Chad J Dawson, 402288 Greenbriar Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701

8511170, Aug 20, 2013

Nov 18, 2010

12/949356

Lianjun Liu - Chandler AZ, US
Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Bernhard H. Grote - Phoenix AZ, US
Woo Tae Park - Singapore, SG

Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. - Austin TX

G01L 9/06

73721, 73715, 3612834

A pressure transducer includes a substrate, a piezoresistive element, a first conductive element, a first terminal, and a test structure. The substrate has a surface and a cavity. A diaphragm layer is formed over the cavity and over the surface of the substrate. The piezoresistive element is formed in the diaphragm layer. The first conductive element is formed in the diaphragm layer, and has a first conductivity type. The first conductive element is coupled to the piezoresistive element. The first terminal is formed over a surface of the diaphragm layer and coupled to the first conductive element. The test structure has the first conductivity type and is formed in the diaphragm layer. The test structure has an edge spaced apart from an edge of the first conductive element by a predetermined distance. A surface charge accumulation on the diaphragm layer is detected using the test structure.

2011002, Feb 3, 2011

Jul 31, 2009

12/533644

Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US

G01L 27/00

73 157

A method for testing a pressure sensor having a first node and a second node includes coupling the first node to a first input of an amplifier and coupling a reference voltage to a second input of the amplifier; applying a transfer function to an output of the amplifier to provide a first output voltage that is based on a difference in voltage between the first node and the reference voltage; coupling the reference voltage to the first input and coupling the second node to the second input; obtaining a second output voltage at the output of the amplifier; and determining, based on the first and second output voltages, whether the pressure sensor passed or failed. During normal operation, the first node is coupled to the first input and the second node to the second input, and a second transfer function is applied to the output of the amplifier.

2012022, Sep 13, 2012

Mar 8, 2011

13/043075

Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Bernhard H. Grote - Phoenix AZ, US
Woo Tae Park - Singapore, SG

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. - Austin TX

G01R 27/08
G01R 27/28

324691, 324649

Systems and methods are provided for detecting surface charge on a semiconductor substrate having a sensing arrangement formed thereon. An exemplary sensing system includes the semiconductor substrate having the sensing arrangement formed thereon, and a module coupled to the sensing arrangement. The module obtains a first voltage output from the sensing arrangement when a first voltage is applied to the semiconductor substrate, obtains a second voltage output from the sensing arrangement when a second voltage is applied to the semiconductor substrate, and detects electric charge on the surface of the semiconductor substrate based on a difference between the first voltage output and the second voltage output.

2012024, Oct 4, 2012

Mar 31, 2011

13/077963

Siddhartha Gopal Krishna - Noida, IN
Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Vikram Varma - Noida, IN

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. - Austin TX

G01L 27/00

73 159

A method and system to calibrate temperature and pressure in piezo resistive devices for non-linear sensors having two variables, where a piezo resistive device such as a piezo resistive transducer (PRT) used for example in a pressure sensor system is calibrated to calculate actual/ambient temperature and pressure even though the PRT impedance is unbalanced relative to pressure.

2013029, Nov 7, 2013

May 7, 2012

13/465651

Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Stephen R. Hooper - Mesa AZ, US
Peter T. Jones - Scottsdale AZ, US
Mark E. Schlarmann - Chandler AZ, US

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. - Austin TX

G06F 19/00

702122

A tester configured to test a strip of devices is provided. The tester may include a communications system, a plurality of communication lines, a plurality of multiplexors, each multiplexor having at least two outputs, wherein each multiplexor is configured to receive a signal generated by the communications system via one of the plurality of communication lines, and each multiplexor may be selectably coupled to at least two of the devices in the strip of devices. The tester may be configured to index the plurality of communication lines to a first subset of the devices, initiate at least one test, command the devices to generate data for each of the at least one tests, retrieve data from a first set of the devices, and retrieve data from a second set of the devices.

2013031, Nov 28, 2013

May 23, 2012

13/479168

Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US

FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC. - Austin TX

G06F 19/00
G06F 15/00

702 98, 702127, 702 85

Apparatus, systems, and fabrication methods are provided for sensing devices. An exemplary sensing device includes a first sensing arrangement to measure a first property and provide one or more measured values for the first property, a second sensing arrangement to measure a second property, a storage element coupled to the second sensing arrangement to maintain a stored value for the second property measured by the second sensing arrangement, and a control system coupled to the first sensing arrangement and the storage element to determine one or more calibrated measurement values for the first property using the one or more measured values for the first property from the first sensing arrangement and the stored value for the second property.

2017034, Nov 30, 2017

Nov 10, 2014

14/537498

Chad S Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Dubravka Bilic - Scottsdale AZ, US
Lianjun Liu - Chandler AZ, US
Andrew C McNeil - Chandler AZ, US

B81B 3/00
G01L 9/00

Methods for fabricating crack resistant Microelectromechanical (MEMS) devices are provided, as are MEMS devices produced pursuant to such methods. In one embodiment, the method includes forming a sacrificial body over a substrate, producing a multi-layer membrane structure on the substrate, and removing at least a portion of the sacrificial body to form an inner cavity within the multi-layer membrane structure. The multi-layer membrane structure is produced by first forming a base membrane layer over and around the sacrificial body such that the base membrane layer has a non-planar upper surface. A predetermined thickness of the base membrane layer is then removed to impart the base membrane layer with a planar upper surface. A cap membrane layer is formed over the planar upper surface of the base membrane layer. The cap membrane layer is composed of a material having a substantially parallel grain orientation.

2017011, Apr 27, 2017

Oct 22, 2015

14/919986

- Austin TX, US
Chad S. Dawson - Queen Creek AZ, US
Andrew C. MCNEIL - Chandler AZ, US
Arvind S. Salian - Gilbert AZ, US
Mark E. Schlarmann - Chandler AZ, US

G01P 15/125

A sensor device comprises a device structure and a cap coupled with the device structure to produce a cavity in which components of the sensor device are located. The device structure includes a substrate and a movable element spaced apart from a surface of the substrate. A port extends through the substrate underlying the movable element. A sense element is spaced apart from the movable element and is displaced away from the port. The movable element and the sense element form an inertial sensor to sense a motion stimulus as movement of the movable element relative to the sense element. An additional sense element together with a diaphragm spans across the port. The movable element and the additional sense element form a pressure sensor for sensing a pressure stimulus from an external environment as movement of the additional sense element together with the diaphragm relative to the movable element.