Input And Output Buffer/driver (epo) Patents (Class 257/E27.11)
  • Patent number: 11978679
    Abstract: A device used for semiconductor metrology includes a substrate and a plurality of pieces from one or more semiconductor wafers. Each piece of the plurality of pieces is bonded to the substrate at a respective position on the substrate. Each piece of the plurality of pieces includes a respective instance of a measurement test structure and an alignment mark. Each piece of the plurality of pieces has a known location from the one or more semiconductor wafers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KLA Corporation
    Inventor: Chen Dror
  • Patent number: 11881859
    Abstract: A circuit includes an inverter coupled between an input and an output. The inverter includes first and second pull-down transistors having control terminals coupled to the input, a pull-up resistor, and a pull-up transistor having a control terminal coupled to the input. The first and second pull-down transistors are coupled in series along a pull-down path extending between a first voltage supply terminal and the output. The pull-up resistor and pull-up transistor are coupled in series along a pull-up path extending between a second voltage supply terminal and the output. A hysteresis transistor has a control terminal coupled to the output. The hysteresis transistor is coupled to the inverter along a hysteresis path extending between the first voltage supply terminal and the pull-up path. A clamp circuit is coupled to the inverter along a clamp path extending between the first voltage supply terminal and the pull-down path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Abhishek Gupta, Sayantan Gupta
  • Patent number: 11874793
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to multi-processor arrangements and, more particularly, to broadcast hubs for multi-processor arrangements. A processing tile may comprise a broadcast hub to obtain a plurality of parameters applicable in a particular operation from at least one of a plurality of processing tiles and initiate distribution of the plurality of parameters to the plurality of processing tiles, wherein the plurality of processing tiles may execute the particular operation based at least in part on the plurality of distributed parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Erik Persson, Graeme Leslie Ingram, Rune Holm, John Wakefield Brothers, III
  • Patent number: 11721144
    Abstract: This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for eliminating false activation of components of a vehicle when the vehicle is parked in a garage. Example components can be a door lock, a door latch, a door activation servomotor, or a light. In an example method, a vehicle entry authorization system of a vehicle operates a sensor system to obtain dimensional information of an interior portion of the garage. The vehicle entry authorization system may then detect a presence of a mobile device (such as a phone-as-a-key or a vehicle key fob) and determines the location of the mobile device based on the dimensional information. If the mobile device is located outside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system refrains from activating a component of the vehicle. However, if the mobile device is located inside the garage, the vehicle entry authorization system activates the component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Inventors: Stuart Salter, Kristopher Brown, Peter Kung, Mike Kipley, John Van Wiemeersch, Hussein Berry
  • Patent number: 11594531
    Abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) memory devices are provided. An exemplary 3D memory device includes a first semiconductor structure including a peripheral circuit, a data processing circuit, and a first bonding layer including a plurality of first bonding contacts. The peripheral circuit and the data processing circuit are stacked over one another vertically on different planes. The 3D memory device also includes a second semiconductor structure including an array of 3D NAND memory strings and a second bonding layer including a plurality of second bonding contacts. In addition, the 3D memory device includes a bonding interface between the first bonding layer and the second bonding layer. The first bonding contacts are in contact with the second bonding contacts at the bonding interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Shengwei Yang, Zhongyi Xia, Kun Han
  • Patent number: 11532576
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a semiconductor package includes the following steps. Semiconductor chips are disposed on a carrier. The semiconductor chips are grouped in a plurality of package units. The semiconductor chips are encapsulated in an encapsulant to form a reconstructed wafer. A redistribution structure is formed on the encapsulant. The redistribution structure electrically connects the semiconductor chips within a same package unit of the plurality of package units. The individual package units are separated by cutting through the reconstructed wafer along scribe line regions. In the reconstructed wafer, the plurality of package units are arranged so as to balance the number of scribe line regions extending across opposite halves of the reconstructed wafer in a first direction with respect to the number of scribe line regions extending across opposite halves of the reconstructed wafer in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Sen-Kuei Hsu, Hsin-Yu Pan, Yi-Che Chiang
  • Patent number: 11508693
    Abstract: A memory device includes a first semiconductor wafer portion including two or more adjacent quasi-volatile memory circuits formed on a common semiconductor substrate where each quasi-volatile memory circuit being isolated from an adjacent quasi-volatile memory circuit by scribe lines; and a second semiconductor wafer portion including at least one memory controller circuit formed on a semiconductor substrate. The memory controller circuit includes logic circuits and interface circuits. The memory controller circuit is interconnected to the two or more adjacent quasi-volatile memory circuits of the first semiconductor wafer portion through interconnect structures and the memory controller circuit operates the two or more quasi-volatile memory circuits as one or more quasi-volatile memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SUNRISE MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robert D. Norman, Richard S. Chernicoff, Eli Harari
  • Patent number: 11469179
    Abstract: A wire interconnect structure of an integrated circuit includes a first wiring layer, a second wiring layer, a third wiring layer, first conductive via structures, second conductive via structures, and third conductive via structures. The first wiring layer includes a first wire connected to first transistors and a second wire connected to second transistors. The second wiring layer includes third wires and fourth wires that are perpendicular to the first wire and the second wire. The third wiring layer includes a fifth wire and a sixth wire that are parallel to the first wire and the second wire and respectively connected to a first contact pad and a second contact pad above. The first transistors are electrically connected to the first contact pad through the first wire, and the second transistors are electrically connected to the second contact pad through the second wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: ALi Corporation
    Inventor: Siao-Ren Hsu
  • Patent number: 11410987
    Abstract: A chip is described including a semiconductor layer including doped regions; a metallization layer on the semiconductor layer and at least one cell row including p-channel field effect transistors and n-channel field effect transistors, wherein the doped regions form source regions and drain regions of the p-channel field effect transistors and the n-channel field effect transistors; contacts extending from the source regions, the drain regions and gate regions of the p-channel field effect transistors and the n-channel field effect transistors to the metallization layer, wherein the metallization layer is structured in accordance with a metallization grid such that the p-channel field effect transistors and the n-channel field effect transistors are connected to form one or more logic gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventor: Thomas Kuenemund
  • Patent number: 11296689
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an output circuit having a voltage-withstanding mechanism that includes a PMOS, a NMOS, a voltage-withstanding auxiliary NMOS and a voltage-withstanding auxiliary circuit. The PMOS includes a first source terminal and a first drain terminal coupled to a voltage source and an output terminal and a first gate receiving a first input signal. The NMOS includes a second source terminal and a second drain terminal coupled to a ground terminal and a connection terminal and a second gate receiving a second input signal. The auxiliary NMOS includes a third drain terminal and a third source terminal coupled to the output terminal and the connection terminal. The auxiliary circuit is coupled to the voltage source and a third gate of the auxiliary NMOS and provides a current conducting mechanism and a resistive mechanism respectively when the output terminal is operated at a logic high level and a logic low level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tay-Her Tsaur, Tsung-Yen Tsai
  • Patent number: 10811638
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel having a display surface, and a polarizing unit on the display surface of the display panel, the polarizing unit including a linear polarizer that includes at least two portions having different transmittances from each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Haegoo Jung, Jangseok Ma, Dohyung Ryu, Jaewoo Song, Jaehoon Lee
  • Patent number: 9859892
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus may include a transmission circuit, a reception circuit, and a pad commonly coupled to the transmission circuit and the reception circuit. When either the transmission circuit or the reception circuit is activated, parasitic capacitance of a line coupled to the transmission circuit, the reception circuit, and the pad is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Sun Ki Cho
  • Patent number: 9673800
    Abstract: An analog switch circuit is disclosed. The analog switch circuit includes a MOSFET and a control switch. The MOSFET includes a drain electrode, a source electrode, a gate electrode, and a body electrode. A gate bias is applied on the gate electrode to control whether the MOSFET is ON or OFF. The control switch includes a control terminal, a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal. A control bias relating to the gate bias is applied to the control terminal so that the first terminal is connected to the second terminal when the MOSFET is ON, and the first terminal is connected to the third terminal when the MOSFET is OFF. The second terminal is connected to a first voltage source providing a first bias. The third terminal is connected to a second voltage source providing a second bias different from the first bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: REALTEK SEMICONDUCTOR CORP.
    Inventors: Guan-Yu Chen, Leaf Chen
  • Patent number: 9647664
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus may include an output driver configured to output an internal signal to an external device. The output driver may include a pad coupled to the external device, a pull-up driver coupled to the pad at an end thereof, a first resistance element coupled to the pull-up driver at an end thereof, and configured to receive a first source voltage at the other end thereof, a pull-down driver coupled to the pad at an end thereof, and a second resistance element coupled to the pull-down driver at an end thereof, and configured to receive a first ground voltage at the other end thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Bae Lee
  • Patent number: 9601921
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. One embodiment includes a tie-off circuit including a multiple field effect transistors (FETs), a first internal node, a second internal node, a first output node and a second output node. A node isolation circuit is connected to the first output node and the second output node of the tie-off circuit. The node isolation circuit includes a first FET with a third output node and a second FET with a fourth output node. The third output node and the fourth output node are electrically isolated from the first internal node and the second internal node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Chen Guo, Yutaka Nakamura, Jun Sawada
  • Patent number: 9589893
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip, which includes a substrate, a multilayer interconnect layer formed over the substrate, a first cell column disposed along an edge of the substrate in a plan view, the first cell column having a first I/O cell and a first power supply cell, second cell column disposed along the first cell column in plan view, the second cell column having a second I/O cell, a first pad supplying a first supply voltage to the first power supply cell, a first voltage supply wire disposed over the first cell column, a second voltage supply wire disposed over the second cell column, and a first connection wire crossing the first voltage supply wire and the second voltage supply wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masafumi Tomoda, Masayuki Tsukuda
  • Patent number: 9557755
    Abstract: An interface pad circuit configured for conveying an electrical signal from a semiconductor chip component to a component external to the semiconductor chip component, the interface pad circuit includes: a control circuit; a plurality of semiconductor elements, the semiconductor elements having respective bulk terminals and being controlled by the control circuit; and a connection pad; wherein at least two of the semiconductor elements are configured for providing a plurality of non-zero logic voltage levels to the connection pad; and wherein the control circuit is configured to apply a voltage level to the bulk terminals of the at least two of the semiconductor elements providing the non-zero logic voltage levels, the voltage level applied by the control circuit corresponding to the highest voltage level of the plurality of non-zero logic voltage levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: GN RESOUND A/S
    Inventor: Henrik Ahrendt
  • Patent number: 9391618
    Abstract: A high-voltage fail-safe input/output (I/O) interface circuit includes a voltage-divider circuit coupled to an I/O pad of the I/O interface circuit, and a selector circuit configured to couple, to a power supply line of the I/O interface circuit one of an output of the voltage-divider circuit or and I/O supply voltage. The voltage-divider circuit and the selector circuit are implemented on the same chip with the I/O interface circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Darrin Robert Benzer
  • Patent number: 9252166
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a capacitor for a TFT array substrate and a method of manufacturing the same, and the present invention further discloses a shift register, a gate driver, an array substrate and a display device using the capacitor. The TFT array substrate comprises a TFT gate layer, a gate insulation layer, a first ITO layer, a TFT active layer, a TFT source-drain layer, a passivation layer and a second ITO layer formed sequentially on a glass substrate, and the capacitor is consisted of the first ITO layer, the passivation layer and the second ITO layer. In addition, the second ITO layer is connected with the TFT gate layer in a region where the capacitor is located, thereby forming two capacitors connected in parallel; or, the first ITO layer is connected with the TFT gate layer in the region where the capacitor is located, thereby also forming two capacitors connected in parallel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd., Hefei BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaohe Li, Xianjie Shao
  • Patent number: 9019255
    Abstract: An organic light emitting display apparatus includes a polarizer film arranged on a substrate or an encapsulation substrate that faces an image realized by a display unit, wherein the polarizer film includes a plurality of regions having different light transmittances. By using the polarizer film, a luminance difference due to a voltage drop may be compensated for so that a uniform luminance may be obtained when the image is realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-Joo Hwang, Hee-Chul Jeon, Jung-I Yun, Sae-Hee Lim
  • Patent number: 8975632
    Abstract: Semiconductor elements deteriorate or are destroyed due to electrostatic discharge damage. The present invention provides a semiconductor device in which a protecting means is formed in each pixel. The protecting means is provided with one or a plurality of elements selected from the group consisting of resistor elements, capacitor elements, and rectifying elements. Sudden changes in the electric potential of a source electrode or a drain electrode of a transistor due to electric charge that builds up in a pixel electrode is relieved by disposing the protecting means between the pixel electrode of the light-emitting element and the source electrode or the drain electrode of the transistor. Deterioration or destruction of the semiconductor element due to electrostatic discharge damage is thus prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Masahiko Hayakawa, Yoshifumi Tanada, Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai, Ryota Fukumoto
  • Patent number: 8941185
    Abstract: An active matrix substrate of the present invention includes: a first signal line and a second signal line which are aligned in a column direction in which the first signal line and the second signal line extend; a first transistor and a second transistor; and a first electrode and a second electrode, the first signal line being connected via the first transistor to the first electrode, and the second signal line being connected via the second transistor to the second electrode, and the first signal line having a first end which is one of both ends of the first signal line and faces the second signal line, the first end including a tapered part which is tapered toward the second signal line. This makes it possible to prevent a leakage defect from occurring between two signal lines which are aligned in a direction in which the two signal lines extend.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Asai, Satoshi Horiuchi, Kazuyori Mitsumoto
  • Patent number: 8884337
    Abstract: An output buffer includes an input/output end, a voltage source, a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first end coupled to the input/output end, a second end coupled to the voltage source, and a control end coupled to the voltage source. The second transistor includes a first end coupled to the input/output end, a second end coupled to the voltage source, and a control end coupled to the voltage source. The control end of the first transistor and the control end of the second transistor are substantially perpendicular to each other, and the punch through voltage of the first transistor is higher than the punch through voltage of the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 11, 2014
    Assignee: United Microelectronics Corp.
    Inventors: Chang-Tzu Wang, Ping-Chen Chang, Tien-Hao Tang
  • Publication number: 20140246701
    Abstract: Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD protection circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from power supply requirements of signal I/O buffers of another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible pad options, whereby the IC pads may be configured for different packaging technology, for example, for wire bonding for flip-chip bonding, or for other types of bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: BAYSAND INC.
    Inventor: Baysand Inc.
  • Publication number: 20140246702
    Abstract: Flexible, space-efficient I/O architectures for integrated circuits simplify circuit design and shorten design times. In one aspect, cells for power supply pads are eliminated, in part by locating ESD protection circuitry for these pads underneath the pads themselves, leaving only signal I/O buffers. Pads coupled to the signal I/O buffers may be defined as either signal I/O pads or power supply pads in accordance with customization circuitry. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible bank architectures, where signal I/O buffers within a bank share power supply requirements that may be different from power supply requirements of signal I/O buffers of another bank. The number of banks and the number of signal I/O buffers belonging to each bank is flexibly defined. Customization circuitry also provides for flexible pad options, whereby the IC pads may be configured for different packaging technology, for example, for wire bonding for flip-chip bonding, or for other types of bonding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2012
    Publication date: September 4, 2014
    Applicant: BAYSAND INC.
    Inventor: Baysand Inc.
  • Patent number: 8710545
    Abstract: An ESD module having a first portion (FP) and a second portion (SP) in a substrate is presented. The FP includes a FP well of a second polarity type and first and second FP contact regions. The first FP contact region is of a first polarity type and the second FP contact region is of a second polarity type. The SP includes a SP well of a first polarity type and first and second SP contact regions. The first SP contact region is of a first polarity type and the second SP contact region is of a second polarity type. An intermediate portion (IP) is disposed in the substrate between the FP and SP in the substrate. The IP includes a well of the second polarity type. The IP increases trigger current and holding voltage of the module to prevent latch up during normal device operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Da-Wei Lai, Handoko Linewih
  • Patent number: 8664725
    Abstract: A transistor may include a semiconductor region such as a rectangular doped silicon well. Gate fingers may overlap the silicon well. The gate fingers may be formed from polysilicon and may be spaced apart from each other along the length of the well by a fixed gate-to-gate spacing. The edges of the well may be surrounded by field oxide. Epitaxial regions may be formed in the well to produce compressive or tensile stress in channel regions that lie under the gate fingers. The epitaxial regions may form source-drain terminals. The edges of the field oxide may be separated from the nearest gate finger edges by a distance that is adjusted automatically with a computer-aided-design tool and that may be larger than the gate-to-gate spacing. Dummy gate finger structures may be provided to ensure desired levels of stress are produced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Girish Venkitachalam, Che Ta Hsu, Fangyun Richter, Peter J. McElheny
  • Patent number: 8507946
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device including a substrate, a first doped region, a second doped region, and a third doped region, a gate and a plurality of contacts is disclosed. The substrate includes a first conductive type. The first doped region is formed in the substrate and includes a second conductive type. The second doped region is formed in the substrate and includes the second conductive type. The third doped region is formed in the substrate, includes the first conductive type and is located between the first and the second doped regions. The gate is formed on the substrate, located between the first and the second doped regions and comprises a first through hole. The contacts pass through the first through hole to contact with the third doped region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignees: Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation, National Chiao Tung University
    Inventors: Yeh-Jen Huang, Yeh-Ning Jou, Ming-Dou Ker, Wen-Yi Chen, Chia-Wei Hung, Hwa-Chyi Chiou
  • Patent number: 8501622
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including a plurality of input/output cells and having a first bond pad and at least one second bond pad coupled to each input/output cell. The first bond pads comprise a first pattern, and the at least second bond pads comprise at least one second pattern, wherein the at least one second pattern is different from or the same as the first pattern. Either the first bond pads, the at least second bond pads, or both, may be used to electrically couple the input/output cells of the semiconductor device to leads of an integrated circuit package or other circuit component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Ker-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 8441135
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip that includes a driver circuit, a second semiconductor chip that includes a receiver circuit and an external terminal, and a plurality of through silicon vias that connect the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip. The first semiconductor chip further includes an output switching circuit that selectively connects the driver circuit to any one of the through silicon vias, the second semiconductor chip further includes an input switching circuit that selectively connects the receiver circuit to any one of the through silicon vias and the external terminal, the input switching circuit includes tri-state inverters each inserted between the receiver circuit and an associated one of the through silicon vias and the external terminal, and the input switching circuit activates any one of the tri-state inverters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2013
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Yoko, Kayoko Shibata
  • Patent number: 8390031
    Abstract: Provided is a pad layout structure of a semiconductor chip capable of preventing lead-broken problems when packaging the semiconductor chip with a high aspect ratio in a tape carrier package (TCP). In the pad layout structure of the semiconductor chip, a plurality pads are arranged along upper, lower, left and right sides of the semiconductor chip with a high aspect ratio, and a longitudinal width of pads arranged at the left and right sides and a transverse width of pads arranged at both edges of the upper and lower sides are greater than a transverse width of pads arranged at centers of the upper and lower sides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2013
    Assignee: Silicon Works Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dae-Keun Han, Dae-Seong Kim, Joon-Ho Na
  • Patent number: 8354722
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit, methods of fabricating an ESD protection circuit, methods of providing ESD protection, and design structures for an ESD protection circuit. An NFET may be formed in a p-well and a PFET may be formed in an n-well. A butted p-n junction formed between the p-well and n-well results in an NPNP structure that forms an SCR integrated with the NFET and PFET. The NFET, PFET and SCR are configured to collectively protect a pad, such as a power pad, from ESD events. During normal operation, the NFET, PFET, and SCR are biased by an RC-trigger circuit so that the ESD protection circuit is in a high impedance state. During an ESD event while the chip is unpowered, the RC-trigger circuit outputs trigger signals that cause the SCR, NFET, and PFET to enter into conductive states and cooperatively to shunt ESD currents away from the protected pad.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: John B. Campi, Jr., Shunhua Chang, Kiran V. Chatty, Robert J. Gauthier, Jr., Junjun Li, Rahul Mishra, Mujahid Muhammad
  • Patent number: 8334538
    Abstract: A thin film transistor array panel includes: an insulation substrate; a gate line disposed on the insulation substrate and including a compensation pattern protruding from the gate line; a first data line and a second data line both intersecting the gate line; a first thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the first data line; a second thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the second data line; and a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode connected to the first thin film transistor and the second thin film transistor, respectively. The first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode share the compensation pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ho-Jun Lee, Yeo-Geon Yoon, Hyoung-Wook Lee, Mi-Ae Lee
  • Publication number: 20120292667
    Abstract: Embodiments provide crossbar structures, and reconfigurable circuits that contain crossbar structures, that include n inputs and an output, where n is an integer, chains of transistors coupled to the n inputs and the output, a plurality of control signal elements—each coupled to one or more transistors of the plurality of chains of transistors to selectively couple said n inputs to the output—and an additional chain of transistors coupled to at least some of the plurality of control signal elements and the output to selectively couple a constant output voltage to the output. Other embodiments may be disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Olivier V. Lepape, Philippe Piquet
  • Patent number: 8304813
    Abstract: A connection between a first circuit within an I/O region of an integrated circuit chip and a second circuit within a core region of the chip. The first circuit is connected to a bonding pad through a first conductor in a first layer of an I/O region. The second circuit is connected to the bonding pad through a second conductor in a second layer of an I/O region above the first layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul Lassa, Paul Paternoster, Brian Cheung
  • Patent number: 8283698
    Abstract: An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit for protecting an integrated circuit (IC) having a first voltage potential, a first power supply potential and a second power supply potential. The ESD circuit includes a first NPN bipolar transistor having a first N-doped junction, a second N-doped junction and a third P-doped base junction. The first N-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second N-doped junction is coupled to the first power supply potential. The ESD circuit also includes a first PNP bipolar transistor having a first P-doped junction, a second P-doped junction and a third N-doped base junction. The first P-doped junction is coupled to the first voltage potential and the second P-doped junction is coupled to the second power supply potential. The third P-doped base junction of the first NPN bipolar transistor is coupled to the third N-doped base junction of the first PNP bipolar transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Sofics BVBA
    Inventors: Bart Sorgeloos, Benjamin Van Camp
  • Patent number: 8242613
    Abstract: A semiconductor die has rows of bond pads along the edges of a major surface. The corners of the die are designated as keep out areas, with design layout rules prohibiting a probe-able bond pad from being placed in the keep out areas so that a minimum distance may be maintained between distal ends of adjacent rows of bond pads (i.e., bond pads along adjacent edges). The bond pads of each row have IO pad areas that are aligned with each other and IO probe areas that are aligned with each other. A generally L-shaped bond pad includes a first, vertical part that extends inwardly from an edge of the semiconductor die and a second, horizontal part connected to the vertical part. The L-shaped bond pad may be placed between a last bond pad in a row and a corner keep out area, and the second part of the L-shaped bond pad extends into the corner keep out area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2012
    Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Chetan Verma, Shailesh Kumar, Meng Kong Lye
  • Patent number: 8154054
    Abstract: In a semiconductor chip in which external connection pads are arranged in three or more rows in a staggered configuration at the peripheral portion thereof, a first pad which is arranged in the outermost row is used as a power supply pad or a ground pad for an internal core circuit. To the first pad, a second pad which is arranged in the second outermost row is connected with a metal in the same layer as a pad metal. The resistance of a power supply line to the internal core circuit has a value of the parallel resistance of a resistance from the first pad and a resistance from the second pad, which is by far lower than the resistance from the first pad. Therefore, it is possible to prevent circuit misoperation resulting from an IR drop in the power supply of the internal core circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Masato Maede
  • Patent number: 8138500
    Abstract: In a pixel portion, a scan signal line and an auxiliary capacitor line are formed using a second conductive film, and a data signal line is formed using a first conductive film. In a TFT portion, a gate electrode is formed using the first conductive film and electrically connected to the scan signal line formed using the second conductive film through an opening in a gate insulating film. Further, a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed using the second conductive film. In the auxiliary capacitor portion, the auxiliary capacitor line formed using the second conductive film serves as a lower electrode, the pixel electrode serves as an upper electrode, and the passivation film used as a dielectric film is interposed between the capacitor electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kunio Hosoya
  • Patent number: 8071407
    Abstract: An active device array substrate and its fabricating method are provided. According to the subject invention, the elements of an array substrate such as the thin film transistors, gate lines, gate pads, data lines, data pads and storage electrodes, are provided by forming a patterned first metal layer, an insulating layer, a patterned semiconductor layer and a patterned metal multilayer. Furthermore, the subject invention uses the means of selectively etching certain layers. Using the aforesaid means, the array substrate of the subject invention has some layers with under-cut structures, and thus, the number of the time-consuming and complicated mask etching process involved in the production of an array substrate can be reduced. The subject invention provides a relatively simple and time-saving method for producing an array substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: AU Optronics Corp.
    Inventors: Kuo-Lung Fang, Hsiang-Lin Lin, Han-Tu Lin
  • Patent number: 8067277
    Abstract: An active matrix pixel device is provided, for example an electroluminescent display device, the device comprising circuitry supported by a substrate and including a polysilicon TFT (10) and an amorphous silicon thin film PIN diode (12). Polysilicon islands are formed before an amorphous silicon layer is deposited for the PIN diode. This avoids the exposure of the amorphous silicon to high temperature processing. The TFT comprises doped source/drain regions (16a,17a), one of which (17a) may also provide the n-type or p-type doped region for the diode. Advantageously, the requirement to provide a separate doped region for the photodiode is removed, thereby saving processing costs. A second TFT (10b) having a doped source/drain region (16b,17b) of the opposite conductivity type may provide the other doped region (16b) for the diode, wherein the intrinsic region (25) is disposed laterally between the two TFTs, overlying each of the respective polysilicon islands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.
    Inventor: Steven C. Deane
  • Publication number: 20110193086
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a semiconductor die and an input-output bump pad part. The semiconductor die includes a plurality of memory cell arrays. The input-output bump pad part is formed in a central region of the semiconductor die. The input-output bump pad part provides a plurality of channels for connecting each of the memory cell arrays independently to an external device. The semiconductor memory device may adopt the multi-channel interface, thereby having high performance with relatively low power consumption.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Publication date: August 11, 2011
    Applicant: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ho-Cheol LEE, Chi-Sung OH, Jin-Kuk KIM
  • Patent number: 7977762
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed to include a central area of the IC that is partitioned into a first section containing at least one digital circuit and a second section containing at least one analog circuit; and a guard strip (or shield) that is within the central area and that is positioned within between the digital circuit and the analog circuit. The shield or guard strip comprises of n-well and p-tap regions that separate digital and analog circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Alvand Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Mansour Keramat, Mehrdad Heshami, Syed S. Islam
  • Patent number: 7965273
    Abstract: The present invention provides a buffer and an organic light emitting display that employs the buffer. The buffer is installed in a scan driver or a data driver, which generates scan signals and data signals, respectively, to drive the organic light emitting display. The buffer of the present invention is configured of p-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) transistors, and therefore the scan driver or data driver that includes the buffer can be mounted on a display panel. Various arrangements of the PMOS transistors are proposed for the buffer of the present invention. The buffer of the present invention effectively prevents leakage current that could be generated in the circuit of the buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Mobile Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wang-jo Lee, Do-youb Kim
  • Patent number: 7935967
    Abstract: The present invention provides a structure of a semiconductor device that realizes low power consumption even where increased in screen size, and a method for manufacturing the same. The invention forms an insulating layer, forms a buried interconnection (of Cu, Au, Ag, Ni, Cr, Pd, Rh, Sn, Pb or an alloy thereof) in the insulating layer. Furthermore, after planarizing the surface of the insulating layer, a metal protection film (Ti, TiN, Ta, TaN or the like) is formed in an exposed part. By using the buried interconnection in part of various lines (gate line, source line, power supply line, common line and the like) for a light-emitting device or liquid crystal display device, line resistance is decreased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Toru Takayama, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20110089470
    Abstract: In a semiconductor device, a plurality of interface cells is disposed on four sides of an LSI chip in connection with a logic circuit area including a plurality of logic cells. Each interface cell may include four functional blocks which are vertically or horizontally aligned without being rotated, thus forming an I/O buffer. The left I/O buffer has a vertical layout in which functional blocks are vertically aligned, whilst the upper I/O buffer has a horizontal layout in which functional blocks are horizontally aligned. This makes it possible to fix the same length direction of gates of transistors with respect to both the functional blocks of I/O buffers and the logic cells, so that engineers do not need to consider characteristic variations of transistors due to positional differences of transistors when designing the circuitry of an LSI chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventor: MUTSUMI AOKI
  • Publication number: 20110084404
    Abstract: One interface chip and a plurality of core chips are stacked, and these semiconductor chips are electrically connected to each other via a plurality of through silicon vias. A data signal output from a driver circuit is input into the core chip via one of the through silicon vias. An output selection circuit selects any one of the through silicon vias by activating a corresponding one of a plurality of tri-state inverters. When an inverter is activated, a primary selection circuit causes a test signal to be supplied to a receiver circuit from a test pad. When the inverter is inactivated, a data signal from any one of the through silicon vias is supplied to the receiver circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Hideyuki Yoko, Kayoko Shibata
  • Patent number: 7923726
    Abstract: Disclosed is a TFT substrate for a display apparatus comprising a gate wiring including a gate electrode, a data wiring including a data line, a source electrode connected to the data line, and a drain electrode connected to a pixel electrode, and a semiconductor layer disposed between the gate wiring and the data wiring, wherein the semiconductor layer under the drain electrode is disposed within an area overlapping the gate electrode and the semiconductor layer under the source electrode extends outward to an area not overlapping the gate electrode. Advantageously, the present disclosure provides a TFT substrate for a display apparatus having a high aperture ratio and causing less afterimaging, and a manufacturing method of the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byoung-sun Na, Sang-ki Kwak, Dong-gyu Kim, Kyung-phil Lee
  • Patent number: 7897999
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a power supply line connected to a power supply terminal, a ground line connected to a ground terminal and a plurality of capacitors connected in parallel between the power supply line and the ground line. The plurality of capacitors include a first capacitor arranged at a first distance from one of the terminals and a second capacitor arranged at a second distance which is larger than the first distance from the one of the terminals, and the first capacitor has a larger area than the second capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroshi Furuta
  • Patent number: 7863687
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes an internal circuit, a CMOS composed of a P-channel MOS transistor with a source connected to a high-potential power supply line and a gate connected to the internal circuit, and an N-channel MOS transistor with a source connected to a low-potential power supply line and a gate connected to the internal circuit, an output terminal connected to a drain of the P-channel MOS transistor and a drain of the N-channel MOS transistor and a protection transistor with a source and a gate connected to one power supply line of the high-potential power supply line and the low-potential power supply line and a drain connected to the output terminal, a conductivity type of the protection transistor being the same as a conductivity type of one MOS transistor of the P-channel MOS transistor and the N-channel MOS transistor, the source of the one MOS transistor being connected to the one power supply line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Hideaki Sai