Abstract: A time-of-flight detection pixel includes a photosensitive area including a first doped layer and a charge collection area extending in the first doped layer. At least two charge storage areas extend from the charge collection area, each including a first well more heavily doped than the charge collection area and separated from the charge collection area by a first portion of the first doped layer which is coated with a gate. Each charge storage area is laterally delimited by two insulated conductive electrodes, extending parallel to each other and facing each other. A second heavily doped layer of opposite conductivity coats the pixel except for at each portion of the first doped layer coated with the gate.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 22, 2016
Publication date:
July 6, 2017
Applicants:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
Inventors:
Francois Roy, Marie Guillon, Yvon Cazaux, Boris Rodrigues, Alexis Rochas
Abstract: A device for converting thermal power into electric power includes many conversion cells arranged inside and on top of a substrate. Each conversion cell includes a curved bimetal strip and first and second diodes coupled to the bimetal strip. The diodes are arranged in a semiconductor region of the substrate.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 8, 2014
Date of Patent:
July 4, 2017
Assignees:
STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
Inventors:
Stephane Monfray, Arthur Arnaud, Thomas Skotnicki, Onoriu Puscasu, Sebastien Boisseau
Abstract: There is provided a method for manufacturing a transistor from a stack including at least one gate pattern comprising at least one flank, the method including forming at least one gate spacer over at least the flank of the gate pattern; and reducing, after a step of exposure of the stack to a temperature greater than or equal to 600° C., of a dielectric permittivity of the at least one gate spacer, the reducing including at least one ion implantation in a portion at least of a thickness of the at least one gate spacer.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 23, 2016
Publication date:
June 29, 2017
Applicants:
COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, STMICROELECTRONICS SA, STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
Inventors:
Nicolas POSSEME, Maxime Garcia-Barros, Yves Morand
Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a high-voltage MOS (HV) transistor and a capacitor supported by a semiconductor substrate. A gate stack of the HV transistor includes a first insulating layer over the semiconductor layer and a gate electrode formed from a first polysilicon. The capacitor includes a first electrode made of the first polysilicon and a second electrode made of a second polysilicon and at least partly resting over the first electrode. A first polysilicon layer deposited over the semiconductor substrate is patterned to form the first polysilicon of the gate electrode and first electrode, respectively. A second polysilicon layer deposited over the semiconductor substrate is patterned to form the second polysilicon of the second electrode. Silicon oxide spacers laterally border the second electrode and the gate stack of the HV transistor. Silicon nitride spacers border the silicon oxide spacers.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 20, 2016
Publication date:
June 29, 2017
Applicant:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
Inventors:
Fausto Piazza, Sebastien Lagrasta, Raul Andres Bianchi, Simon Jeannot
Abstract: A method for measuring the changes of the electrical performance of an FDSOI transistor between a first and a second state of the transistor after an operating period t1, including the following steps: measurement of the transistor's capacities C1 and C2 respectively in the first and second states, according to a voltage VFG applied between the gate and the source and drain areas, determination, in relation to characteristic C1(VFG) varying between a maximum value Cmax and a minimum value Cmin, with three inflection points, of an ordinate value Cplat of C1(VFG) at the second inflection point of C1(VFG), and of two abscissa values VUpper(0) and VLower(0) of C1(VFG) according to equations VUpper(0)=C1?1((Cmax+Cplat)/2) and VLower(0)=C1?1((Cmin+Cplat)/2), determination, from characteristic C2(VFG), of two abscissa values VUpper(t1) and VLower(t1) of C2(VFG) according to equations VUpper(t1)=C2?1((Cmax+Cplat)/2) and VLower(t1)=C2?1((Cmin+Cplat)/2), determination of variations of defect densities ?Dit1, ?Dit2 b
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 6, 2013
Date of Patent:
June 27, 2017
Assignees:
Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
Abstract: Local variability of the grain size of work function metal, as well as its crystal orientation, induces a variable work function and local variability of transistor threshold voltage. If the metal nitride for the work function metal of the transistor gate is deposited using a radio frequency physical vapor deposition, equiaxed grains are produced. The substantially equiaxed structure for the metal nitride work function metal layer (such as with TiN) reduces local variability in threshold voltage.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 18, 2015
Date of Patent:
June 27, 2017
Assignees:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics SA
Inventors:
Pierre Caubet, Florian Domengie, Carlos Augusto Suarez Segovia, Aurelie Bajolet, Onintza Ros Bengoechea
Abstract: A three-dimensional integrated structure is formed by a first substrate with first components oriented in a first direction and a second substrate with second components oriented in a second direction. An interconnection level includes electrically conducting tracks that run in a third direction. One of the second direction and third direction forms a non-right and non-zero angle with the first direction. An electrical link formed by at least one of the electrically conducting tracks electrically connected two points of the first or of the second components.
Abstract: An integrated circuit of the BiCMOS type includes at least one vertical junction field-effect transistor. The vertical junction field-effect transistor is formed to include a channel region having a critical dimension of active surface that is controlled by photolithography.
Abstract: Local variability of the grain size of work function metal, as well as its crystal orientation, induces a variable work function and local variability of transistor threshold voltage. If the metal nitride for the work function metal of the transistor gate is deposited using a radio frequency physical vapor deposition, equiaxed grains are produced. The substantially equiaxed structure for the metal nitride work function metal layer (such as with TiN) reduces local variability in threshold voltage.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 18, 2015
Publication date:
June 22, 2017
Applicants:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, STMicroelectronics SA
Inventors:
Pierre Caubet, Florian Domengie, Carlos Augusto Suarez Segovia, Aurelie Bajolet, Onintza Ros Bengoechea
Abstract: A structure includes a substrate having an upper surface provided with recesses and coated with a continuous barrier layer topped with a continuous copper layer filling at least the recesses. The structure is planarized by a chemical-mechanical polishing of the copper, such a polishing being selective with respect to the barrier layer so that copper remains in the recesses and is coplanar with the upper surface of the substrate. Two such structures are then direct bonded to each other (copper to copper) with opposite areas having a same topology.
Type:
Application
Filed:
March 2, 2017
Publication date:
June 22, 2017
Applicants:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated circuit (1), comprising: a field-effect transistor (2), comprising: first and second conduction electrodes (201, 202); a channel zone (203) arranged between the first and second conduction electrodes; a gate stack (220) arranged vertically in line with the channel zone, and comprising a gate electrode (222); an RRAM-type memory point (31) formed under the channel zone, or formed in the gate stack under the gate electrode.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 22, 2016
Publication date:
June 22, 2017
Applicants:
Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives, STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS, STMICROELECTRONICS SA
Inventors:
Laurent GRENOUILLET, Sotirios Athanasiou, Philippe Galy
Abstract: A back-illuminated integrated imaging device is formed from a semiconductor substrate including a zone of pixels bounded by capacitive deep trench isolations. A peripheral zone is located outside the zone of pixels. A continuous electrically conductive layer forms, in the zone of pixels, an electrode in a trench for each capacitive deep trench isolation, and forms, in the peripheral zone, a redistribution layer for electrically coupling the electrode to a biasing contact pad. The electrode is located in the trench between a trench dielectric and at least one material for filling the trench.
Abstract: An integrated image sensor may include adjacent pixels, with each pixel including an active semiconductor region including a photodiode, an antireflection layer above the photodiode, a dielectric region above the antireflection layer and an optical filter to pass incident luminous radiation having a given wavelength. The antireflection layer may include an array of pads mutually separated by a dielectric material of the dielectric region. The array may be configured to allow simultaneous transmission of the incident luminous radiation and a diffraction of the incident luminous radiation producing diffracted radiations which have wavelengths below that of the incident radiation, and are attenuated with respect to the incident radiation.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 23, 2016
Date of Patent:
June 20, 2017
Assignees:
STMICROELECTRONICS SA, STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS
Inventors:
Axel Crocherie, Michel Marty, Jean-Luc Huguenin, Sébastien Jouan
Abstract: A detector of an event includes an electrical energy generator formed by a flexible piezoelectric element with a weight fastened to the flexible piezoelectric element that is biased with the weight in a position with the piezoelectric element flexed. In response to detection of the event, a trigger releases the weight so as to cause a vibration of the piezoelectric element. This vibration is converted by the flexible piezoelectric element into electrical energy. An electronic system is power by the electrical energy and is operable to generate an electrical signal indicative of the detected event.
Type:
Application
Filed:
April 27, 2016
Publication date:
June 15, 2017
Applicant:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
Inventors:
Stephane Monfray, Christophe Maitre, Thomas Skotnicki
Abstract: A process for manufacturing a Schottky barrier field-effect transistor is provided. The process includes: providing a structure including a control gate and a semiconductive layer positioned under the gate and having protrusions that protrude laterally with respect to the gate; anisotropically etching at least one of the protrusions by using the control gate as a mask, so as to form a recess in this protrusion, this recess defining a lateral face of the semiconductive layer; depositing a layer of insulator on the lateral face of the semiconductive layer; and depositing a metal in the recess on the layer of insulator so as to form a contact of metal/insulator/semiconductor type between the deposit of metal and the lateral face of the semiconductive layer.
Type:
Application
Filed:
December 8, 2016
Publication date:
June 8, 2017
Applicants:
Commissariat a l'energie atomique et aux energies alternatives, STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
Inventors:
Louis HUTIN, Julien BORREL, Yves MORAND, Fabrice NEMOUCHI
Abstract: An image sensor includes a control circuit and pixels. Each pixel includes: a photosensitive area, a substantially rectangular storage area adjacent to the photosensitive area, and a read area. First and second insulated vertical electrodes electrically connected to each other are positioned opposite each other and delimit the storage area. The first electrode extends between the storage area and the photosensitive area. The second electrode includes a bent extension opposite a first end of the first electrode, with the storage area emerging onto the photosensitive area on the side of the first end. The control circuit operates to apply a first voltage to the first and second electrodes to perform a charge transfer, and a second voltage to block said transfer.
Abstract: An infrared high-pass plasmonic filter includes a copper layer interposed between two layers of a dielectric material. An array of patterned openings extend through the copper layer and are filled with the dielectric material. Each patterned opening is in the shape of a greek cross, with the arms of adjacent patterns being collinear. A ratio of the width to the length of each arm is in the range from 0.3 to 0.6, and the distance separating the opposite ends of arms of adjacent patterns is shorter than 10 nm.
Type:
Application
Filed:
November 21, 2016
Publication date:
June 1, 2017
Applicants:
STMicroelectronics SA, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives
Abstract: An integrated circuit die includes a substrate having a first layer of semiconductor material, a layer of dielectric material on the first layer of semiconductor material, and a second layer of semiconductor material on the layer of dielectric material. An extended channel region of a transistor is positioned in the second layer of semiconductor material, interacting with a top surface, side surfaces, and potentially portions of a bottom surface of the second layer of semiconductor material. A gate dielectric is positioned on a top surface and on the exposed side surface of the second layer of semiconductor material. A gate electrode is positioned on the top surface and the exposed side surface of the second layer of semiconductor material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
May 31, 2016
Date of Patent:
May 30, 2017
Assignees:
STMicroelectronics, Inc., STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
Abstract: A transistor is formed by defining a gate stack on top of a semiconductor layer. The gate stack includes a gate dielectric and a gate electrode. A layer of a first dielectric material, having a first dielectric constant, is deposited on side walls of the gate stack to form sacrificial sidewall spacers. Raised source-drain regions are then epitaxially grown on each side of the gate stack adjacent the sacrificial sidewall spacers. The sacrificial sidewall spacers are then removed to produce openings between each raised source-drain region and the gate stack. A layer of a second dielectric material, having a second dielectric constant less than the first dielectric constant, is then deposited in the openings and on side walls of the gate stack to form low-k sidewall spacers.
Abstract: A substrate of the silicon on insulator type includes a semi-conducting film disposed on a buried insulating layer which is disposed on an unstressed silicon support substrate. The semi-conducting film includes a first film zone of tensile-stressed silicon and a second film zone of tensile-relaxed silicon. Openings through the buried insulating layer permit access to the unstressed silicon support substrate under the first and second film zones. An N channel transistor is formed from the first film zone and a P channel transistor is formed from the second film zone. The second film zone may comprise germanium enriched silicon forming a compressive-stressed region.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 20, 2014
Date of Patent:
May 16, 2017
Assignees:
STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS, Commissariat A L'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives