Texas Instruments Corporation

Other

Larry R Hite

Theodore Warren Houston

Che-Chia Wei

Roger A Haken

Thomas E Tang

Mishel Matloubian

Alan Scott Hearn

Ted Houston

Robert A Bell

Circuits, systems, and methods, relating to a controllably switched phase locked loop. The system indudes a phase locked loop circuit (16) having a clock signal input (16c), a clock signal lock input (16a), and a clock adjustment signal input (16b). The system further includes circuitry (12c) for coupling a clock signal to the clock signal input, circuitry (28) for coupling a first clock adjustment signal to the clock adjustment signal input, and circuitry (24) for comparing the first clock adjustment signal to a second clock adjustment signal. Lastly, the system includes circuitry responsive to the comparing circuitry. This responsive circuitry includes firstly, circuitry (26) for coupling a signal to the clock signal lock input such that the phase locked loop circuit indicates an unlocked state, and secondly circuitry (22, 28) for coupling the second clock adjustment signal to the clock adjustment signal input after the phase locked loop circuit indicates an unlocked state.

Controllably switched phase locked loop circuits, systems, and methods

A method of testing a circuit having one or more memory cells, such as a random access memory, register or latch, is disclosed herein. A selected pattern (e.g., all '1's, all '0's, or alternating '1's and '0 38 s) is stored (block 10) in each memory cell of the circuit under test. The power to-each of the cells is then lowered (block 12) to a selected voltage level which is below the static holding voltage, but greater than zero volts. The voltage level may have been previously determined. After a selected time period (which may also have been previously determined), the power to each of the cells is restored (block 14) and the logical state present in each cell is compared (block 16) with the initially stored logical state to determine if any of the cells have switched to another logical state. This procedure may be repeated (blocks 18-26) a number of times. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.

Method and system for screening logic circuits

An integrated circuit package is disclosed which has decoupling capacitors mounted within the cavity. A first embodiment has a thin-film capacitor mounted to the die attach of the header, with a first wire bond connecting the top surface to a lead finger of the header, and with a second wire bond connecting the top surface to the semiconductor chip mounted in the package. A second embodiment allows for decoupling of the power supply to a reference voltage other than that of the substrate, by providing a stacked capacitor where the top capacitor has a smaller cross-sectional area than the lower capacitor. Bond wires connect the top surface of the top capacitor to a first power supply lead, such as V.sub.cc, and to the V.sub.cc bond pad of the chip. The top surface of the lower capacitor, and consequently the lower surface of the top capacitor, are connected by bond wires to the reference supply (V.sub.ss) lead of the package and bond pad of the chip.

Packaged integrated circuit with in-cavity decoupling capacitors

An SRAM using TiN local interconnects. This permits the moat parasitic capacitance to be reduced, and also avoids use of metal jumpers, resulting in increased density.

SRAM with local interconnect

The described embodiments of the present invention provide a semiconductor on insulator structure providing a semiconductor layer less susceptible to single event upset errors (SEU) due to radiation. The semiconductor layer is formed by implanting ions which form an insulating layer beneath the surface of a crystalline semiconductor substrate. The remaining crystalline semiconductor layer above the insulating layer provides nucleation sites for forming a crystalline semiconductor layer above the insulating layer. The damage caused by implantation of the ions for forming an insulating layer is left unannealed before formation of the semiconductor layer by epitaxial growth. The epitaxial layer, thus formed, provides superior characteristics for prevention of SEU errors, in that the carrier lifetime within the epitaxial layer, thus formed, is less than the carrier lifetime in epitaxial layers formed on annealed material while providing adequate semiconductor characteristics.

Method of making silicon on insalator material using oxygen implantation

A four quadrant multiplier in which a semiconductor chip has a pair of MOSFET differential amplifiers formed with MOSFET current sources for both amplifiers. Currents through the differential amplifiers are modulated 180.degree. out of phase in response to first multiplier input voltages. Currents through one FET of each said amplifier and a second FET of each said amplifier are modulated in response to second multiplier input voltages 180.degree. out of phase. Active MOSFETs form a load connected to the drains of the first FET of both amplifiers while other active MOSFETs form a load connected to the drain of the second FET of both amplifiers to produce a product voltage across at least one of the load FETs.

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Larry R Hite