassing source layer is encapsulated in the outgassing barrier layer. The method also includes depositing conformally a second outgassing barrier layer and etching the second outgassing barrier layer such that a spacer of the second outgassing barrier layer is left on sidewalls of the outgassing source layer.

Abstract: Integrated circuits that include resistors are provided. An integrated circuit resistor may include a conductive structure disposed over a semiconductor substrate. An oxide layer may be interposed between the conductive structure and a top surface of the semiconductor substrate. A shallow trench isolation structure may be formed in the substrate directly beneath the oxide layer. The shallow trench isolation structure may be formed in a given region in the substrate that is contained within a surrounding n-well and a deep n-well. The given region within which the shallow trench isolation structure is formed may exhibit native substrate dopant concentration levels; the given region is neither an n-well nor a p-well. The surrounding n-well and the deep n-well may be reversed biased to help fully deplete the given region so that parasitic capacitance levels associated with the resistor are minimized.

Abstract: Various apparatuses and methods for forming integrated circuit packages are described. One aspect of the invention pertains to an integrated circuit package in which one or more integrated circuits are embedded in a substrate and covered with a layer of photo-imageable epoxy. The substrate can be made of various materials, including silicon, quartz and glass. An integrated circuit is positioned within a cavity in the top surface of the substrate. The epoxy layer is formed over the top surface of the substrate and the active face of the integrated circuit. An interconnect layer is formed over the epoxy layer and is electrically coupled with the integrated circuit.

Abstract: Integrated circuits with transistors and decoupling capacitor structures are provided. A decoupling capacitor structure may include multiple deep trench structures formed in a semiconductor substrate. The deep trench structures may each be lined with high-? dielectric material. A conductive metal layer for use in controlling threshold voltages associated with n-channel or p-channel devices may be formed over the high-? dielectric liner. Conductive material such as aluminum may be used to fill the remaining trench cavity. The high-? dielectric liner may be simultaneously deposited into the deep trench structures and gate regions of the transistors. In one suitable arrangement, the deep trench structures and transistor metal gates for at least a selected type of transistors may be formed in parallel. In another suitable arrangement, the deep trench structures and the transistor metal gates may be formed in separate steps.

Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to an integrated circuit package that includes multiple layers of a planarizing, photo-imageable epoxy that are formed over a substrate. In some designs, the substrate is a silicon wafer. An integrated circuit is embedded in the epoxy. An antenna, which is electrically coupled to the active face of the integrated circuit through an interconnect layer, is formed over one of the epoxy layers. In various embodiments, at least some of the epoxy layers are positioned between the substrate and the antenna such that there is a distance of at least approximately 100 microns between the substrate and the antenna.

Abstract: A scalable MEMS inductor is formed on the top surface of a semiconductor die. The MEMS inductor includes a plurality of magnetic lower laminations, a circular trace that lies over and spaced apart from the magnetic lower laminations, and a plurality of upper laminations that lie over and spaced apart from the circular trace.

Abstract: A damascene process is utilized to fabricate the segmented magnetic core elements of an integrated circuit inductor structure. The magnetic core is electroplated from a seed layer that is conformal with a permanent dielectric mold that results in sidewall plating defining an easy magnetic axis. The hard axis runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core and the inductor coils are orthogonal to the core's longitudinal axis. The magnetic field generated by the inductor coils is, therefore, parallel and self-aligned to the hard magnetic axis. The easy axis is enhanced by electroplating in an applied magnetic field parallel to the easy axis.

Abstract: An inductor is formed on a wafer by attaching a first core structure to the wafer with a pick and place operation, forming a coil with one or more thick metal layers over the first core structure, and then attaching a second core structure to the first core structure with the pick and place operation after the coil has been formed. In addition, the pick and place operation can also be used to attach one or more integrated circuits to the wafer to form an integrated inductive device.

Abstract: A galvanic isolation system provides galvanic isolation in digital transfer integrated circuits by using conductivity modulation of the semiconductor substrate. Modulation of the conductivity of the substrate affects eddy current losses of a (differential) RF inductor that is isolated from the substrate by a sufficient amount of dielectric material, which provides a basis for signal transfer from the modulated substrate to the inductor across the isolation barrier.

Abstract: A galvanic isolation system provides galvanic isolation in digital transfer integrated circuits by using conductivity modulation of the semiconductor substrate. Modulation of the conductivity of the substrate affects eddy current losses of a (differential) RF inductor that is isolated from the substrate by a sufficient amount of dielectric material, which provides a basis for signal transfer from the modulated substrate to the inductor across the isolation barrier.

Abstract: An interdigitated semiconductor capacitor with a large number of plates and a capacitance in the micro-farad range is formed on a wafer with only a single lithography step by depositing each odd layer of metal through a first shadow mask that lies spaced apart from the wafer, and each even layer of metal through a second shadow mask that lies spaced apart from the wafer.

Abstract: Multiple wafers that each has multiple high-precision circuits and corresponding trim control circuits are batch trimmed in a process where each wafer is formed to include openings that expose trimmable circuit elements that are internal to the circuitry of the high-precision circuits. The high-precision circuits and trim control circuits are electrically activated during the trimming phase by metal traces that run along the saw streets. The method attaches a wafer contact structure to each wafer to electrically activate the metal traces. The method places the wafers with the wafer contact structures into a solution where the exposed trimmable circuit elements are electroplated or anodized when the actual output voltage of a high-precision circuit does not match the predicted output voltage of the high-precision circuit.

Abstract: The inductance of an inductor is increased by forming a conductive wire to have a serpentine shape that weaves through a ferromagnetic core that has a number of segments that are connected together in a serpentine shape where each segment of the ferromagnetic core also has a number of sections that are connected together in a serpentine shape.

Abstract: A controlled seam magnetic core lamination utilizable in an inductor structure includes a magnetic base and first and second spaced-apart magnetic sidewalls extending substantially orthogonally from the base to define a seam therebetween.

Abstract: A controlled seam magnetic core lamination utilizable in an inductor structure includes a magnetic base and first and second spaced-apart magnetic sidewalls extending substantially orthogonally from the base to define a seam therebetween.

Abstract: A method includes forming a transistor device on a first side of a semiconductor-on-insulator structure. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure includes a substrate, a dielectric layer, and a buried layer between the substrate and the dielectric layer. The method also includes forming a conductive plug through the semiconductor-on-insulator structure. The conductive plug is in electrical connection with the transistor device. The method further includes forming a field plate on a second side of the semiconductor-on-insulator structure, where the field plate is in electrical connection with the conductive plug. The transistor device could have a breakdown voltage of at least 600V, and the field plate could extend along at least 40% of a length of the transistor device.

Abstract: A damascene process is utilized to fabricate the segmented magnetic core elements of an integrated circuit inductor structure. The magnetic core is electroplated from a seed layer that is conformal with a permanent dielectric mold that results in sidewall plating defining an easy magnetic axis. The hard axis runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core and the inductor coils are orthogonal to the core's longitudinal axis. The magnetic field generated by the inductor coils is, therefore, parallel and self-aligned to the hard magnetic axis. The easy axis is enhanced by electroplating in an applied magnetic field parallel to the easy axis.