Patents by Inventor Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
Stefania Maria Serena Privitera 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).
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Patent number: 9429967Abstract: An embodiment of an electrically trimmable electronic device, wherein a resistor of electrically modifiable material is formed by a first generally strip-shaped portion and by a second generally strip-shaped portion, which extend transversely with respect to one another and are in direct electrical contact in a crossing area. The first and second portions have respective ends connected to own contact regions, coupled to a current pulse source and are made of the same material or of the same composition of materials starting from a same resistive layer of the material having electrically modifiable resistivity, for example, a phase-change material, such as a Ge—Sb—Te alloy, or polycrystalline silicon, or a metal material used for thin-film resistors. The trimming is performed by supplying a trimming current to the second portion so as to heat the crossing area and modify the resistivity thereof, without flowing longitudinally in the first portion.Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2015Date of Patent: August 30, 2016Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Antonello Santangelo
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Patent number: 9230720Abstract: An integrated circuit has a circuit part and a trimmable resistor, the resistance whereof may be modified by Joule effect. The trimmable resistor has first and second connection terminals coupled to the circuit part, and an intermediate terminal that divides the trimmable resistor into two portions. The first and the second connection terminals and the intermediate terminal are coupled to respective pads configured to receive electrical quantities designed to cause, in use, a respective trimming current flow in each portion. In this way, a substantially zero voltage drop is maintained between the first and second connection terminals while current is flowing in the resistor to change an electrical characteristic of the resistor, such as resistance or thermal coefficient.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2013Date of Patent: January 5, 2016Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Antonello Santangelo, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
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Publication number: 20150168968Abstract: An embodiment of an electrically trimmable electronic device, wherein a resistor of electrically modifiable material is formed by a first generally strip-shaped portion and by a second generally strip-shaped portion, which extend transversely with respect to one another and are in direct electrical contact in a crossing area. The first and second portions have respective ends connected to own contact regions, coupled to a current pulse source and are made of the same material or of the same composition of materials starting from a same resistive layer of the material having electrically modifiable resistivity, for example, a phase-change material, such as a Ge—Sb—Te alloy, or polycrystalline silicon, or a metal material used for thin-film resistors. The trimming is performed by supplying a trimming current to the second portion so as to heat the crossing area and modify the resistivity thereof, without flowing longitudinally in the first portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 10, 2015Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: STEFANIA MARIA SERENA PRIVITERA, ANTONELLO SANTANGELO
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Patent number: 8952492Abstract: An embodiment of an electrically trimmable electronic device, wherein a resistor of electrically modifiable material is formed by a first generally strip-shaped portion and by a second generally strip-shaped portion, which extend transversely with respect to one another and are in direct electrical contact in a crossing area. The first and second portions have respective ends connected to own contact regions, coupled to a current pulse source and are made of the same material or of the same composition of materials starting from a same resistive layer of the material having electrically modifiable resistivity, for example, a phase-change material, such as a Ge—Sb—Te alloy, or polycrystalline silicon, or a metal material used for thin-film resistors. The trimming is performed by supplying a trimming current to the second portion so as to heat the crossing area and modify the resistivity thereof, without flowing longitudinally in the first portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2011Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Antonello Santangelo
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Publication number: 20130342264Abstract: An integrated circuit has a circuit part and a trimmable resistor, the resistance whereof may be modified by Joule effect. The trimmable resistor has first and second connection terminals coupled to the circuit part, and an intermediate terminal that divides the trimmable resistor into two portions. The first and the second connection terminals and the intermediate terminal are coupled to respective pads configured to receive electrical quantities designed to cause, in use, a respective trimming current flow in each portion. In this way, a substantially zero voltage drop is maintained between the first and second connection terminals while current is flowing in the resistor to change an electrical characteristic of the resistor, such as resistance or thermal coefficient.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 21, 2013Publication date: December 26, 2013Inventors: Antonello Santangelo, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
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Patent number: 8558654Abstract: A process is described for integrating two closely spaced thin films without deposition of the films through deep vias. The films may be integrated on a wafer and patterned to form a microscale heat-trimmable resistor. A thin-film heating element may be formed proximal to a thin-film resistive element, and heat generated by the thin-film heater can be used to permanently trim a resistance value of the thin-film resistive element. Deposition of the thin films over steep or abrupt topography is minimized by using a process in which the thin films are deposited in a sequence that falls between depositions of thick metal contacts to the thin films.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2011Date of Patent: October 15, 2013Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics Pte Ltd.Inventors: Olivier Le Neel, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Pascale Dumont-Girard, MaurizoGabriele Castorina, Calvin Leung
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Patent number: 8427273Abstract: An embodiment of a resistor formed by at least one first portion and one second portion, electrically coupled to one another and with different crystalline phases. The first portion has a positive temperature coefficient, and the second portion has a negative temperature coefficient. The first portion has a first resistivity, and the second portion has a second resistivity, and the portions are coupled so that the resistor has an overall temperature coefficient that is approximately zero.Type: GrantFiled: March 7, 2012Date of Patent: April 23, 2013Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
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Patent number: 8319597Abstract: An embodiment of a resistor formed by at least one first portion and one second portion, electrically connected to one another and with different crystalline phases. The first portion has a positive temperature coefficient, and the second portion has a negative temperature coefficient. The first portion has a first resistivity, and the second portion has a second resistivity, and the portions are connected so that the resistor has an overall temperature coefficient that is approximately zero.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2009Date of Patent: November 27, 2012Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
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Publication number: 20120171838Abstract: An embodiment of a resistor formed by at least one first portion and one second portion, electrically coupled to one another and with different crystalline phases. The first portion has a positive temperature coefficient, and the second portion has a negative temperature coefficient. The first portion has a first resistivity, and the second portion has a second resistivity, and the portions are coupled so that the resistor has an overall temperature coefficient that is approximately zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 7, 2012Publication date: July 5, 2012Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.LInventor: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA
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Publication number: 20120112873Abstract: A process is described for integrating two closely spaced thin films without deposition of the films through deep vias. The films may be integrated on a wafer and patterned to form a microscale heat-trimmable resistor. A thin-film heating element may be formed proximal to a thin-film resistive element, and heat generated by the thin-film heater can be used to permanently trim a resistance value of the thin-film resistive element. Deposition of the thin films over steep or abrupt topography is minimized by using a process in which the thin films are deposited in a sequence that falls between depositions of thick metal contacts to the thin films.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2011Publication date: May 10, 2012Applicants: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics Pte Ltd., STMicroelectronics S.r.I.Inventors: Olivier Le Neel, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Pascale Dumont-Girard, Maurizio Gabriele Castorina, Calvin Leung
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Publication number: 20120001679Abstract: An embodiment of an electrically trimmable electronic device, wherein a resistor of electrically modifiable material is formed by a first generally strip-shaped portion and by a second generally strip-shaped portion, which extend transversely with respect to one another and are in direct electrical contact in a crossing area. The first and second portions have respective ends connected to own contact regions, coupled to a current pulse source and are made of the same material or of the same composition of materials starting from a same resistive layer of the material having electrically modifiable resistivity, for example, a phase-change material, such as a Ge—Sb—Te alloy, or polycrystalline silicon, or a metal material used for thin-film resistors. The trimming is performed by supplying a trimming current to the second portion so as to heat the crossing area and modify the resistivity thereof, without flowing longitudinally in the first portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 30, 2011Publication date: January 5, 2012Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA, Antonello SANTANGELO
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Publication number: 20100156588Abstract: An embodiment of a resistor formed by at least one first portion and one second portion, electrically connected to one another and with different crystalline phases. The first portion has a positive temperature coefficient, and the second portion has a negative temperature coefficient. The first portion has a first resistivity, and the second portion has a second resistivity, and the portions are connected so that the resistor has an overall temperature coefficient that is approximately zero.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2009Publication date: June 24, 2010Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.LInventor: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA