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).

  • Patent number: 9429967
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Antonello Santangelo
  • Patent number: 9230720
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Antonello Santangelo, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
  • Publication number: 20150168968
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: STEFANIA MARIA SERENA PRIVITERA, ANTONELLO SANTANGELO
  • Patent number: 8952492
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera, Antonello Santangelo
  • Publication number: 20130342264
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Antonello Santangelo, Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
  • Patent number: 8558654
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignees: 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
  • Patent number: 8427273
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
  • Patent number: 8319597
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena Privitera
  • Publication number: 20120171838
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2012
    Publication date: July 5, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L
    Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA
  • Publication number: 20120112873
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: 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
  • Publication number: 20120001679
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA, Antonello SANTANGELO
  • Publication number: 20100156588
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L
    Inventor: Stefania Maria Serena PRIVITERA