Abstract:
A planar linear inductive position sensor includes at least one oscillating coil, a first sensing coil having opposing edges extending beyond opposing edges of the oscillating coil along a linear axis along which a linear position of a conductive object is to be sensed, and a second sensing coil having opposing edges extending beyond opposing edges of the oscillating coil along the linear axis. The first and second sensing coils have geometries selected such that equal opposing magnetic fields are induced in the first and second sensing coils in the presence of a magnetic field generated by the oscillating coil when no conductive target is proximate and unequal opposing magnetic fields are induced in the first and second sensing coils when the conductive target is proximate, a difference in the unequal opposing magnetic fields induced in the first and second sensing coils correlated to the position of the conductive target.
Abstract:
A silicon carbide semiconductor assembly and a method of forming a silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductor assembly are provided. The silicon carbide semiconductor assembly includes a semiconductor substrate and an electrode. The semiconductor substrate is formed of silicon carbide and includes a first surface, a second surface opposing the first surface, and a thickness extending therebetween. The method includes forming one or more electronic devices on the first surface and thinning the semiconductor substrate by removing the second surface to a predetermined depth of semiconductor substrate and leaving a third surface opposing the first surface. The method further includes forming a non-ohmic alloy layer on the third surface at a first temperature range and annealing the alloy layer at a second temperature range forming an ohmic layer, the second temperature range being greater than the first temperature range.
Abstract:
A power transistor assembly and method of mitigating short channel effects in a power transistor assembly are provided. The power transistor assembly includes a first layer of semiconductor material formed of a first conductivity type material and a hard mask layer covering at least a portion of the first layer and having a window therethrough exposing a surface of the first layer. The power transistor assembly also includes a first region formed in the first layer of semiconductor material of a second conductivity type material and aligned with the window, one or more source regions formed of first conductivity type material within the first region and separated by a portion of the first region, and an extension of the first region extending laterally through the surface of the first layer.
Abstract:
A system can include a semiconductor die having a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The system can also include a first slug coupled to a portion of the first side of the die. The system can further include a second slug coupled to a portion of the second side of the die. The system can additionally include an insulating material voidlessly encapsulating the die. The first slug can include a first portion having a first width in proximity to the die and a second portion having a second width. The first portion can be closer than the second portion to the die and the first width can be smaller than the second width.
Abstract:
A solid-state photodetector with variable spectral response that can produce a narrow or wide response spectrum of incident light. Some embodiments include a solid-state device structure that includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode that share a common anode region. Bias voltages applied to the first photodiode and/or the second photodiode may be used to control the thicknesses of depletion regions of the photodiodes and/or a common anode region to vary the spectral response of the photodetector. Thickness of the depletion regions and/or the common anode region may be controlled based on resistance between multiple contacts of the common anode region and/or capacitance of the depletion regions. Embodiments include control circuits and methods for determining spectral characteristics of incident light using the variable spectral response photodetector.
Abstract:
An LED driver arrangement wherein a low voltage IC is arranged to sample the voltage at a terminal of each of the respective electronically controlled switches controlling a plurality of LED strings each receiving power from a single source, with the single source providing voltage in excess of the voltage rating of the IC. For each electronically controlled switch a controllable current source and an isolating unidirectional electronic valve is provided, the respective current source being enabled only when the respective associated electronically controlled switch is at least partially closed thereby ensuring that the respective isolating unidirectional electronic valve associated with the respective illuminating LED string conducts, and the voltage at the terminal of the respective electronically controlled switch is thus seen by the IC when the associated LED string is producing illumination, the voltage then being lower than the maximum voltage rating of the IC.
Abstract:
A low voltage drop unidirectional electronic valve constituted of: a first terminal; a second terminal; a first electronically controlled switch coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal; and a first charge pump arranged to close the first electronically controlled switch when the voltage potential at the first terminal is greater than the voltage potential at the second terminal by a first value. The first charge pump is arranged in a closed loop with the first electronically controlled switch so as to continuously maintain the voltage potential at the first terminal greater than the voltage potential at the second terminal by the first value.
Abstract:
High voltage semiconductor devices with high-voltage termination structures (100, 200, 300) are constructed on lightly doped substrates (12). Lightly doped p-type substrates (12) are particularly prone to depletion and inversion from positive charges, degrading the ability of associated termination structures to block high voltages. To improve the efficiency and stability of termination structures, second termination regions (23, 223, 323) of the same dopant type as the substrate (12), more heavily doped than the substrate (12) but more lightly doped than first termination regions (22), are positioned adjoining the first termination regions (22). The second termination regions raise the field threshold voltage where the surface is vulnerable and render the termination structure (110) substantially insensitive to positive charges at the surface. The use of higher dopant concentration in the gap region without causing premature avalanche is facilitated by only creating second termination regions (323) for regions lacking field plate (10) protection.
Abstract:
A method of encoding a first stream of digital signal data words d(k) is provided. A most recent value of the first stream of digital signal data words is received and memorized. A previous value of the first stream of digital data words is received and memorized. The most recent and the previous values of the stream of digital data words are combined to create a second data stream (76). An embodiment for a hearing aid shows the usage of the method to encode output data from a delta sigma analog/digital converter avoiding frequent transitions in the transmitted data and thus lowering the pulse repetition frequency.
Abstract:
Disclosed are apparatus and methods for generating an electronic signal responsive to selected wavelengths of the optical spectrum. An optical thickness differential between two or more photoconductors is used to generate an electronic signal calibrated to be representative of light signals of a selected range of wavelengths.