Abstract: The semiconductor device 1 includes an insulating interlayer 10, interconnects 12a to 12c, an insulating interlayer 20, and a capacitor element 30. On the insulating interlayer 10 and the interconnects 12a to 12d, the insulating interlayer 20 is provided via a diffusion barrier 40. On the insulating interlayer 20, the capacitor element 30 is provided. The capacitor element 30 is a MIM type capacitor element, and includes a lower electrode 32 provided on the insulating interlayer 20, a capacitor insulating layer 34 provided on the lower electrode 32, and an upper electrode 36 provided on the capacitor insulating layer 34. The interface S1 between the insulating interlayer 20 and the capacitor element 30 is generally flat. The lower face S2 of the insulating interlayer 20 includes an uneven portion at a position corresponding to the capacitor insulating layer 34.

Abstract: A control unit and a control method are disclosed. First and second changing units change impedances of two or more first and second components within predetermined first and second ranges, respectively, the first and the second components affecting an output signal. An evaluation function value calculating unit calculates an evaluation function value that is dependent on the impedances of the first and the second components. A gradient vector calculating unit calculates a gradient vector based on the difference between the evaluation function values before and after the impedance change of the second components. Based on the gradient vector, impedance of each of the first components is changed such that the evaluation function value takes a desired value.

Abstract: A communications apparatus using an adaptive antenna having in a high frequency unit an antenna unit including a plurality of antenna elements and a plurality of adjustment units, provided corresponding to the plurality of antenna elements, for adjusting directivity of an entire antenna, the communications apparatus including an interference wave element extraction unit for extracting an interference wave element other than a requested signal from a received signal by the antenna unit when an adjustment value of the adjustment unit is perturbed in a one symbol time, and an adaptive control unit for performing adaptive control on the adjustment value such that the extracted interference wave element can be minimized.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first wiring layer which is provided above a semiconductor substrate and includes a first insulating film and a wiring buried in the first insulating film, a second insulating film provided above the first wiring layer, a third insulating film provided on the second insulating film, and a capacitor element provided on the third insulating film. The wiring includes an upper surface having a protruding portion. The capacitor element includes a lower electrode provided on the third insulating film, a capacitor insulating film provided on the lower electrode, and an upper electrode provided on the capacitor insulating film.

Abstract: An adaptive array antenna controller is disclosed that adaptively controls weighting coefficients of multiple antenna elements of an array antenna based on a digital signal outputted from an analog-to-digital converter receiving a weighted analog signal received from the array antenna. The controller includes an impulse response measuring device for obtaining impulse responses, based on correlation calculation of the digital signal and a known signal having a predetermined pattern; an impulse response generator for extracting path components existing within a predetermined time duration from among plural path components included in the impulse responses and generating desired impulse responses; a reference signal generator for forming a reference signal having a desired pattern, based on convolution calculation of the desired impulse responses and the known signal; and an adaptive controller for adjusting the weighting coefficients, based on the digital signal and the reference signal.

Abstract: A MIMO wireless communication system and wireless communication apparatuses are disclosed that increase the practically usable communication channel capacity in the Shannon channel capacity that determines the ratio of maximum signal transmission speed to frequency. Each wireless communication apparatus includes antenna units that transmit and receive radio frequency signals, and a weight controlling unit that provides weights with respect to the antenna units. The antenna units are formed by adaptive array antenna units that can change the directivity by varying weights with respect to antenna elements.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an upper conductive strip group and a lower conductive strip group crossing under the upper conductive strip group. Adjacent first and second conductive strips of the upper conductive strip group are adapted to receive a first voltage, a third conductive strip of the lower conductive strip group is adapted to receive a second voltage. A capacitor is provided at a first intersection between the first and third conductive strips and at a second intersection between the second and third conductive strip, and the capacitor extends from the first intersection to the second intersection.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a plurality of triple-stacked structures all having the same structure are provided. Each of the triple-stacked structures includes one lower electrode layer, at least one upper electrode layer and one dielectric layer sandwiched by the lower electrode layer and the upper electrode layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device has a capacitive structure formed by sequentially layering, on a wiring or conductive plug, a lower electrode, a capacitive insulation film, and an upper electrode. The semiconductor device has, as the capacitive structure, a thin-film capacitor having a lower electrode structure composed of an amorphous or microcrystalline film or a laminate of these films formed on a polycrystalline film.

Abstract: A control device for an antenna matching circuit is configured to output an adjusting signal for changing impedance of an element in the antenna matching circuit based on change over time in signal power ratio of a reflected signal from the antenna matching circuit to an incident signal to the antenna matching circuit.

Abstract: The semiconductor device 1 includes an insulating interlayer 10, interconnects 12a to 12c, an insulating interlayer 20, and a capacitor element 30. On the insulating interlayer 10 and the interconnects 12a to 12d, the insulating interlayer 20 is provided via a diffusion barrier 40. On the insulating interlayer 20, the capacitor element 30 is provided. The capacitor element 30 is a MIM type capacitor element, and includes a lower electrode 32 provided on the insulating interlayer 20, a capacitor insulating layer 34 provided on the lower electrode 32, and an upper electrode 36 provided on the capacitor insulating layer 34. The interface S1 between the insulating interlayer 20 and the capacitor element 30 is generally flat. The lower face S2 of the insulating interlayer 20 includes an uneven portion at a position corresponding to the capacitor insulating layer 34.

Abstract: An array antenna system comprises an array antenna unit including multiple antenna elements and multiple phase shifters for setting weighting coefficients of the associated antenna elements; and a weight controller that generates and outputs a control signal for adjusting the weighting coefficient for each of the antenna elements, using a known signal received at each of the antenna elements. The weight controller has a channel impulse response estimation unit that estimates a channel impulse response for each of the antenna elements based on a linear combination of a first received signal obtained from the known signal when a first set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements and a second received signal obtained from the known signal when a second set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements; and an output unit that outputs the control signal based on the estimated channel impulse responses.

Abstract: A MIMO wireless communication system and wireless communication apparatuses are disclosed that increase the practically usable communication channel capacity in the Shannon channel capacity that determines the ratio of maximum signal transmission speed to frequency. Each wireless communication apparatus includes antenna units that transmit and receive radio frequency signals, and a weight controlling unit that provides weights with respect to the antenna units. The antenna units are formed by adaptive array antenna units that can change the directivity by varying weights with respect to antenna elements.

Abstract: A MIMO wireless communication system and wireless communication apparatuses are disclosed that increase the practically usable communication channel capacity in the Shannon channel capacity that determines the ratio of maximum signal transmission speed to frequency. Each wireless communication apparatus includes antenna units that transmit and receive radio frequency signals, and a weight controlling unit that provides weights with respect to the antenna units. The antenna units are formed by adaptive array antenna units that can change the directivity by varying weights with respect to antenna elements.

Abstract: An adaptive controller adaptively controls a plurality of variable high frequency devices. A calculation part calculates a scalar function value by using a signal varied in accordance with impedances of the variable high frequency devices, a reference signal, and a predetermined scalar function. An impedance variation part creates a signal that sequentially varies the impedances of the variable high frequency devices. A determination part determines, when the impedance of one of the variable high frequency devices is varied, whether a direction in which the scalar function value is varied is in a predetermined sloped direction. The impedance variation part includes a first variation part that, when a decision result in the determination part is in the predetermined direction, creates a signal that further varies the impedance of the one of the variable high frequency devices in the predetermined sloped direction.

Abstract: An adaptive antenna unit includes feeding antenna elements arranged so as to reduce spatial correlations thereof, parasitic antenna elements, provided with respect to each of the feeding antenna elements and arranged so as to increase mutual coupling between a corresponding one of the feeding antenna elements, variable reactance elements each terminating a corresponding one of the parasitic antenna elements, and a control section. The control section controls reactances of the reactance elements and controls weighting of the reception signals received by the feeding antenna elements, in response to the reception signals.

Abstract: An array antenna system comprises an array antenna unit including multiple antenna elements and multiple phase shifters for setting weighting coefficients of the associated antenna elements; and a weight controller that generates and outputs a control signal for adjusting the weighting coefficient for each of the antenna elements, using a known signal received at each of the antenna elements. The weight controller has a channel impulse response estimation unit that estimates a channel impulse response for each of the antenna elements based on a linear combination of a first received signal obtained from the known signal when a first set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements and a second received signal obtained from the known signal when a second set of weighting coefficients is set for the antenna elements; and an output unit that outputs the control signal based on the estimated channel impulse responses.

Abstract: A control device for an antenna matching circuit is configured to output an adjusting signal for changing impedance of an element in the antenna matching circuit based on change over time in signal power ratio of a reflected signal from the antenna matching circuit to an incident signal to the antenna matching circuit.

Abstract: An adaptive antenna unit is adapted to a mobile terminal for making mobile communication and adaptively forms an antenna directivity in a direction of a base station which exchanges signals with the mobile terminal. The adaptive antenna unit is provided with an azimuth sensor to detect at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal, a transmitter-receiver section to control the antenna directivity in a direction in which a reception characteristic improves based on reception signals received from a plurality of antenna elements forming the antenna directivity, and a mechanism for correcting the antenna directivity in the direction of the base station, based on the at least one of rotation, inclination and present position of the mobile terminal detected by the azimuth sensor.

Abstract: A control unit and a control method are disclosed. First and second changing units change impedances of two or more first and second components within predetermined first and second ranges, respectively, the first and the second components affecting an output signal. An evaluation function value calculating unit calculates an evaluation function value that is dependent on the impedances of the first and the second components. A gradient vector calculating unit calculates a gradient vector based on the difference between the evaluation function values before and after the impedance change of the second components. Based on the gradient vector, impedance of each of the first components is changed such that the evaluation function value takes a desired value.