Depletion Or Enhancement Patents (Class 326/117)
  • Patent number: 11282959
    Abstract: A FET device has a substrate, a plurality of repetitive source stripes, a first layout of drain stripe having a first drift region and a first drain region, a second layout of drain stripe having a second drift region and a second drain region, a first drain contactor contacted with the first drain region and connected to a drain terminal, a second drain contactor contacted with the second drain region and connected to a first gate terminal, a source contactor contacted with a source region in each of the plurality of repetitive source stripes and connected to a source terminal, a first gate region positioned between the source region and the first drain region and connected to the first gate terminal, and a second gate region positioned between the source region and the second drain region and connected to a second gate terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Braun, James Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11243599
    Abstract: A semiconductor device connectable between a first power-supply line connected to a power source and through which power is continuously supplied to a first circuit, and a second power-supply line that is not directly connected to the power source and is connected to a second circuit, includes a first switch connectable between the first and second power-supply lines and turned on in response to a signal for supplying power to the second circuit, a second switch connectable between the first and second power-supply lines and having a current supply capability higher than the first switch, and a control circuit configured to turn on the second switch when the first switch is turned on and a voltage applied to the second power-supply line has reached a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Osamu Wada
  • Patent number: 10886732
    Abstract: A circuit includes an output and a reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor. The reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor includes a drain connected to the output. The reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor also includes a source and a gate. A transistor includes a source, a gate connected to a control pin and a drain connected to the gate of the reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Inventors: David L. Whitney, Manuel M. Del Arroz
  • Patent number: 10734494
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes insulating substrate; a compound semiconductor layer provided in a first region of a surface of the insulating substrate; and a silicon layer provided in a second region, differing from the first region, of the surface of the insulating substrate. The semiconductor device further includes: a first gate electrode provided on a surface of the compound semiconductor layer; a pair of conductive members provided at positions on the surface of the compound semiconductor layer to sandwich the first gate electrode between the pair of conductive members; a second gate electrode provided on a surface of the silicon layer; and a pair of diffusion layers provided at positions in the silicon layer to sandwich the second gate electrode between the pair of diffusion layers. One of the conductive members is electrically connected to one of the diffusion layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hirokazu Fujimaki, Koichi Kaneko
  • Patent number: 10651852
    Abstract: A logic gate includes at least one reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor. The reverse direction high-electron-mobility transistor includes at least one source connected to a first reference voltage, at least one gate connected to an output, and at least one drain connected to the output. Logic implementing circuitry is connected between the output an additional reference voltage. The logic implementing circuitry includes a first transistor that includes a gate connected to a first input, and a second transistor that includes a gate connected to a second input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Inventors: David L. Whitney, Manuel M. Del Arroz
  • Patent number: 10649481
    Abstract: An electronic circuit includes a driver circuit having an output terminal that can be coupled to a load to drive the load. A control circuit is coupled to the driver circuit for controlling the driver circuit. A transistor is coupled in series between the driver circuit and the output terminal. The transistor has a first terminal coupled to the driver circuit and a second terminal coupled to the output terminal. A biasing circuit is coupled to a gate terminal of the transistor and configured to provide a constant voltage to the gate terminal to bias the transistor to a conducting state to reduce the susceptibility of the electronic circuit to electromagnetic interference. The biasing circuit includes a voltage regulator, a Zener diode, and a capacitor. The Zener diode and capacitor are coupled to the gate terminal and a reference terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: Allegro MicroSystems, LLC
    Inventors: Richard B. Cooper, Maxim Klebanov, Washington Lamar, Devon Fernandez
  • Patent number: 9811105
    Abstract: To provide a reference voltage circuit capable of outputting a reference voltage excellent in temperature characteristic. A reference voltage circuit includes a first constant current circuit, a first transistor of a first conductivity type which has a source connected to the first constant current circuit and is operated as a first stage source follower, a second constant current circuit, and a second transistor of a second conductivity type which has a gate connected to the source of the first transistor and a source connected to the second constant current circuit and is operated as a second stage source follower. The reference voltage circuit is configured to output a reference voltage from the source of the second transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2017
    Assignee: SII SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masakazu Sugiura, Tsutomu Tomioka
  • Patent number: 9264053
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit that utilizes a sensing circuit for determining the current loading or status of the output supply generated by the charge pump circuit to determine a corresponding frequency for a variable rate clock for the charge pump circuit. When a current load is present, the clock frequency automatically ramps up to a relatively high level to increase the output current of the charge pump circuit. When the current load is removed and the supply is settled out, the clock frequency is automatically reduced to a relatively quieter level and the charge pump circuitry operates at a lower power level. Accordingly, the charge pump circuit is only noisy when it has to be, thus providing optimal power when required and being electrically quiet and operating at lower power at all other times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Mark Englekirk
  • Patent number: 8686752
    Abstract: A circuit includes a logic stage, an inverter stage, and a driver stage. The logic stage and the inverter stage are provided with current limiters, which include a D-mode feedback transistor and a component that generates a voltage drop. A feedback loop connects the source and the gate of the D-mode feedback transistor via this component. The driver stage includes E-mode transistors connected in a totem pole that drive a D-mode transistor and an E-mode transistor to connect and disconnect the load circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: EPCOS AG
    Inventors: Léon C. M. van den Oever, Erwin Spits
  • Patent number: 8373443
    Abstract: An object is to apply a transistor using an oxide semiconductor to a logic circuit including an enhancement transistor. The logic circuit includes a depletion transistor 101 and an enhancement transistor 102. The transistors 101 and 102 each include a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The transistor 102 includes a reduction prevention layer provided over a region in the first oxide semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku
  • Patent number: 7952392
    Abstract: An object is to apply a transistor using an oxide semiconductor to a logic circuit including an enhancement transistor. The logic circuit includes a depletion transistor 101 and an enhancement transistor 102. The transistors 101 and 102 each include a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, a first oxide semiconductor layer, a second oxide semiconductor layer, a source electrode, and a drain electrode. The transistor 102 includes a reduction prevention layer provided over a region in the first oxide semiconductor layer between the source electrode and the drain electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun Koyama, Kengo Akimoto, Masashi Tsubuku
  • Patent number: 7872504
    Abstract: The inverter includes a driving transistor and a loading transistor having channel regions with different thicknesses. The channel region of the driving transistor may be thinner than the channel region of the load transistor. A channel layer of the driving transistor may have a recessed region between a source and a drain which contact both ends of the channel layer. The driving transistor may be an enhancement mode transistor and the load transistor may be a depletion mode transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sun-il Kim, Chang-jung Kim, Sang-wook Kim
  • Patent number: 7567891
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a number of improvements in methods for hot-carrier device degradation modeling and extraction. Several improvements are presented for the improvement of building device degradation models, including allowing the user to select a device parameter used to build the device degradation model independent of the device parameter selected. The user can also select the functional relation between stress time and degradation level. To further improve accuracy, multiple acceleration parameters can be used to account for different regions of the degradation process. Analytical functions may be used to represent aged device model parameters, either directly or by fitting measured device parameters versus device age values, allowing devices with different age values to share the same device model. The concept of binning is extended to include device degradation. In addition to a binning based on device width and length, age is added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2009
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhihong Liu, Lifeng Wu, Jeong Y. Choi, Ping Chen, Alvin I. Chen, Gang Zhang
  • Patent number: 7492191
    Abstract: A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes high-speed interface between a first network component and a second network component, the interface including a positive voltage input (VINP) and a negative voltage input (VINN) for receiving an input data signal from the first network component; the positive voltage input (VINP) coupled to a negative output circuit (OUTN) and the negative voltage input (VINN) by a positive input bus and a negative input bus, the negative voltage input (VINN) also coupled to a positive output circuit (OUTP). Implementing the high-speed interface calls for applying a bias to the a positive input bus and a negative input bus to periodically multiplex a data signal, thus providing a common receiving path for functional data and wrap data of the data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael K. Kerr, William F. Lawson
  • Patent number: 7138835
    Abstract: A programmable, equalizing buffer is provided having feedback transistors used to vary the transfer function of the equalizing buffer, such that a low pass response of a transmission channel is substantially equalized. A zero in the buffer's transfer function is established by a conductive state of transistors caused by signal feedback. Multiple transistors establish increased flexibility for establishing the location of the zero, while a cascade of buffer stages provides a second order transfer function effective to cancel second order channel effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Xilinx, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael J. Gaboury
  • Patent number: 7106093
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a plurality of cascaded IC's (14, 15, 16), wherein the matching impedance between a signal transmission path (12) connected to an external signal transmission path and an input-side or output-side IC (14, 16) is set at 50 ohms which is equal to the characteristics impedance of the external signal transmission path. The matching impedance between a internal signal transmission path (13) and an input-side or output-side IC or intermediate IC is set at 200 ohms which is higher than the 50 ohms. The semiconductor device reduces the current dissipation and can operate at a higher speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2006
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuyuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 6542007
    Abstract: An inverter circuit is disclosed that prevents flow of a large feedthrough current. The inverter circuit includes depletion type MOS transistor combined with a resistor to impose a current limitation when a feedthrough current flows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Seiko Instruments Inc.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Yoshizawa
  • Patent number: 6239623
    Abstract: In a DCFL circuit, a high-speed operation is conducted in a stable state regardless of its load capacitance. The circuit includes a buffer circuit. Added to the buffer circuit is a pull-up circuit conducting a pull-up operation for a predetermined period of time when an output potential of the circuit changes from a low level to a high level. A first EFET of the pull-up circuit includes a gate electrode connected to an output terminal of a logic stage, a drain electrode coupled with a positive power source, and a source electrode linked with a drain of a second EFET. The second EFET includes a gate electrode connected to a node linked in series to a resistor element. The resistor is coupled with an input terminal. The second EFET includes the drain electrode connected to a source electrode of the first EFET and a source electrode linked with an output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2001
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Tsutsui
  • Patent number: 6051993
    Abstract: A level shift circuit which drops the output voltage of a prior stage circuit to an input voltage level required at a next stage circuit includes a source follower enhancement-type FET, a gate of which is connected as an input terminal, a drain of which is connected to a positive power supply, and a source of which is connected to an anode of a level shift diode; a current adjusting enhancement-type FET, a drain of which is connected to a cathode of the level shift diode, a drain and a gate of which are connected to each other through a constant current source, and a source of which is connected to a negative power supply, an out-put terminal being taken from the connection node of the level shift diode and the constant current source; and a resistor connected between the constant current source and the negative power supply, the current adjusting enhancement-type FET having its gate-to-source voltage controlled by the current flowing through the resistor, thereby adjusting the current flowing through the sou
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2000
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Miyo Miyashita
  • Patent number: 5909128
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit having a field effect transistor formed on a compound semiconductor is disclosed, that comprises a first power supply, a second power supply for supplying a voltage lower than a voltage that the first power supplies, and at least one virtual power supply that is not connected to the outside and that has a voltage between the voltage of the first power supply and the voltage of the second power supply, wherein the number of the virtual power supplies is designated to a value larger than the quotient of which the voltage between the first power supply and the second power supply is divided by the forward turn-on voltage of a gate electrode of the field effect transistor. In the case that a signal received from a circuit with a low voltage is connected to a circuit between any power supply, the signal is received by a directly coupled logic circuit with a depletion type field effect transistor as a drive circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: June 1, 1999
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Maeda
  • Patent number: 5822235
    Abstract: A rectifying transfer gate circuit includes first and second field effect transistors and one diode. The source of the first field effect transistor is coupled to a first input node and the gate thereof is coupled to a second input node. Meanwhile, the source of the second field effect transistor is coupled to the second input node and the gate thereof is coupled to the first input node. The diode is coupled between the common drain of the first and second field effect transistors and an output node, so as to increase the speed of the operation in the application circuit utilizing the above rectifying transfer gate circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: SamSung Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Nakashima
  • Patent number: 5726591
    Abstract: A logic gate circuit includes a logic gate stage to which an input signal is supplied, for outputting a signal depending on a state of the input signal, an output driver stage having an enhancement-type transistor for pull-up and a pull-down circuit, the enhancement-type transistor having a drain connected to a power supply line, a gate to which the signal output from the logic gate stage is supplied and a source connected to the pull-down circuit, the pull-down circuit being connected to the ground line and controlled by the input signal, and a clamping circuit for clamping a gate voltage of the enhancement-type transistor of the output driver stage at a constant voltage so that a node at which the source of the enhancement-type transistor and the pull-down circuit are connected has a high level, the node being an output terminal of the logic gate circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Takumi Miyashita
  • Patent number: 5696453
    Abstract: The invention provides a logic circuit including (a) a load element having ends one of which is electrically connected to a first terminal of a voltage source, and the other to an output terminal, (b) a first enhancement mode FET including a drain electrode electrically connected to the output terminal, a gate electrode connected to an input terminal, and a source electrode connected to a junction, (c) a second enhancement mode FET including a drain electrode electrically connected to the first terminal, a gate electrode connected to the output terminal, and a source electrode connected to the junction, and (d) a depletion mode FET including a drain electrode electrically connected to the junction, a gate electrode connected to a control terminal, and a source electrode connected to a second terminal of the voltage source. The logic circuit ensures sufficient noise margin to temperature variation, resulting in a lower supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1997
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Tadashi Maeda
  • Patent number: 5592108
    Abstract: An interface circuit includes an input current limiting circuit for limiting a current of an input signal fed from a preceding circuit, thereby outputting the current-limited signal to a following circuit which is constituted using a MES type transistor. The interface circuit also includes a level shifting circuit supplied with a first higher power supply voltage and a lower power supply voltage, for converting a level of the current-limited signal into a logic level of the following circuit which is supplied with a second higher power supply voltage. The interface circuit further includes a level judging circuit connected between the input current limiting circuit and the level shifting circuit, for judging a logic threshold level of the input signal based on a predetermined level reference voltage. By the constitution, it is possible to adapt the interface circuit for connection to the following circuit constituted using MES type transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Kazuhisa Tsukahara
  • Patent number: 5451888
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit for converting high and low input signals at first and second voltage levels to high and low output signals at third and fourth voltage levels includes first, second, and third power supply lines receiving driving voltages at first, second, and third voltages, respectively, the third voltage being intermediate the first and second voltages, a first logic circuit connected to and driven by the first and third power supply lines for receiving high and low input signals at first and second voltage levels and producing output signals in response, a second logic circuit connected to and driven by the second and third power supply lines for receiving input signals and producing high and low output signals at third and fourth voltage levels in response, a level converting circuit connected to and driven by the first and second power supply lines, receiving the output signals of the first logic circuit and supplying input signals to the second logic circuit, a switching element and a load elem
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 1993
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masaaki Shimada
  • Patent number: 5451890
    Abstract: The basic building block of the invention is an inverter gate consisting of two stages: The first stage is an input logic switching stage consisting of a depletion mode pull-up FET whose gate is the input node and whose source-to-drain channel is connected in series through a level-shifting Schottky diode with the source-to-drain channel of an depletion mode pull-down FET between drain and source voltage rails. The source of the pull-up FET is connected to the diode's anode while the drain of the pull-down FET is connected to the diode's cathode and is the output node of the input logic switching stage. The level-shifting diode isolates the output node from the input node, which allows the input voltage to switch rail-to-rail without causing problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 1994
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1995
    Assignee: California Institue of Technology
    Inventors: Alain J. Martin, Jose A. Tierno, Brian Von Herzen