Abstract:
An electromagnetic shielding structure that includes a conductive structure surrounding and accommodating a circuit or a circuit device arranged on a substrate. At least one feed through device is associated with the conductive structure and provides signals to the circuit or circuit device. The method includes forming a shielding structure so that the shielding structure at least one of is at least partially arranged within the substrate and surrounds the circuit or circuit device and associating at least one feed through device with the shielding structure.
Abstract:
The invention comprises a phase locked loop that has an input adapted to receive a reference frequency. A phase detector is connected directly to the input, a charge pump is connected directly to the phase detector, and a loop filter is connected directly to the charge pump. Also, a voltage controlled oscillator is connected directly to the loop filter, and is adapted to perform frequency band selection. A band selection circuit is connected to the voltage controlled oscillator.
Abstract:
A mixed-signal chip having a signal transformer located between analog circuitry and digital circuitry. The signal transformer includes a primary winding electrically coupled to the analog circuitry and a secondary winding electrically coupled to the digital circuitry. The primary and secondary windings are magnetically coupled with one another via a magnetic core. The magnetic coupling between the primary and secondary windings inhibits the coupling of electrical noise between the analog and digital circuitries.
Abstract:
A method of forming a semiconductor structure, comprising: providing a substrate having a buried insulative layer and a heavily doped layer; forming a first trench within the substrate around a protected area; filling the first trench with an insulative material, wherein the first trench filled with the insulative material and the buried insulative layer combine to form a high impedance noise isolation that surrounds the protected area on all sides except one side of the protected area to isolate noise from the protected area; forming a second trench within the substrate around the first trench; and filling the second trench with a conductive material, wherein the second trench filled with the conductive material and the heavily doped layer combine to form a low impedance ground path that surrounds the high impedance noise isolation on all sides except one side of the high impedance noise isolation to isolate noise from the protected area.
Abstract:
A method and device program a dual edge programmable delay unit, that responds to an input signal with a rise time and a fall time, includes a buffer which receives the input signal and provides an output signal with programmed variable delays between the rise and fall times of the output signal. Programmable control sources (PCS) provide separate control inputs to a buffer. The FTPCS charges a capacitor in the buffer when the input signal changes from high to low to adjust time delay before the fall of the buffer output signal. The RTPCS discharges the capacitor in the buffer when the input signal changes from low to high to adjust time delay before the rise of the buffer output signal.
Abstract:
A structure and method for eliminating glitches at the output of a receiver receiving signals sent to one end of a bi-directional, simultaneous transmission line. The receiver comprises two comparators, a logic circuit, a glitch detector, and a programmable delay unit. The two comparators convert a three-state digital signal on the transmission line into two two-state digital signals so that the logic circuit can understand. When a glitch occurs at the output of the logic circuit, also the output of the receiver, caused by the transitions on the output of one of the comparators and a first signal being sent to the other end of the transmission line reaching the logic circuit not at the same time, the glitch detector causes the programmable delay unit to adjust delay to the propagation path of the first signal to the logic circuit so as to eliminate the cause of the glitch.
Abstract:
Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for utilizing a sense amplifier to select a suitable circuit, wherein a suitable circuit generates a voltage that is greater than or equal to a configurable reference voltage. An amplifier gain selector selects a voltage gain of a sense amplifier having input terminals, auxiliary inputs, an output, an array of resistive loads, and the amplifier gain selector. Auxiliary inputs are utilized to nullify direct current (DC) offset voltage of the sense amplifier. Combinatorial logic circuitry connects the input terminals of the sense amplifier to output terminals of a circuit that is within a group of circuits. A comparator circuit determines if the circuit generates a voltage greater than or equal to a configurable reference voltage, based on the output of the sense amplifier.
Abstract:
An embedded decoupling capacitor wearout monitor for power transmission line, which can be integrated and fabricated in any standard CMOS or BiCMOS circuits. The embedded noise monitor is employed to detect the degraded capacitor and disable it from further operation, which will extend the operation lifetime of the circuit system and prevent subsequent catastrophic failure as a result of hard-breakdown (or capacitor short). In one aspect, the monitor circuit and method detects early degradation signal before catastrophic decoupling capacitor failure and, further can pin-point a degraded decoupling capacitor and disable it, avoiding impact from decoupling capacitor breakdown failure. The monitor circuit and method provides for decoupling capacitor redundancy and includes an embedded and self-diagnostic circuit for functionality and reliability.
Abstract:
A selectable latch has a pair of parallel pass gates (a first parallel pass gate that receives a seed signal, and a second parallel pass gate that receives a data signal). A first latch logic circuit performs logic operations using signals output by the parallel pass gates to produce an updated data signal. An additional pass gate is operatively connected to the first latch logic circuit. An additional pass gate controls passage of the updated data signal. The output of the parallel pass gates and the additional pass gate is connected to a feedback loop. The feedback loop operates as a dynamic latch for high frequency applications or as a static latch for low frequency applications. Thus, the selectable latch comprises two inputs into the pair of parallel pass gates and performs only one of four logical operations on a received data signal.
Abstract:
An integrated circuit, testing structure, and method for monitoring electro-migration (EM) performance. A method is described that includes method for measuring on-chip electro-migration (EM) performance, including: providing a first on-chip sensor continuously powered with a stress current; providing a second on-chip sensor that is powered only during measurement cycles with a nominal current; obtaining a first resistance measurement from the first on-chip sensor and a second resistance measurement from the second on-chip sensor during each of a series of measurement cycles; and processing the first and second resistance measurements.