Patents by Inventor Angelo Merassi

Angelo Merassi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20060032310
    Abstract: In a micro-electromechanical structure, a rotor has a centroidal axis and includes a suspended structure which carries mobile electrodes. A stator carries fixed electrodes facing the mobile electrodes. The suspended structure is connected to a rotor-anchoring region via elastic elements. The stator includes at least one stator element, which carries a plurality of fixed electrodes and is fixed to a stator-anchoring region. One of the rotor-anchoring regions and stator-anchoring regions extends along the centroidal axis and at least another of the rotor-anchoring regions and stator-anchoring regions extends in the proximity of the centroidal axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.I.
    Inventors: Angelo Merassi, Bruno Murari, Sarah Zerbini
  • Publication number: 20050274184
    Abstract: A planar inertial sensor includes a first region and a second region of semiconductor material. The second region is capacitively coupled, and mobile with respect to the first region. The second region extends in a plane and has second portions, which face respective first portions of the first region. Movement of the second region, relative to the first region, in any direction belonging to the plane modifies the distance between the second portions and the first portions, which in turn modifies a value of the capacitive coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2004
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi, Ernesto Lasalandra, Benedetto Vigna
  • Patent number: 6928872
    Abstract: An integrated gyroscope, including an acceleration sensor formed by: a driving assembly; a sensitive mass extending in at least one first and second directions and being moved by the driving assembly in the first direction; and by a capacitive sensing electrode, facing the sensitive mass. The acceleration sensor has an rotation axis parallel to the second direction, and the sensitive mass is sensitive to forces acting in a third direction perpendicular to the other directions. The capacitive sensing electrode is formed by a conductive material region extending underneath the sensitive mass and spaced therefrom by an air gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Guido Spinola Durante, Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi
  • Patent number: 6858810
    Abstract: An inertial sensor with failure threshold includes a first body and a second body, which can move relative to one another and are constrained by a plurality of elastic elements, and a sample element connected between the first body and the second body and shaped so as to be subjected to a stress when the second body is outside of a relative resting position with respect to the first body. The sample element has at least one weakened region. The sensor may also include additional sample elements connected between the first and second bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi, Guido Spinola Durante, Biagio De Masi
  • Publication number: 20040129989
    Abstract: An inertial sensor with failure threshold includes a first body and a second body, which can move relative to one another and are constrained by a plurality of elastic elements, and a sample element connected between the first body and the second body and shaped so as to be subjected to a stress when the second body is outside of a relative resting position with respect to the first body. The sample element has at least one weakened region. The sensor may also include additional sample elements connected between the first and second bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics S.r.I., Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi, Guido Spinola Durante, Biagio De Masi
  • Publication number: 20040121504
    Abstract: A process for the fabrication of an inertial sensor with failure threshold includes the step of forming, on top of a substrate of a semiconductor wafer, a sample element embedded in a sacrificial region, the sample element configured to break under a preselected strain. The process further includes forming, on top of the sacrificial region, a body connected to the sample element and etching the sacrificial region so as to free the body and the sample element. The process may also include forming, on the substrate, additional sample elements connected to the body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2003
    Publication date: June 24, 2004
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Nokia Corporation
    Inventors: Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi, Guido Spinola Durante, Biagio De Masi
  • Publication number: 20040035204
    Abstract: An integrated gyroscope, including an acceleration sensor formed by: a driving assembly; a sensitive mass extending in at least one first and second directions and being moved by the driving assembly in the first direction; and by a capacitive sensing electrode, facing the sensitive mass. The acceleration sensor has an rotation axis parallel to the second direction, and the sensitive mass is sensitive to forces acting in a third direction perpendicular to the other directions. The capacitive sensing electrode is formed by a conductive material region extending underneath the sensitive mass and spaced therefrom by an air gap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2003
    Publication date: February 26, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Guido Spinola Durante, Sarah Zerbini, Angelo Merassi