Abstract:
A circuit device for neutralizing thermal drift in a transconductor differential stage using a first circuit portion which corresponds structurally to the transconductor differential stage and has a pair of MOS input transistors defining a transconductance value which is substantially proportional to that of the transconductor differential stage, a pair of bipolar output transistors coupled to the MOS input transistors in a cascode configuration, and a second circuit portion being supplied a current from an output of the first differential portion to thereby output a current to be passed to the transconductor differential stage. The value of the output current is inversely proportional to temperature-dependent parameters of the transconductance.
Abstract:
A modular construction power circuit arrangement is disclosed which comprises a thin metal plate performing holder and heat sink functions, a multiplicity of electronic devices in the form of semiconductor material chips having metalized pads as their terminals, a printed circuit board attached to the thin metal plate, electric conductors between the metalized pads and the printed circuit on the board, terminating connectors which form a part of the printed circuit board for connecting the circuit arrangement to external circuits, and a plastics material body which conglomerates a portion of the thin metal plate, the semiconductor material chips, and the printed circuit board. At least one of the semiconductor material chips is attached directly to the thin metal plate and extends therefrom through an opening in the printed circuit board.
Abstract:
A circuit for temperature compensating the inverse saturation current of a bipolar transistor having a collector region, base and emitter regions defining a base-emitter junction is disclosed. A diode element having substantially said same saturation current is parallel-connected in reverse configuration to said base-emitter junction of the bipolar transistor. If the bipolar transistor is NPN type, the diode has an anode and cathode connected respective to the emitter and base regions of the transistor.
Abstract:
A decoder for a ROM matrix organized in selectable NAND parcels of cells utilizes four selection circuits driven through five buses for implementing a two-level decoding, thus driving less than all of the rows through a plurality of selectable drivers. The architecture of the row decoder, based on a subdivision into a plurality of row drivers renders the circuitry physically compatible with the geometrical constraints imposed by a particularly small pitch of the cells. Subdivision of row drivers has positive effects also on access time, reliability and overall performance of the memory as compared to a memory provided with a decoder of the prior art driving in parallel all the homonymous rows of all the selectable NAND parcels of cells.
Abstract:
An integrated EPROM device which can be manufactured using standard high-definition photolithographic techniques with unit cells of markedly reduced dimensions as compared to the minimum dimensions that can be achieved with the prior art, has field isolation structures between adjacent cells along rows of the array in the form of continuous isolation strips which extend for the whole column length of the array, thus avoiding the problems associated with photolithographic defining rectangular geometries. The electrical interconnection between the sources of the cells of each row is achieved by a special metal source "line" formed between two adjacent gate lines, using for the purpose a conformally deposited metal layer from which both the drain contacts and these source interconnection metal "lines" are created in a self-alignment way.
Abstract:
A bipolar power device and a fast diode are formed in a single chip of semiconductor material. The chip contains a first area having high minority carrier lifetimes in which the bipolar power device is formed. The bipolar power device is therefore capable of handling high current densities. At least one second area of the device is formed with reduced minority carrier lifetimes, with a fast diode being formed in this region.
Abstract:
An inductive load drive device which has a switch defining an output terminal connectable to an inductive load between the output terminal and a reference potential line is provided. A first current recirculating branch is connectable parallel to the load and a control opens and closes the switch so that the load is supplied with current rising to a first predetermined value in a first increasing phase and falling to a second predetermined value in a first recirculating phase. The device detects a short-circuit between the output terminal of the control device and the reference potential line with a first current sensor for detecting current flow in the first recirculating branch during the first recirculating phase. A fault signaling circuit connected to the first current sensor produces a short-circuit signal in the absence of current in the first recirculating branch during the first recirculating phase.
Abstract:
An electronic device structure which comprises a metal plate, a semiconductor material chip attached to the plate, terminal leads, interconnection wires between the leads and metallized regions of the chip, and a plastic body which encapsulates the whole with the exception of a surface of the plate and part of the leads. This structure has highly reliable means of electrical connection between at least one metallized region and the metal plate which comprise at least one metal beam resting onto the plate and being attached thereto by studs integral with the plate, and at least one wire welded between a metallized region of the chip and the metal beam between the studs. At least a portion of the beam and its connection wire are encapsulated within the plastics body.
Abstract:
A bias structure for an integrated circuit including first and second transistors having emitter terminals coupled respectively to the supply and to a terminal of a resistor whose potential, under certain operating conditions of the circuit, exceeds the supply voltage; base terminals connected to each other and to a current source; and collector terminals connected electrically (12) to an epitaxial tub housing the resistor. A resistor is preferably provided between the two collectors, so that, when the potential of the terminal of the resistor exceeds the supply voltage, the second transistor saturates and maintains the epitaxial tub of the resistor at a potential close to that of the resistor terminal, thus preventing the parasitic diode formed between the resistor and the epitaxial tub from being switched on.
Abstract:
An EEPROM cell with a single level gate structure is structured over at least three distinct active areas of the semiconducting substrate over which extend portions of the single isolated gate structure of the cell. A read transistor of the cell is formed in a distinct active area which is substantially isolated from the active area of the select transistor, wherein the thin dielectric tunnel layer is formed. Therefore the interface toward the external logic circuitry represented by the read transistor and the interface toward the programming circuitry are substantially isolated from each other. The read transistor may be designated to function at voltage and current levels compatible with the operating levels of the logic circuitry without interfering with the programming of the cell, thus eliminating the need for level regenerating stages. A second complementary read transistor may be formed into a fourth distinct active area, suitably doped, thus providing a read interface structured as a normal CMOS inverter stage.The ability of the read transistor to operate at standard CMOS levels, makes the EEPROM cell particularly suited for implementing multiplexing or programmable interconnection arrays in CMOS devices.