Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronic S.A.
  • Cleaning of photolithography masks
    Publication number: 20070209682
    Abstract: A method and an equipment for cleaning masks used for photolithography steps, including at least one step of thermal treatment under pumping at a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure and at a temperature greater than the ambient temperature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2007
    Publication date: September 13, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Christophe Martin
  • Microelectromechanical system able to switch between two stable positions
    Patent number: 7268653
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical system includes separate conducting elements. An electromechanically deformable element can be switched between a first stable position and a second stable position. Contact elements allow for electrical continuity to be established between the separate conducting elements. Switch control elements ensure that the first deformable element switches so as to establish electrical continuity between the separate conducting elements in the second stable position, by contact between the contact elements, and to break electrical continuity by separating the contact elements in the first stable position. The separate conducting elements and the contact elements are carried by the deformable element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2007
    Assignee: Stmicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Guillaume Bouche
  • EMA protection of a calculation by an electronic circuit
    Publication number: 20070206785
    Abstract: A method for masking a digital quantity used by a calculation executed by an electronic circuit and including several iterations, each including at least one operation which is a function of at least one value depending on the digital quantity, the method including at least one first step of displacement of at least one operand of the operation in a storage element selected independently from the value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2007
    Publication date: September 6, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Fabrice Romain
  • Error detection in a signal in amplitude modulation
    Patent number: 7265610
    Abstract: A method and a circuit for detecting a modulation factor in a signal received in amplitude modulation, including comparing the received signal with two first values, comparing the received signal with two second values ranging between the first two values, and considering the presence of an insufficient modulation depth if the received signal ranges between at least two of said values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Pierre Enguent
  • Method and device for estimating the transfer function of the transmission channel for a COFDM demodulator
    Publication number: 20070201571
    Abstract: A method of COFDM demodulation of successive symbols, each symbol comprising data carriers and pilots. The method includes, for each symbol, the determination of estimates of the transfer function of the channel for the symbol carriers, including the steps of determining, for first carriers such that, for the frequency positions of the considered carriers, symbols different from the symbol include pilots, a first estimate based on second estimates obtained for pilots having the frequency of the carrier; and determining, for second carriers, a third estimate based on the first estimates. For at least one first carrier, the first estimate is further determined based on at least the third estimate determined for a carrier of a symbol received before the symbol at the same frequency as the carrier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Olivier Isson, Fabrice Belveze, Fatima Aourik
  • Switched-mode power supply regulation
    Publication number: 20070200610
    Abstract: The invention concerns a circuit for detecting an overload in a load supplied by a switched-mode power supply, comprising: a first comparator of a first voltage based on the supply voltage of the load relative to a first threshold, supplying a regulating signal to a pulse generator controlling the switched-mode power supply; a second comparator of a second voltage relative to a second threshold, supplying a signal indicating the presence of an overload; and means for automatically controlling said second voltage by a third threshold lower than the second and higher than the first, and for deactivating the second comparator as long as said automatic control is maintained.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2007
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Alain Bailly
  • Method of processing nonsecure interrupts by a processor operating in the secure mode, associated processor
    Publication number: 20070204085
    Abstract: A method of processing interrupts in a processor adapted for operating either in a first mode, or in a second mode, and having at least one counter comprises the following, when an interrupt associated with an interrupt subroutine executable in the second mode is dispatched to the processor in the course of the execution of a process by the said processor in the first mode, at least the counter is initialized to a start value; then the counter is started while the processor is toggled into the second mode to execute the interrupt subroutine associated with the interrupt; when the counter reaches an end value, the processor is returned to the first mode for the continuation of the execution of the process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2006
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: William Orlando, Christian Schwarz
  • Validation of the presence of an electromagnetic transponder in the field of a phase demodulation reader
    Patent number: 7263330
    Abstract: A terminal for generating an electromagnetic field adapted to communicating with at least one transponder, and a method for controlling such a terminal including: an oscillating circuit adapted to being excited by a remote supply signal of the transponder; a phase demodulator for detecting possible data transmitted by the transponder; circuitry for regulating the signal phase in the terminal's oscillating circuit on a reference value; circuitry for measuring variables linked to the current in the oscillating circuit and to the voltage thereacross; and circuitry for comparing current values of these variables with predetermined values, to determine the presence of a transponder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Luc Wuidart
  • Triac operating in quadrants Q1 and Q4
    Patent number: 7262442
    Abstract: A triac including on its front surface side an autonomous starting well of the first conductivity type containing a region of the second conductivity type arranged to divide it, in top view, into a first and a second well portion, the first portion being connected to a control terminal and the second portion being connected with said region to the main front surface terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Samuel Menard
  • Switchable inductance
    Patent number: 7259649
    Abstract: A switchable inductance that can be formed in an integrated circuit, including a spiral interrupted between two first points connected to two terminals via two metallizations running one above the other, one of the two metallizations being deformable; a hollowing between the two metallizations; and a switching device capable of deforming the deformable metallization to separate or to put in contact said two metallizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Pascal Ancey, Daniel Saias
  • Isolated HF-control SCR switch
    Patent number: 7259407
    Abstract: A vertical SCR switch to be controlled by a high-frequency signal having at least four main alternated layers. The switch includes a gate terminal and a gate reference terminal connected via integrated capacitors to corresponding areas. In the case of a thyristor, having on its front surface side a main P-type semiconductor area formed in an N-type gate semiconductor area, a first portion of the main area being connected to one of the main areas, a second portion of the main area is connected to one of the control terminals via a first integrated capacitor, and a portion of the gate area being connected to the other of the control terminals via a second integrated capacitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Samuel Menard, Christophe Mauriac
  • Method for etching silicon-germanium in the presence of silicon
    Publication number: 20070190787
    Abstract: A method for selectively etching single-crystal silicon-germanium in the presence of single-crystal silicon, including a chemical etch based on hydrochloric acid in gaseous phase at a temperature lower than approximately 700° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Nicholas Loubet, Didier Dutartre, Alexandre Talbot, Laurent Rubaldo
  • A-AB transconductor
    Publication number: 20070188215
    Abstract: A transconductor including circuitry for automatically selecting a non-linear class A operation or a linear class AB operation based on an input signal to be processed to generate an output signal, and for automatically adjusting current from a power supply to a level needed for operation of the transconductor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Didier Belot, Pascal Persechini
  • Forming of a single-crystal semiconductor layer portion separated from a substrate
    Publication number: 20070190754
    Abstract: A method for forming a single-crystal semiconductor layer portion above a hollowed area, including growing by selective epitaxy on an active single-crystal semiconductor region a sacrificial single-crystal semiconductor layer and a single-crystal semiconductor layer, and removing the sacrificial layer. The epitaxial growth is performed while the active region is surrounded with a raised insulating layer and the removal of the sacrificial single-crystal semiconductor layer is performed through an access resulting from an at least partial removal of the raised insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Publication date: August 16, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Didier Dutartre, Nicolas Loubet, Alexandre Talbot
  • Master-slave data transmission in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing
    Patent number: 7257128
    Abstract: A method for transmitting data between a master modem and at least one slave modem of a master-slave network in orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing, including assigning to each slave modem at least one transmit frequency band and at least one receive frequency band chosen in a range of frequencies likely to be processed by the master modem; and in each slave modem: oversampling, respectively undersampling, each transmitted or received symbol; and filtering upstream of the oversampling, respectively of the undersampling, by a band-pass filter of the corresponding assigned frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Denis J. Mestdagh
  • Non-volatile memory device with periodic refresh and method of programming such a device
    Publication number: 20070183196
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a network of non-volatile memory cells, each comprising a floating-gate transistor, said network of cells being intended to store data in the form of a set of data words. The device includes a circuit which detects loss of charges stored in the cells and then reprograms the cells for which a loss of charges has been detected so as to restore the level of stored charges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2007
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Philippe Gendrier, Philippe Candelier, Jean-Marc Tessier
  • Fast random access DRAM management method
    Publication number: 20070186030
    Abstract: A method of fast random access management of a DRAM-type memory, including the steps of: dividing the memory into memory banks accessible independently in read and write mode; identifying the address of the bank concerned by a current request; comparing the address of the bank concerned by a current request with the addresses of the N?1 banks previously required, N being an integral number of cycles necessary to the executing of a request; and if the address of the bank concerned by a current request is equal to the address of a bank corresponding to one of the N?1 previous requests, suspending and memorizing the current request until the previous request involving the same bank is executed, otherwise, executing it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2006
    Publication date: August 9, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Michel Harrand, Joseph Bulone
  • Control of a photosensitive cell
    Patent number: 7253393
    Abstract: A method for controlling a photosensitive cell including a photodiode connected to a read node via a MOS transfer transistor, the read node being connected to a source of a reference voltage via a MOS reset transistor, cyclically including a waiting phase at the end of which the photodiode is isolated from the reference voltage; an integration phase during which the voltage of the photodiode varies from a reset voltage to a useful voltage that depends on the lighting; and a phase of reading a voltage representative of the useful voltage, wherein the isolation of the photodiode of the read node at the end of the waiting phase includes the steps of setting the transfer transistor to the on state, the reset transistor being off; turning off the transfer transistor; and setting the reset transistor to the on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Yvon Cazaux, Didier Herault
  • Masking of factorized data in a residue number system
    Patent number: 7254600
    Abstract: A method and a circuit for masking digital data handled by an algorithm and factorized by a residue number system based on a finite base of numbers or polynomials prime to one another, comprising making the factorization base variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Pierre-Yvan Liardet
  • Voltage supply interface circuit
    Publication number: 20070176667
    Abstract: A monolithic interface circuit for providing a voltage, from a control circuit supplied by a supply voltage referenced to a reference voltage, to a terminal likely to be at a high voltage with respect to the reference voltage, comprising a high-voltage N-channel MOS transistor having its gate intended to receive a control signal referenced to the reference voltage and having its source intended to be connected to the reference voltage, and a high-voltage PNP transistor having its base connected to the drain of the MOS transistor, having its emitter intended to receive the supply voltage and having its collector intended to provide a voltage to the terminal likely to be at a high voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Jerome Heurtier, Samuel Menard