Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100201196 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREDICTING END OF BATTERY LIFE - A powering subassembly for a portable electronic device includes a main battery, a converter, a backup battery, and a controller. The main battery provides a main voltage and the backup battery can provide a backup voltage. The converter receives the main voltage and increases the main voltage to at least one operating voltage. The controller receives the operating voltage from the converter, monitors the voltage of the main battery, and compares the monitored main battery voltage to a main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a disconnect signal to decouple the main battery from the converter if the monitored voltage from the main battery is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a connection signal to couple the backup battery to the converter if the monitored voltage is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The backup battery provides the power for a predetermined minimum amount of time. | 08-12-2010 |
20120091813 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PREDICTING END OF BATTERY LIFE - A powering subassembly for a portable electronic device includes a main battery, a converter, a backup battery, and a controller. The main battery provides a main voltage and the backup battery can provide a backup voltage. The converter receives the main voltage and increases it to at least one operating voltage. The controller receives the operating voltage from the converter, monitors the voltage of the main battery, and compares the monitored voltage to a main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a disconnect signal to decouple the main battery from the converter if the monitored voltage from the main battery is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The controller transmits a connection signal to couple the backup battery to the converter if the monitored voltage is less than the main battery low voltage threshold. The backup battery provides the power for a predetermined minimum amount of time. | 04-19-2012 |
20120218023 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INITIALIZING A VOLTAGE BUS AND MEDICAL DEVICES INCORPORATING SAME - Systems, apparatus, and methods are provided for initializing a voltage bus. An exemplary system includes an input interface, a voltage bus, discharge circuitry coupled to the voltage bus, connection circuitry coupled between the voltage bus and the input interface, and a control module coupled to the connection circuitry and the discharge circuitry. The control module activates the discharge circuitry prior to activating the connection circuitry. | 08-30-2012 |
20120235485 | POWER CONTROL TECHNIQUES FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A portable electronic device, such as a fluid infusion device, obtains its operating power from a primary battery and a secondary battery. The primary battery may be a replaceable battery, and the secondary battery may be a rechargeable battery that can be charged with the primary battery under certain conditions. The device utilizes a power management scheme that transitions between the primary battery and/or the secondary battery to prolong the useful life of the primary battery. The device may also generate an intelligent battery life indicator that displays an accurate representation of the remaining life of the primary battery. | 09-20-2012 |
20120235823 | BATTERY LIFE INDICATION TECHNIQUES FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A portable electronic device, such as a fluid infusion device, obtains its operating power from a primary battery and a secondary battery. The primary battery may be a replaceable battery, and the secondary battery may be a rechargeable battery that can be charged with the primary battery under certain conditions. The device utilizes a power management scheme that transitions between the primary battery and/or the secondary battery to prolong the useful life of the primary battery. The device may also generate an intelligent battery life indicator that displays an accurate representation of the remaining life of the primary battery. | 09-20-2012 |
20140049397 | BATTERY LIFE INDICATION TECHNIQUES FOR AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A portable electronic device, such as a fluid infusion device, obtains its operating power from a primary battery and a secondary battery. The primary battery may be a replaceable battery, and the secondary battery may be a rechargeable battery that can be charged with the primary battery under certain conditions. The device utilizes a power management scheme that transitions between the primary battery and/or the secondary battery to prolong the useful life of the primary battery. The device may also generate an intelligent battery life indicator that displays an accurate representation of the remaining life of the primary battery. | 02-20-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130284604 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELECTROPLATING SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER WHEN CONTROLLING CATIONS IN ELECTROLYTE - Apparatus and methods for electroplating metal onto substrates are disclosed. The electroplating apparatus comprise an electroplating cell and at least one oxidization device. The electroplating cell comprises a cathode chamber and an anode chamber separated by a porous barrier that allows metal cations to pass through but prevents organic particles from crossing. The oxidation device (ODD) is configured to oxidize cations of the metal to be electroplated onto the substrate, which cations are present in the anolyte during electroplating. In some embodiments, the ODD is implemented as a carbon anode that removes Cu(I) from the anolyte electrochemically. In other embodiments, the ODD is implemented as an oxygenation device (OGD) or an impressed current cathodic protection anode (ICCP anode), both of which increase oxygen concentration in anolyte solutions. Methods for efficient electroplating are also disclosed. | 10-31-2013 |
20130323930 | Selective Capping of Metal Interconnect Lines during Air Gap Formation - Provided are methods and systems for forming air gaps in an interconnect layer between adjacent conductive lines. Protective layers may be selectively formed on exposed surfaces of the conductive lines, while structures in between the lines may remain unprotected. These structures may be made from a sacrificial material that is later removed to form voids. In certain embodiments, the structures are covered with a permeable non-protective layer that allows etchants and etching products to pass through during removal. When a work piece having a selectively formed protective layer is exposed to gas or liquid etchants, these etchants remove the sacrificial material without etching or otherwise impacting the metal lines. Voids formed in between these lines may be then partially filled with a dielectric material to seal the voids and/or protect sides of the metal lines. Additional interconnect layers may be formed above the processed layer containing air gaps. | 12-05-2013 |
20140199497 | METHODS FOR REDUCING METAL OXIDE SURFACES TO MODIFIED METAL SURFACES - Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. Metal oxide surfaces are reduced to form a film integrated with a metal seed layer by contacting a solution with a reducing agent with the metal oxide surfaces. The solution with the reducing agent can contact the metal oxide surfaces under conditions that form an integrated film with the metal seed layer, and that reduces reoxidation from exposure the ambient environment. In some embodiments, an additive can be included with the reducing agent to form a surface protecting layer on the metal seed layer. In some embodiments, the metal is copper used in damascene copper structures. | 07-17-2014 |
20140256127 | METHODS FOR REDUCING METAL OXIDE SURFACES TO MODIFIED METAL SURFACES USING A GASEOUS REDUCING ENVIRONMENT - Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. Metal oxide surfaces are reduced to form a film integrated with a metal seed layer on a substrate by exposing the metal oxide surfaces to a reducing gas atmosphere comprising radicals of a reducing gas species. The radicals of the reducing gas species can form from exposing the reducing gas species to ultraviolet radiation and/or a plasma. The substrate is maintained at a temperature below a temperature that produces agglomeration of the metal seed layer during exposure to the reducing gas atmosphere, such as below 150° C. for copper. In some embodiments, the reducing gas species can include at least one of hydrogen, ammonia, carbon monoxide, diborane, sulfite compounds, carbon and/or hydrocarbons, phosphites, and hydrazine. | 09-11-2014 |
20140256128 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE PLASMA TREATMENT FOR REDUCING METAL OXIDES ON A METAL SEED LAYER - Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. By exposing a metal oxide surface to a remote plasma, the metal oxide surface on a substrate can be reduced to pure metal and the metal reflowed. A remote plasma apparatus can treat the metal oxide surface as well as cool, load/unload, and move the substrate within a single standalone apparatus. The remote plasma apparatus includes a processing chamber and a controller configured to provide a substrate having a metal seed layer in a processing chamber, form a remote plasma of a reducing gas species where the remote plasma includes radicals, ions, and/or ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the reducing gas species, and expose a metal seed layer of the substrate to the remote plasma to reduce oxide of the metal seed layer to metal and to reflow the metal. | 09-11-2014 |
20150072538 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REMOTE PLASMA TREATMENT FOR REDUCING METAL OXIDES ON A METAL SEED LAYER - Method and apparatus for reducing metal oxide surfaces to modified metal surfaces are disclosed. By exposing a metal oxide surface to a remote plasma, the metal oxide surface on a substrate is reduced. A remote plasma apparatus can treat the metal oxide surface as well as cool, load/unload, and move the substrate within a single standalone apparatus. The remote plasma apparatus includes a processing chamber and a controller configured to provide a substrate having a metal seed layer in a processing chamber, move the substrate towards a substrate support in the processing chamber, form a remote plasma of a reducing gas species, expose a metal seed layer of the substrate to the remote plasma, and expose the substrate to a cooling gas. In some embodiments, the remote plasma apparatus is part of an electroplating apparatus. | 03-12-2015 |