Abstract: An multi-die semiconductor device disclosed herein includes a metallic leadframe with a central die pad encircled by electrically-conductive leads. Mounted on the die pad are two semiconductor dice, each with dedicated bonding pads on the surfaces facing away from the die pad. A layer of laser-activatable material is precisely molded over the dice and the leadframe. This layer forms a network of laser-activated lines: the first subset establishes electrical connections between the dice bonding pads and the leadframe leads, while the second subset interconnects the bonding pads of the first die to those of the second. There are two distinct metallic layers; the lower one, directly on the laser-activated lines, is formed of electroless-plated material, and the upper one, enhancing the structure, is formed of electroplated material, thus providing robust and reliable interconnections within the device.

Abstract: A voltage regulator receives a reference voltage and generates a regulated voltage using a MOSFET having a gate terminal configured to receive a control voltage. A charge pump receives the regulated voltage and generates a charge pump voltage in response to an enable signal and a clock signal generated in response to the enable signal. The voltage regulator further includes a first switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a first capacitor with a first current and impose a first voltage drop on the control voltage in response to assertion of the enable signal. The voltage regulator also includes a second switched capacitor circuit coupled to the gate terminal and configured to selectively charge a second capacitor with a second current and impose a second voltage drop on the control voltage in response to one logic state of the clock signal.

Abstract: An embedded electronic system includes a volatile memory and a processor configured to execute a low-level operating system that manages allocation of areas of the volatile memory to a plurality of high-level operating systems. Each high-level operating system executes one or more of applications. The volatile memory includes a first portion reserved for execution data of a first application and a second portion intended to store execution data of a second application. The system is configured so that once the execution data of the first application are loaded in the first portion, the low-level operating system forbids unloading of the execution data of the first application from the first portion so that the execution data of the first application remain in the volatile memory in case of a deactivation or of a setting to standby of the first application.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device with a tiltable structure, a fixed supporting structure, and an actuation structure with driving arms connected to the tiltable structure by elastic decoupling elements. Described herein, particularly, is a planar stop structure between the driving arms and the tiltable structure, which functions to limit movement in the tiltable plane. This stop structure includes a first projection/abutment surface pair formed by a projection extending from a driving arm and an abutment surface formed by a recess in the tiltable structure. The projection and abutment surface are adjacent and spaced apart in the device's rest condition.

Abstract: A packaged semiconductor device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. At least one semiconductor die is mounted at the first surface of the substrate. Electrically-conductive leads are arranged around the substrate, and electrically-conductive formations couple the at least one semiconductor die to selected leads of the electrically-conductive leads. A package molding material is molded onto the at least one semiconductor die, onto the electrically-conductive leads and onto the electrically-conductive formations. The package molding material leaves the second surface of the substrate uncovered by the package molding material. The substrate is formed by a layer of electrically-insulating material.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method for controlling a synchronous rectifier (SR) transistor of a flyback converter includes: determining a first voltage across conduction terminals of the SR transistor; asserting a turn-on signal when a body diode of the SR transistor is conducting current; asserting a turn-off signal when current flowing through the conduction terminals of the SR transistor decreases below a first threshold; generating a gating signal based on an output voltage of the flyback converter and on the first voltage; turning on the SR transistor based on the turn-on signal and on the gating signal; and turning off the SR transistor based on the turn-off signal.

Abstract: A MEMS inertial sensor includes a supporting structure and an inertial structure. The inertial structure includes at least one inertial mass, an elastic structure, and a stopper structure. The elastic structure is mechanically coupled to the inertial mass and to the supporting structure so as to enable a movement of the inertial mass in a direction parallel to a first direction, when the supporting structure is subjected to an acceleration parallel to the first direction. The stopper structure is fixed with respect to the supporting structure and includes at least one primary stopper element and one secondary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a first threshold value, the inertial mass abuts against the primary stopper element and subsequently rotates about an axis of rotation defined by the primary stopper element. If the acceleration exceeds a second threshold value, rotation of the inertial mass terminates when the inertial mass abuts against the secondary stopper element.

Abstract: An electronic device such as an e-fuse includes analog circuitry configured to be set to one or more self-test configurations. To that effect the device has self-test controller circuitry in turn including: an analog configuration and sensing circuit configured to set the analog circuitry to one or more self-test configurations and to sense test signals occurring in the analog circuitry set to such self-test configurations, a data acquisition circuit configured to acquire and convert to digital the test signals sensed at the analog sensing circuit, and a fault event detection circuit configured to check the test signals converted to digital against reference parameters. The device includes integrated therein a self-test controller configured to control parts or stages of the device to configure circuits, acquire data and control test execution under the coordination of a test sequencer.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip is mounted on a leadframe. A first portion of an insulating package for the semiconductor chip is formed from laser direct structuring (LDS) material molded onto the semiconductor chip. A conductive formation (provided by laser-drilling the LDS material and plating) extends between the outer surface of the first portion of insulating package and the semiconductor chip. An electrically conductive clip is applied onto the outer surface of the first portion of the insulating package, with the electrically conductive clip electrically coupled to the conductive formation and the leadframe. A second portion of the insulating package is made from package molding material (epoxy compound) molded onto the electrically conductive clip and applied onto the outer surface of the first portion of the insulating package.

Abstract: A circuit includes a set of input nodes configured to be coupled to respective ones of the windings of a spindle motor in a hard disk drive to sense the voltages applied to the windings. A set of output nodes is configured to provide output signals indicative of direction of flow of the currents through the windings. Level shifters are coupled to respective input nodes in the set of input nodes and have level-shifted output nodes configured to provide down-shifted replicas of the voltages at the respective input nodes in the set of input nodes. Flip-flops have inputs coupled to respective ones of the level-shifted output nodes of the level shifters and outputs configured to provide the output signals coupled to respective output nodes.

Abstract: A method to test an asynchronous finite state machine for faults, the method including disabling state transitions out of a state of the asynchronous finite state machine and inputting test data to the AFSM to trigger a transition from the state to an expected state. The method further including enabling transitions out of the state of the asynchronous finite state machine, and determining whether the asynchronous finite state machine has performed a successful transition to the expected state.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a semiconductor body of silicon carbide, and a body region at a first surface of the semiconductor body. A source region is disposed in the body region. A drain region is disposed at a second surface of the semiconductor body. A doped region extends seamlessly at the entire first surface of the semiconductor body and includes one or more first sub-regions having a first doping concentration and one or more second sub-regions having a second doping concentration lower than the first doping concentration. Thus, the device has zones alternated to each other having different conduction threshold voltage and different saturation current.

Abstract: An integrated device includes: a first die; a second die coupled in a stacked way on the first die along a vertical axis; a coupling region arranged between facing surfaces of the first die and of the second die, which face one another along the vertical axis and lie in a horizontal plane orthogonal to the vertical axis, for mechanical coupling of the first and second dies; electrical-contact elements carried by the facing surfaces of the first and second dies, aligned in pairs along the vertical axis; and conductive regions arranged between the pairs of electrical-contact elements carried by the facing surfaces of the first and second dies, for their electrical coupling. Supporting elements are arranged at the facing surface of at least one of the first and second dies and elastically support respective electrical-contact elements.

Abstract: A LED driver chip includes driver circuits, each being coupled to a different pin and including a fault-detection circuit. Each fault-detection circuit includes a force circuit forcing current to a force node, and a sense circuit including a current sensor coupled to the force node, and a comparator comparing a voltage at the force node to a reference voltage to generate a comparison output. Control circuitry, in a pin-to-pin short detection mode, activates the force circuit of a first of the driver circuits and activates the sense circuit of a second of the driver circuits, in a pin-to-ground short detection mode, activates the force and the sense circuit of the same driver circuits. The comparison output of the comparator of the activated sense circuit, if is higher or if lower of the reference voltage, indicates if short between pin or to ground, respectively, is present.

Abstract: An embodiment circuit comprises first and second output nodes with an inductor arranged therebetween, and first and second switches coupled to opposing ends of the inductor. The switches are switchable between non-conductive and conductive states to control current flow through the inductor and produce first and second output voltages. The current intensity through the inductor is compared with at least one reference value. Switching control circuitry is coupled with the first and second switches, the first and second output nodes, and current sensing circuitry, which is configured to control the switching frequency of the first and second switches as a function of the output voltages and a comparison at the current sensing circuitry. The switching control circuitry is configured to apply FLL-FFWD processing to produce the reference values as a function of a timing signal, targeting maintaining a constant target value for the converter switching frequency.

Abstract: An ambient temperature sensor is provided that may be coupled to a PCB. The ambient temperature sensor includes a package including a first cap and an insulating structure. The insulating structure is formed of thermally insulating material, and the first cap and the insulating structure delimit a first cavity. A semiconductor device is included and generates an electrical signal indicative of a temperature. The semiconductor device is fixed on top of the insulating structure and arranged within the first cavity. The package may be coupled to the PCB so that the insulating structure is interposed between the semiconductor device and the PCB. The insulating structure delimits a second cavity, which extends below the semiconductor device and is open laterally.

Abstract: A word line activation unit of an in-memory computation generates activation signals as a function of an input value. The in-memory computation device includes a memory array with a plurality of memory cells (each storing a computational weight) coupled to a bit line and each to a word line and a digital detector. A cell current flows through each memory cell as a function of the activation signal and the computational weight and a bit line current is generated as a function of a summation of the cell currents. The digital detector performs successive iterations on the bit line current. In each iteration: an integration stage generates an integration signal indicative of a time integral of the bit line current, and resets the integration signal when the integration signal reaches a threshold; and the counter stage updates the output signal in response to the integration signal reaching the threshold.

Abstract: A circuit includes a phase-frequency-detector generating first and second digital control signals indicative of phase differences between an input reference-signal and an output-signal, a charge-pump generating a control-signal based upon the first and second digital control signals, and an oscillator-circuit. The oscillator-circuit includes an active core coupled between first and second nodes, with a tunable resonant circuit a set of capacitances selectively connected between the first and second nodes, wherein a tap between the first and second variable capacitances receives the control-signal for tuning the tunable resonant circuit. A timer-circuit generates a timing-signal based upon the input reference-signal and a reset-signal.

Abstract: An in-memory computation device includes a word line activation circuit that receives an input signal indicative of input values and provides activation signals each as a function of the input value. The in-memory computation device further includes a memory array, a biasing circuit generating a bias voltage and a digital detector. The memory array has memory cells coupled to a bit line and each to a word line. Each memory cell stores a computational weight. In response to an activation signal, a cell current flows through each memory cell as a function of the bias voltage, the activation signal and the computational weight. A bit line current flows through the bit line as a function of a summation of the cell currents. The digital detector is coupled to the bit line, samples the bit line current and, in response, provides an output signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for adaptive rectification for preventing current inversion in motor windings are provided. In the method and apparatus, first and second half bridges of a plurality of half bridges are operated to synchronously rectify and permit passage of current, through the windings of the motor, in a first direction. A change of direction of the current from the first direction to a second direction opposite the first direction is detected. In response to detecting that the current changed direction to the second direction, the first and second half bridges of the plurality of half bridges are operated to quasi-synchronously rectify and block passage of the current through the windings in the second direction.