Abstract: A method and a circuit for reading an electronic charge retention element for a temporal measurement, of the type including at least one capacitive element whose dielectric exhibits a leakage and a transistor with insulated control terminal for reading the residual charges, the reading circuit including; two parallel branches between two supply terminals, each branch including at least one transistor of a first type and one transistor of a second type, the transistor of the second type of one of the branches consisting of that of the element to be read and the transistor of the second type of the other branch receiving, on its control terminal, a staircase signal, the respective drains of the transistors of the first type being connected to the respective inputs of a comparator whose output provides an indication of the residual voltage in the charge retention element.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for scrambling an RSA-CRT algorithm calculation by an electronic circuit, in which a result is obtained from two modular exponentiation calculations, each providing a partial result, and from a recombination step, and in which a first step adds a digital quantity to at least one first partial result before said recombination step; and a second step cancels the effects of this quantity after the recombination step.

Abstract: A method for forming a capacitive structure in a metal level of an interconnection stack including a succession of metal levels and of via levels, including the steps of: forming, in the metal level, at least one conductive track in which a trench is defined; conformally forming an insulating layer on the structure; forming, in the trench, a conductive material; and planarizing the structure.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for detecting the state of supply of a load by a variable voltage, including measuring the difference between values representative of the variable supply voltage and of a voltage across the load.

Abstract: A semiconductor product includes a portion made of copper, a portion made of a dielectric and a self-aligned barrier between the copper portion and the dielectric portion. The self-aligned barrier includes a first copper silicide layer comprising predominantly first copper silicide molecules, and a second copper silicide layer comprising predominantly second copper silicide molecules. The proportion of the number of silicon atoms is higher in the second silicide molecules than in the first silicide molecules. The second copper silicide layer is positioned between the copper portion and the first copper silicide layer. A nitride layer may overlie at least part of the first copper silicide layer.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for decoding a coded signal including a first decoding system capable of receiving the coded signal and of providing a first signal comprising portions considered correct and a second decoding system capable of providing a second signal from the coded signal and from portions considered correct of the first signal.

Abstract: A process to make the cache memory of a processor consistent includes the processor processing a request to write data to an address in its memory marked as being in the shared state. The address is transmitted to the other processors, data are written into the processor's cache memory and the address changes to the modified state. An appended memory associated with the processor memorizes the address, the data and an associated marker in a first state. The processor then receives the address with an indicator. If the indicator indicates that the processor must perform the operation and if the associated marker is in the first state, the data are kept in the modified state. If the indicator does not indicate that the processor must perform the operation and if the processor receives an order to mark the data to be in the invalid state, the marker changes to a second state.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes at least one photosensitive element capable of delivering an electrical signal when light of at least one wavelength of the visible spectrum reaches it, and an electrooptic system functioning as an electrochemical shutter. The electrooptic system is located in the path of at least one light ray capable of reaching the photosensitive element and possesses at least one optical property, dependent on electrochemical reaction, that can be modified by an electrical control signal. The optical property is preferably transmission.

Abstract: An electrical connection board includes electrical connection terminals on one face with a view toward connecting with a semiconductor component and electrical connection tracks connected respectively to these terminals. The terminals are arranged in a square matrix having two orthogonal directions. On its face, the board includes a multiplicity of identical adjacent connection groups, each group having N adjacent terminals and N tracks placed along this direction while extending towards an edge of the matrix. The terminals of a group are offset by one pitch relative to the terminals of an adjacent group. The board and a semiconductor component are connected together by electrical connection balls.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for protecting the execution of a calculation by an electronic circuit, conditioning a result of the calculation to states of bits indicative of executions of steps of access in read mode and/or in write mode to storage elements.

Abstract: A switched capacitor amplifier having an amplification unit adapted to amplify a differential signal; a first switched capacitor block including a first plurality of capacitors operable to sample a first differential input signal during a first sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a first drive phase; and a second switched capacitor block including a second plurality of capacitors operable to sample a second differential input signal during a second sampling phase and to drive the amplification unit during a second drive phase.

Abstract: In a method for detecting the cadence of a sequence of images, each pixel in each current field in the sequence of images is compared to at least one pixel in at least one previous field. A pixel motion phase value is assigned to each pixel in the field as a function of the result of that comparison. For each block of pixels in the current field, a block motion phase value is determined from the motion phase values of the pixels in the block. The current field is segmented into at least one region, with each region comprising a whole number of blocks, as a function of at least the determined block motion phase values. A region motion phase value is assigned to each region, based on the block motion phase values for the blocks in the region.

Abstract: A method and a circuit for controlling a triac intended to be series-connected with a resistive element of positive temperature coefficient or a capacitive element, and a winding for starting an asynchronous motor, for supply by an A.C. voltage, the present invention including the steps of: detecting a voltage representative of the voltage across the series connection of the element and of the triac; comparing this detected voltage with respect to a threshold; and blocking a turning back on of the triac when the threshold has been exceeded.

Abstract: A process for packaging a plurality of micro-components made on the same substrate wafer, in which each micro-component is enclosed in a cavity. This process includes making a cover plate; depositing a metal layer on a face of the cover plate or on a face of the wafer; covering the wafer with the cover plate; applying a contact pressure equal to at least one bar onto the cover plate and onto the wafer; and heating the metal layer during pressing until a seal is obtained, each cavity thus being provided with a sealing area and being closed by a part of the cover plate and/or its metal layer.

Abstract: A motion estimation method and device are provided for processing images to be inserted, between a preceding original image and a following original image, into a sequence of images. Each image is divided into pixel blocks associated with motion vectors. For a current block of an image being processed, motion vectors associated with blocks of the image being processed and/or associated with blocks of a processed image are selected. Candidate vectors are generated from selected motion vectors. An error is calculated for each candidate vector. A penalty is determined for a subset of candidate vectors on the basis of the values of the pixels of the pixel block in the preceding original image from which the candidate motion vector points to the current block and/or on the basis of the values of the pixels of the pixel block in the following original image to which the candidate motion vector points from the current block.

Abstract: A circuit adjustable after packaging includes a functional circuit supplied with a power potential and a reference potential and has at least one parameter adjustable by programming at least one programmable element and a circuit to program the programmable element of the functional circuit. The adjustable circuit also includes a limiter circuit to limit the voltage between the power supply potential and the reference potential to an adjustable limiting voltage, and a circuit to adjust the limiting voltage. After adjusting a parameter of the functional circuit, the limiting voltage of the limiter circuit is adjusted.

Abstract: A power supply circuit and a transponder having a circuit for rectifying an A.C. voltage and two power storage elements, the rectifying circuit providing a rectified voltage to at least one of the storage elements and an output voltage being provided by at least one of the storage elements, and at least one switching element for switching the circuit operation between a state of provision of a relatively high voltage and a state of provision of a relatively low voltage, the second state configuring the rectifying circuit in halfwave operation.

Abstract: A methodology for efficiently copying data is presented. An internal controller RAM is multiplexed between storing existing RAM data such as look up table data) and storing copy back data with respect to a flash memory. The data in the controller RAM is temporarily stored in a free space of the flash memory. The data of the flash memory, which is to be copied, is read from a source page and is stored in the free space of the controller RAM, and from there, the data is written to a destination block of the flash memory. After completion of the copy back operation, the data of the controller RAM that was moved to the free space is retrieved for storage back in the controller RAM.

Abstract: A system is provided for modeling an integrated circuit including at least one insulated-gate field-effect transistor. The system includes generator means for defining a parameter representing mechanical stresses applied to the active area of the transistor, and processing means for determining at least one of the electrical parameters of the transistor based at least partially on the stress parameter. Also provided is a method of modeling an integrated circuit including at least one insulated-gate field-effect transistor, and a method of producing an integrated circuit including at least one insulated-gate field-effect transistor.

Abstract: A memory device is a provided that includes memory cells situated at the intersection of lines and columns, and a dummy path including a first dummy column having two bit lines to which there are connected dummy memory cells, and a circuit adapted to select at least one of the dummy memory cells to discharge one of the dummy bit lines. The dummy path also includes at least one second dummy column adapted to generate a dummy leakage current (representing a leakage current of a column of the memory device selected in read mode), and a circuit adapted to copy the dummy leakage current to the one dummy bit line, so that the discharge of the one dummy bit line also depends on the dummy leakage current.