Abstract: A semiconductor region includes an isolating region which delimits a working area of the semiconductor region. A trench is located in the working area and further extends into the isolating region. The trench is filled by an electrically conductive central portion that is insulated from the working area by an isolating enclosure. A cover region is positioned to cover at least a first part of the filled trench, wherein the first part is located in the working area. A dielectric layer is in contact with the filled trench. A metal silicide layer is located at least on the electrically conductive central portion of a second part of the filled trench, wherein the second part is not covered by the cover region.

Abstract: The integrated circuit includes a logic part including standard cells arranged in parallel rows along a first direction and in an alternation of complementary semiconductor wells. Among the standard cells, at least one capacitive filling structure belongs to two adjacent rows and includes a capacitive interface between a conductive armature and the first well, the extent of the second well in the first direction being interrupted over the length of the capacitive filling structure so that the first well occupies in the second direction the width of the two adjacent rows of the capacitive filling structure. A conductive structure electrically connects the second well on either side of the capacitive filling structure.

Abstract: A method for detecting orientation of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method includes moving, in response to a gravitational force, a mobile metallic piece in an evolution zone of a housing. The housing is formed in an interconnect region of the integrated circuit. The housing includes walls defining the evolution zone. The walls are formed within multiple metallization levels of the interconnect region. The walls include a floor wall and a ceiling wall. At least one of the floor wall and ceiling wall incorporate a pointed element directing its pointed region towards the mobile metallic piece. The pointed element delimits an open crater in a concave part of a projection. The method further includes creating an electrical signal by movement of the mobile metallic piece at a plurality of electrically conducting elements positioned at boundary points of the evolution zone and detecting the electrical signal by a detector.

Abstract: A capacitive element of an integrated circuit includes first and second electrodes. The first electrode is formed by a first electrically conductive layer located above a semiconductor well doped with a first conductivity type. The second electrode is formed by a second electrically conductive layer located above the first electrically conductive layer of the semiconductor well. The second electrode is further formed by a doped surface region within the semiconductor well that is heavily doped with a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, wherein the doped surface region is located under the first electrically conductive layer. An inter-electrode dielectric area electrically separates the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate includes a buried semiconductor layer and semiconductor wells. A device for detecting a possible thinning of the semiconductor substrate via the rear face thereof is formed on and in the semiconductor wells. The device is a non-inverting buffer including an input terminal and an output terminal, the device being powered between a supply terminal and a reference terminal where the buried semiconductor layer provides the supply terminal. A control circuit delivers an input signal in a first state to the input terminal and outputs a control signal indicating a detection of a thinning of the substrate if a signal generated at the output terminal in response to the input signal is in a second state different from the first state.

Abstract: A method of operating a mechanical switching device is disclosed. The switching device includes a housing, an assembly disposed in the housing, and a body. The assembly is thermally deformable and comprises a beam held in two different places by two arms secured to edges of the housing. The beam is remote from the body in a first configuration and in contact with and immobilized by the body in a second configuration. The assembly has the first configuration at a first temperature and the second configuration when one of the arms has a second temperature different from the first temperature. The method includes exposing an arm of the assembly to the second temperature, and releasing the beam using a release mechanism. The release mechanism includes a pointed element comprising a pointed region directed towards the body. The pointed element limits an open crater in a concave part of a projection.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first semiconductor well contained in a semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor well contained in the first semiconductor well. A capacitive element for the integrated circuit includes a first electrode and a second electrode, where the first electrode includes at least one vertical conductive structure filling a trench extending vertically into the first semiconductor well. The vertical conductive structure is electrically isolated from the first semiconductor well by a dielectric envelope covering a base and the sides of the trench. The vertical conductive structure penetrates into the second semiconductor well at least at one longitudinal end of the trench. The second electrode includes the first semiconductor well and the second semiconductor well.

Abstract: A bipolar transistor includes a common collector region comprising a buried semiconductor layer and an annular well. A well region is surrounded by the annular well and delimited by the buried semiconductor layer. A first base region and a second base region are formed by the well region and separated from each other by a vertical gate structure. A first emitter region is implanted in the first base region, and a second emitter region is implanted in the second base region. A conductor track electrically couples the first emitter region and the second base region to configure the bipolar transistor as a Darlington-type device. Structures of the bipolar transistor may be fabricated in a co-integration with a non-volatile memory cell.

Abstract: A device includes a MOS transistor and a bipolar transistor at a same first portion of a substrate. The first portion includes a first well doped with a first type forming the channel of the MOS transistor and two first regions doped with a second type opposite to the first type that are arranged in the first well which form the source and drain of the MOS transistor. The first portion further includes: a second well doped with the second type that is arranged laterally with respect to the first well to form the base of the bipolar transistor; a second region doped with the first type that is arranged in the second well to form the emitter of the bipolar transistor; and a third region doped with the first type that is arranged under the second well to form the collector of the bipolar transistor.

Abstract: A capacitive element includes a first conductive layer delimited by an outline and a low voltage dielectric layer covering the first conductive layer. A second conductive layer covers the low voltage dielectric layer and includes: a first portion located over a central zone of the first conductive layer which forms a first capacitor electrode; and a second portion located over the first conductive layer at the inner border of the entire outline of the first conductive layer, and over the front face at the outer border of the entire outline of the first conductive layer. The first portion and the second portion of the second conductive layer are electrically separated by an annular opening extending through the second conductive layer. The first conductive layer is electrically connected to the second portion of the second conductive layer to form a second capacitor electrode.

Abstract: In an embodiment a memory cell includes a first doped well of a first conductivity type in contact with a second doped well of a second conductivity type, the second conductivity type being opposite to the first conductivity type, a third doped well of the second conductivity type in contact with a fourth doped well of the first conductivity type, a first wall in contact with the second and fourth wells, the first wall including a conductive or semiconductor core and an insulating sheath, a stack of layers including a first insulating layer, a first semiconductor layer, a second insulating layer and a second semiconductor layer at least partially covering the second and fourth wells and a third semiconductor layer located below the second and fourth wells and the first wall.

Abstract: The present description concerns a ROM including at least one first rewritable memory cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has a front face with a first dielectric region. A capacitive element includes, on a surface of the first dielectric region at the front face, a stack of layers which include a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a third conductive region. The second conductive region is electrically insulated from the first conductive region by a second dielectric region. The second conductive region is further electrically insulated from the third conductive region by a third dielectric region. The first and third conductive regions form one plate of the capacitive element, and the second conductive region forms another plate of the capacitive element.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has a back face and a front face and includes a semiconductor well that is electrically isolated from the semiconductor substrate. A device is configured to detect a thinning of the semiconductor substrate from the back face. The device includes at least one trench that extends within the semiconductor well between two peripheral locations from the front face down to a location situated at a distance from a bottom of the semiconductor well. The trench is electrically isolated from the semiconductor well. A detection circuit is configured to measure a physical quantity representative of well electrical resistance between two contact areas respectively situated on either side of the at least one first trench.

Abstract: A triple-gate MOS transistor is manufactured in a semiconductor substrate including at least one active region laterally surrounded by electrically isolating regions. Trenches are etched on either side of an area of the active region configured to form a channel for the transistor. An electrically isolating layer is deposited on an internal surface of each of the trenches. Each of the trenches is then filled with a semiconductive or electrically conductive material up to an upper surface of the active region so as to form respective vertical gates on opposite sides of the channel. An electrically isolating layer is then deposited on the upper surface of the area of the active region at the channel of the transistor. At least one semiconductive or electrically conductive material then deposited on the electrically isolating layer formed at the upper surface of the active region to form a horizontal gate of the transistor.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate has a front face with a first dielectric region. A capacitive element includes, on a surface of the first dielectric region at the front face, a stack of layers which include a first conductive region, a second conductive region and a third conductive region. The second conductive region is electrically insulated from the first conductive region by a second dielectric region. The second conductive region is further electrically insulated from the third conductive region by a third dielectric region. The first and third conductive regions form one plate of the capacitive element, and the second conductive region forms another plate of the capacitive element.

Abstract: A capacitive element is located in an active region of the substrate and on a front face of the substrate. The capacitive element includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is formed by a first conductive region and the active region. The second electrode is formed by a second conductive region and a monolithic conductive region having one part covering a surface of said front face and at least one part extending into the active region perpendicularly to said front face. The first conductive region is located between and is insulated from the monolithic conductive region and a second conductive region.

Abstract: A process for fabricating an integrated circuit includes the fabrication of a first transistor and a floating-gate transistor. The fabrication process for the first transistor and the floating-gate transistor utilizes a common step of forming a dielectric layer. This dielectric layer is configured to form a tunnel-dielectric layer of the floating-gate transistor (which allows transfer of charge via the Fowler-Nordheim effect) and to form a gate-dielectric layer of the first transistor.

Abstract: A capacitive element is located in an active region of the substrate and on a front face of the substrate. The capacitive element includes a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is formed by a first conductive region and the active region. The second electrode is formed by a second conductive region and a monolithic conductive region having one part covering a surface of said front face and at least one part extending into the active region perpendicularly to said front face. The first conductive region is located between and is insulated from the monolithic conductive region and a second conductive region.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first domain supplied with power at a first supply voltage. A first transistor comprising in the first domain includes a first gate region and a first gate dielectric region. A second domain is supply with power at a second supply voltage and includes a second transistor having a second gate region and a second gate dielectric region, the second gate region being biased at a voltage that is higher than the first supply voltage. The first and second gate dielectric regions have the same composition, wherein that composition configures the first transistor in a permanently turned off condition in response to a gate bias voltage lower than or equal to the first supply voltage. The second transistor is a floating gate memory cell transistor, with the second gate dielectric region located between the floating and control gates.