Abstract: A semiconductor chip or die is mounted at a position on a support substrate. A light-permeable laser direct structuring (LDS) material is then molded onto the semiconductor chip positioned on the support substrate. The semiconductor chip is visible through the LDS material. Laser beam energy is directed to selected spatial locations of the LDS material to structure in the LDS material a pattern of structured formations corresponding to the locations of conductive lines and vias for making electrical connection to the semiconductor chip. The spatial locations of the LDS material to which laser beam energy is directed are selected as a function of the position the semiconductor chip which is visible through the LDS material, thus countering undesired effects of positioning offset of the chip on the substrate.

Abstract: An HS switching transistor is coupled between a high-side node and a switching node. An LS switching transistor is coupled between the switching node and a low-side node. An inductive load is coupled to the switching node in a way where one of the HS/LS switching transistors is freewheeling. In response to detection of a short circuit occurring at the switching node with the freewheeling switching transistor in the conductive state: an electrical signal at the switching node is sensed, a comparison is made between the sensed electrical signal and a threshold level, and a driving signal is provided to control freewheeling switching transistor to switch to the non-conductive state when the comparison indicates that the electrical signal has reached the threshold level.

Abstract: An electronic module for generating light pulses includes an electronic card or interposer, a LASER-diode lighting module, and a LASER-diode driver module. The interposer has an edge recess in which the lighting module is completely inserted. The driver module is arranged on top of the interposer and the lighting module. The electrical connections for driving the LASER diodes are obtained without resorting to wire bonding in order to reduce the parasitic inductances.

Abstract: An optoelectronic device with a semiconductor body that includes: a bottom cathode structure, formed by a bottom semiconductor material, and having a first type of conductivity; and a buffer region, arranged on the bottom cathode structure and formed by a buffer semiconductor material different from the bottom semiconductor material. The optoelectronic device further includes: a receiver comprising a receiver anode region, which is formed by the bottom semiconductor material, has a second type of conductivity, and extends in the bottom cathode structure; and an emitter, which is arranged on the buffer region and includes a semiconductor junction formed at least in part by a top semiconductor material, different from the bottom semiconductor material.

Abstract: A control circuit for a switching stage of an electronic converter includes a PWM signal generator that generates a PWM signal to drive the switching stage of the electronic converter. A loop comparator circuit receives the regulated output voltage of the electronic converter and receives a sum signal from an adder circuit. The loop comparator circuit generates a comparison signal having a first or second logic value in response to the regulated output voltage reaching the sum signal or failing to reach the sum signal. The adder circuit generates the sum signal as a sum of a reference voltage and a programmable offset voltage that is generated by a programmable voltage generator based on a digital word signal. A feedback circuit is coupled to the loop comparator circuit and the PWM signal generator, and provides the digital word signal to the programmable voltage generator.

Abstract: A DC-DC boost converter includes an input receiving an input voltage and an output producing an output voltage. A switching stage is formed by a low-side transistor arranged between a switching node and a ground node, and a high-side transistor arranged between the switching node and the output. The high-side transistor includes a body diode having an anode coupled to the switching node and a cathode coupled to the output. The converter is controlled in an asynchronous operation mode where the low-side transistor is driven alternately to a conductive state and a non-conductive state, and the high-side transistor is driven steadily to a non-conductive state. A variable load circuit is selectively coupled between the two output terminals when the converter is in the asynchronous operation mode in order to sink a load current having a value that is a function of a value of the input voltage.

Abstract: A system a ring oscillator configured to produce a set of clock signals having the same clock period and a mutual time delay between respective clock signal edges. Comparator circuits are coupled to first and second input nodes and produce a set of comparison signals according to a respective sequence of comparison phases. A set of synchronization circuits is coupled to the ring oscillator and to the plurality of comparator circuits. The synchronization circuits allot, to each one of the comparator circuits, respective time windows for communication over respective communication lines of the comparison signals. The respective time windows are synchronized based on the clock signals. A multiplexer couples the respective communication lines to an output line to sequentially enable each of the comparator circuits to sequentially output respective comparison signals over the output line for the respective time windows thereby forming a composite comparison signal evolving over time.

Abstract: A MOS transistor, in particular a vertical channel transistor, includes a semiconductor body housing a body region, a source region, a drain electrode and gate electrodes. The gate electrodes extend in corresponding recesses which are symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry of the semiconductor body. The transistor also has spacers which are also symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry. A source electrode extends in electrical contact with the source region at a surface portion of the semiconductor body surrounded by the spacers and is in particular adjacent to the spacers. During manufacture the spacers are used to form in an auto-aligning way the source electrode which is symmetrical with respect to the axis of symmetry and equidistant from the gate electrodes.

Abstract: An electronic system is configured to generate a sequential logic signal. The electronic system includes a first ring oscillator including a first plurality of cascaded inverter stages. A combinational logic circuit is configured to generate the sequential logic signal by combining signals at the output terminals of at least two of the inverter stages of the first ring oscillator. The electronic system further includes a second ring oscillator including a second plurality of cascaded inverter stages. A bias current source is configured to supply the inverter stages of the second ring oscillator with a bias current, and a first voltage is generated at the inverter stages of the second ring oscillator. A voltage follower is configured to supply the inverter stages of the first ring oscillator with a second voltage corresponding to the first voltage generated at the inverter stages of the second ring oscillator.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a voltage multiplier comprises an input node, an output node, and first and second control nodes for receiving first and second clock signals defining two commutation states. An ordered sequence of intermediate nodes is coupled between the input and output nodes and includes two ordered sub-sequences. Capacitors are coupled: between each odd intermediate node in the first sub-sequence and the first control node; between each even intermediate node in the first sub-sequence and the second control node; between each odd intermediate node in the second sub-sequence and a corresponding odd intermediate node in the first sub-sequence; and between each even intermediate node in the second sub-sequence and a corresponding even intermediate node in the first sub-sequence. The circuit comprises selectively conductive electronic components coupled to the intermediate nodes.

Abstract: A controller for an electronic circuit that includes a first and a second switch is provided. The controller includes an event detector stage that receives logic electrical signals and a pulse generator circuit, which is coupled to the event detector stage and generates a dead time signal based on edges of the logic electrical signals detected by the event detector stage. The dead time signal includes pulses delimited by an edge of a first type and by a subsequent edge of a second type. A combinatorial sampling circuit generates a first and a second sampled preliminary signal. An update stage updates the values of the first and the second control signals at each pulse of the dead time signal based on the first and the second sampled preliminary signals, subsequently to the edge of the first type or the second type of the pulse of the dead time signal.

Abstract: A circuit includes a clock input node, a first signal input node configured to receive a first modulated signal switching between a first DC voltage and a second DC voltage, a bias circuit, a first output node, a first capacitor, a second capacitor, and switching circuitry coupled to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. Control circuitry is configured to initially set the switching circuitry in a first configuration in response to the first modulated signal having the second DC voltage, thereby charging the first capacitor to the second DC voltage and charging the second capacitor to the first DC voltage, and subsequently set the switching circuitry in a second configuration in response to an edge detected in the clock signal, thereby producing the first threshold voltage at the first output node after charge redistribution taking place between the first and second capacitors.

Abstract: A memory cell includes a substrate with a semiconductor region and an insulating region. A first insulating layer extends over the substrate. A phase change material layer rests on the first insulating layer. The memory cell further includes an interconnection network with a conductive track. A first end of a first conductive via extending through the first insulating layer is in contact with the phase change material layer and a second end of the first conductive via is in contact with the semiconductor region. A first end of a second conductive via extending through the first insulating layer is in contact with both the phase change material layer and the conductive track, and a second end of the second conductive via is in contact only with the insulating region.

Abstract: In an embodiment a One-Time Programmable (OTP) memory controller includes a data register, a given number K of shadow-registers, wherein the number K is smaller than a given number N of memory slots of an OTP memory area, a communication interface configured to receive a read request requesting the data of a given memory slot and a control circuit configured to receive a preload start signal and a shadow-register preload enable signal, wherein the control circuit is configured to manage a preload phase and a data-read phase.

Abstract: One or more semiconductor dice are arranged on a substrate. The semiconductor die or dice have a first surface adjacent the substrate and a second surface facing away from the substrate. Laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) processing is applied to the semiconductor die or dice to form fiducial markers on the second surface of the semiconductor die or dice. Laser direct structuring (LDS) material is molded onto the substrate. The fiducial markers on the second surface of the semiconductor die or dice are optically detectable at the surface of the LDS material. Laser beam processing is applied to the molded LDS material at spatial positions located as a function of the optically detected fiducial markers to provide electrically conductive formations for the semiconductor die or dice.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment a method includes: receiving a slow down command to slow down a speed of a voice coil motor (VCM) in a hard disk drive; in response to receiving the slow down command, operating the VCM in a discontinuous mode by switching on and off a current through the VCM with a duty-cycle, wherein operating the VCM in the discontinuous mode reduces the speed of the VCM; sensing the speed of the VCM while operating the VCM in the discontinuous mode; and varying the duty-cycle of the switching on and off the current through the VCM as a function of the sensed speed of the VCM operated in the discontinuous mode, wherein varying the duty-cycle comprises reducing the duty-cycle in response to a reduction of the sensed VCM speed.

Abstract: A voltage conversion system provides gain and offset trimming for generating a controlled output voltage. The system includes a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that generates a reference voltage based on an input code, and a voltage converter that converts an input voltage to an output voltage based on the reference voltage. A first adjustable reference circuit provides a first reference signal to the DAC and a second adjustable reference circuit provides a second reference signal to the DAC. Control circuitry adjusts the first adjustable reference circuit to perform gain trimming of the output voltage and adjusts the second adjustable reference circuit to perform offset trimming of the output voltage. A calibration procedure includes adjusting for both gain and offset, with a two-step approach for positive offset conditions—first incrementing the input code to create a negative offset, then performing offset trimming.

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: A control module is used to control a switching buck-boost converter that includes an inductor, a capacitor, a first top switch and a second top switch, a first bottom switch and a second bottom switch and a diode coupled to the second top switch. The control module controls the switching buck-boost converter so as to alternate: first time periods, in which the second top switch is open and cycles of charge and discharge of the inductor are carried out, during which the inductor is traversed by a current that also passes through the diode and charges the capacitor; and second time periods, in which the first and second top switches are open and the first and second bottom switches are closed so that the current in the inductor recirculates, and the capacitor is discharged by a current that flows in the load.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a circuit is configured to vary an intensity of a drive current of a resistive heater element based on the digital control signal. The circuit includes and output circuit configured to control a respective slew rate and an electric energy dissipated in the resistive heater element independently of a resistance value of the resistive heater element.