St-ericsson Sa

Nokia Corporation

Petri Korpi

Petri Heliö

Paavo Väänänen

Sami Vilhonen

Juha Samuel Hallivuori

Johannes Petrus Antonius Frambach

Arttu Tapio Uusitalo

Niko Mikkola

Risto Johannes Johannes Rönkkä

A resistive/residual Charge to Digital Timer (RCDT) provides efficient, accurate measurement of short time delay between two signals, by converting the time delay to current, and measuring the charge integrated by a capacitor over a duration. In one embodiment, in quantizing this charge (measured as voltage), a residual charge is maintained cycle-to-cycle. This allows for implementation of a Noise shaping Charge to Digital Timer (NCDT), providing improved resolution over a plurality of measurement cycles. The RCDT/NCDT is particularly (but not exclusively) well suited for phase error detection in a Digital Phase Locked Loop.

Resistive/residue charge-to-digital timer

The charge-to-digital timer apparatus and method disclosed herein estimates the elapsed time between two signals, e.g., a start signal and a stop signal. To that end, at least a capacitive load is charged with a known current to generate a load voltage. Subsequently, a first voltage is ramped in a plurality of discrete voltage steps associated with a plurality of known capacitances until the ramped voltage satisfies a predetermined criterion relative to a second voltage. The elapsed time is determined from the discrete voltage steps, one of the first and second voltages, the known current, and the known capacitive load.

Charge-to-digital timer

A calibration method disclosed herein calibrates at least one of a capacitive load and a charging current controlling a charge-to-digital timer (CDT). In general, the disclosed calibration method measures multiple calibration phases based on start and stop signals separated by a known time difference, and therefore having a known phase, and adjusts at least one of the capacitive load and the charging current of the CDT based on the measured calibration phases. In so doing, the disclosed calibration method reduces power dissipation and peak supply currents over the frequency range of the CDT.

Calibration of a charge-to-digital timer

An apparatus applies a carrier fluid to a semiconductor substrate. The carrier fluid carries nanoparticles. The positions of a plurality of particles in the carrier fluid are manipulated by applying an electric field, removing the carrier fluid from the substrate so as to leave the nanoparticles on the substrate, and sintering the nanoparticles to form a region.

Apparatus for forming a nanoscale semiconductor structure on a substrate by applying a carrier fluid

A frequency divider including at least one frequency divider cell having an adjustable circuit configuration which may be selected adaptively according to properties of an oscillator signal to be frequency-divided in the frequency divider. Accordingly, the circuit configuration of the frequency divider may be changed on the fly during the operation.

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Kangasala, Finland

Petri Korpi