Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics AS
  • Patent number: 10389223
    Abstract: A method and controller for controlling a converter are provided. The converter is operated in a first phase in which controller logic asserts a first gate drive signal to cause a first transistor of the converter to be conductive and deasserts a second gate drive signal to cause a second transistor of the converter to be non-conductive. In a first deadtime phase and a second phase, the controller logic deasserts both the first and second gate drive signals to cause leakage energy from a leakage inductance of a primary winding of the converter to be transferred to a clamp capacitance of the converter. After the leakage energy is transferred, the converter is operated in a third phase in which the logic asserts the second gate drive signal and deasserts the first gate drive signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alberto Bianco, Claudio Adragna
  • Patent number: 10388653
    Abstract: A production of contact zones for a transistor device including the steps of: a) forming at least one layer made of a compound based on semiconductor and metal on one or more first semiconductor region(s) of a first N-type transistor and on one or more second semiconductor region(s) of a second P-type transistor resting on a same substrate, the first regions being based on a III-V type material whereas the second semiconductor regions are based on another material different from the III-V material, the semiconductor of the compound being an N-type dopant of the III-V material, b) carrying out at least one thermal annealing so as to form on the first semiconductor regions first contact zones and on the second semiconductor regions second contact zones based on a semiconductor and metal compound while increasing the N-doping of the III-V material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Philippe Rodriguez, Elodie Ghegin, Fabrice Nemouchi
  • Patent number: 10388772
    Abstract: A tunneling field effect transistor is formed from a fin of semiconductor material on a support substrate. The fin of semiconductor material includes a source region, a drain region and a channel region between the source region and drain region. A gate electrode straddles over the fin at the channel region. Sidewall spacers are provided on each side of the gate electrode. The source of the transistor is made from an epitaxial germanium content source region grown from the source region of the fin and doped with a first conductivity type. The drain of the transistor is made from an epitaxial silicon content drain region grown from the drain region of the fin and doped with a second conductivity type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Qing Liu, Salih Muhsin Celik
  • Patent number: 10388594
    Abstract: According to principles of the disclosure as explained herein, selected leads are electrically connected through metal strips to the lead frame until the end of the manufacturing process. The lead frame is grounded through the manufacturing process to prevent any ESD event from causing damage to the protected leads. In the final singulation step, the leads are electrically isolated from each other and from the lead frame, thus maintaining protection from a potential ESD event up until the final package singulation step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Frederick Ray Gomez, Tito Mangaoang, Jr., Jefferson Talledo
  • Patent number: 10386411
    Abstract: A JTAG interface in an IC includes a test mode select (TMS) pin receiving a TMS signal, a testing test access port (TAP) having a TMS signal input, a debugging test access port (TAP) having a TMS signal and glue logic coupled to receive a first output from the testing TAP and a second output from the debugging TAP. A flip-flop receives input from the testing TAP and the debugging TAP through the glue logic. A first AND gate has output coupled to the TMS signal input of the debugging TAP, and receives input from an output of the flip-flop and the TMS signal. An inverter has an input coupled to receive input from the flip-flop. A second AND gate has output coupled to the TMS signal input of the testing TAP, and receives input from the TMS signal and output of the inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Venkata Narayanan Srinivasan, Manish Sharma
  • Patent number: 10389521
    Abstract: A circuit includes a first processing unit and a second identical processing unit. A first communication bus passes encrypted data between one of a plurality of functions and one or both of the first and second processing units. A selection circuit determines whether the encrypted bus is coupled to the first processing unit, the second processing unit, or both of the first and second processing units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Mathieu Lisart, Benoit Durand, Massimo Cervetto, Christophe Laurencin
  • Patent number: 10388686
    Abstract: A image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate with a photosensitive region. Metallization layers are stacked over the semiconductor substrate. Each metallization layer includes an etch stop layer and a dielectric layer on the etch stop layer. At least one metallization layer includes one or more microlenses positioned over the photosensitive region. The one or more microlenses are integrally formed by the etch stop layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventor: Flavien Hirigoyen
  • Patent number: 10389530
    Abstract: A method for processing content stored on a component is disclosed. A first partition of a first memory is encrypted with a first encryption key and a second partition of the first memory is encrypted with a second encryption key. The second encryption key is different from the first encryption key. The first encryption key is stored in a storage register of the component and the second encryption key is stored in a first location of a non-volatile memory. A memory address of the first location is stored in the first partition of the first memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
    Inventors: Fabrice Marinet, Mathieu Lisart
  • Patent number: 10388659
    Abstract: A vertical tunneling FET (TFET) provides low-power, high-speed switching performance for transistors having critical dimensions below 7 nm. The vertical TFET uses a gate-all-around (GAA) device architecture having a cylindrical structure that extends above the surface of a doped well formed in a silicon substrate. The cylindrical structure includes a lower drain region, a channel, and an upper source region, which are grown epitaxially from the doped well. The channel is made of intrinsic silicon, while the source and drain regions are doped in-situ. An annular gate surrounds the channel, capacitively controlling current flow through the channel from all sides. The source is electrically accessible via a front side contact, while the drain is accessed via a backside contact that provides low contact resistance and also serves as a heat sink. Reliability of vertical TFET integrated circuits is enhanced by coupling the vertical TFETs to electrostatic discharge (ESD) diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventor: John H. Zhang
  • Patent number: 10389376
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a circuit for use in devices involving digital-to-analog conversion of signals includes: a capacitive digital-to-analog converter array and an amplifier. The capacitive digital-to-analog converter includes an input port for receiving a digital input signal and an output port. The amplifier includes capacitive feedback loops that include a first capacitor coupling the output of the amplifier with the input of the amplifier and a second capacitor coupled to the output port of the digital-to-analog converter array at the input of the amplifier. The circuit further includes a set of switches that include a first switch and a second switch coupled with opposed ends of the second capacitor at the input and at the output of the amplifier, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luigino D'Alessio, Germano Nicollini
  • Patent number: 10388816
    Abstract: A semiconductor on insulator substrate includes a semiconductor support layer, a buried insulating layer over the semiconductor support layer and an epitaxial semiconductor layer over the buried insulating layer. A deep trench isolation penetrates completely through the epitaxial semiconductor layer to the buried insulating layer to electrically insulate a first region of the epitaxial semiconductor layer from a second region of the epitaxial semiconductor layer. A single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) includes an anode formed by the first region of the epitaxial semiconductor layer and a cathode formed by a well located within the first region of the epitaxial semiconductor layer. An ancillary circuit for the SPAD is located in the second region of the epitaxial semiconductor layer and electrically coupled to the SPAD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: Bruce Rae
  • Patent number: 10388695
    Abstract: Method of wireless communication between a first device and a second device, in which, the first device and the second device comprising respectively a first thermoelectric generator and a second thermoelectric generator, the two thermoelectric generators being in thermal coupling, a first signal is generated within the first device, the first thermoelectric generator is electrically powered as a function of the first signal so as to create a first thermal gradient in the said first generator and a second thermal gradient in the second generator, and a second signal is generated within the second device on the basis of the electrical energy produced by the second thermoelectric generator in response to the said second thermal gradient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
    Inventors: Pascal Fornara, Christian Rivero
  • Patent number: 10386412
    Abstract: A test circuit measures both the rising edge delay and the falling edge delay associated with a logic cell. The test circuit includes a flip-flop type ring oscillator with two groups of logic cells connected in series in the oscillation path. A first multiplexor switches the ring oscillator between a rising edge and a falling edge mode. A second multiplexer causes the second group of logic cells to be included or excluded from the oscillation path. By measuring the oscillation period in the various modes, the rising edge and falling edge delays can be individually calculated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Saurabh Kumar Singh, Balwant Singh
  • Publication number: 20190249832
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a lighting system including a bulb. The bulb includes a phosphor plate, and a scanning projector to emit a beam of collimated light and scan the beam of collimated light across the phosphor plate to thereby cause emission of light by portions of the phosphor plate impinged upon by the beam of collimated light. Control circuitry wirelessly receives configuration data and modulates the beam of collimated light during scanning so that the scanning forms a projection pattern on the phosphor plate. A control system is spaced apart from the bulb and processes the initial configuration data, and wirelessly sends the configuration data to the control circuitry of the bulb. A mobile wireless communications device wirelessly sends initial configuration data to the control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Guido Marco Bertoni, Massimo Ratti
  • Publication number: 20190253039
    Abstract: A voltage-to-time converter circuit receives a first voltage signal and produces a PWM-modulated signal having a duty-cycle proportional to the first voltage signal. A current integrator circuit receives the PWM-modulated signal from the voltage-to-time converter circuit block and produces an output signal by integrating a current signal from a current source over integration time intervals having a duration which is a function of the duty-cycle of the PWM-modulated signal. The current signal is proportional to a second voltage signal. The output signal is accordingly proportional to a product of the first voltage signal and the current signal, which is furthermore proportional to a product of the first voltage signal and the second voltage signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giovanni SICURELLA, Manuela LA ROSA
  • Publication number: 20190250124
    Abstract: A detection stage of an electronic detection device, for example a pH meter, includes an insulating region that receives an element to be analyzed. The insulating region is positioned on a sensing conductive region. A biasing stage includes an electrically conductive region which is capacitively coupled to the conductive region. The electrically conductive region is formed in an uppermost metallization level along with a further conductive region. That further conductive region is electrically connected to the sensing conductive region by a via passing through an insulating layer which insulates the electrically conductive region from the sensing conductive region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Getenet Tesega AYELE, Stephane MONFRAY
  • Publication number: 20190252212
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cover for an electronic package includes placing an insert having opposite faces between opposite faces of a cavity of a mold. A coating material is injected in the mold cavity around the insert. The coating material is then set to form a substrate that is overmolded around the insert and produce the cover.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Benoit BESANCON, Alexandre MAS, Karine SAXOD
  • Publication number: 20190250731
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a touch screen controller operable with a touch screen. The touch screen controller includes input circuitry to receive touch data from the touch screen, and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires mutual capacitance touch strength values from the touch screen, determines when the mutual capacitance touch strength values define a pre-validated donut touch pattern, and reads self capacitance touch strength values for lines that are contained within bounds of the pre-validated donut touch pattern. If the self capacitance touch strength values for lines contained within bounds of the pre-validate donut touch pattern contain a singular peak value, the processing circuitry validates the pre-validated donut touch pattern as representing a single touch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2018
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte Ltd
    Inventor: Manivannan Ponnarasu
  • Publication number: 20190251042
    Abstract: A memory access control system includes a first circuit supporting direct access to the memory and a second circuit that is associated with the first circuit and programmed to restrict an area of the memory that is accessible to the first circuit. A central processing unit operates in privileged mode to program the second circuit with a range of addresses within the memory where read and write operations are permitted and further operates in limited mode to program the first circuit with a starting address for read and write operations associated with the task to be executed. Starting execution of the task is performed if the starting address is within the range of addresses. The execution of the task is terminated if an address generated during execution falls outside the range of addresses.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Dragos DAVIDESCU, Olivier FERRAND
  • Patent number: 10379173
    Abstract: A magnetic field sensor generates signal components corresponding to an uncalibrated representation of a sensed magnetic field in a three-dimensional coordinate system. A reader coupled to the magnetic field sensor determines a center offset based on received signal components, adjusts the received signal components based on the determined center offset, and applies Kalman filtering to the adjusted signal components, generating a set of ellipsoid parameters. The reader generates calibrated signal components based on the determined center offset and the generated set of ellipsoid parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Rossella Bassoli, Carlo Crippa