Abstract: An electronic power device includes a substrate of silicon carbide (SiC) having a front surface and a rear surface which lie in a horizontal plane and are opposite to one another along a vertical axis. The substrate includes an active area, provided in which are a number of doped regions, and an edge area, which is not active, distinct from and surrounding the active area. A dielectric region is arranged above the front surface, in at least the edge area. A passivation layer is arranged above the front surface of the substrate, and is in contact with the dielectric region in the edge area. The passivation layer includes at least one anchorage region that extends through the thickness of the dielectric region at the edge area, such as to define a mechanical anchorage for the passivation layer.

Abstract: System, method, and circuitry for generating content for a programmable computing device based on user-selected configuration information. The user-selected configuration information includes code generation strategy selections. A configuration store is generated based on the user's selections, and includes a code generation strategy parameters file. The configuration store and the user selected configuration information is utilized to generate the content, such as code, data, parameters, settings, etc. When the content is provided to the programmable computing device, the content initializes, configures, or controls one or more software and hardware aspects of the programmable computing device.

Abstract: A semiconductor electronic device has a substrate region of semiconductor material; a first electronic component based on heterostructure, which has an epitaxial multilayer that extends on the substrate region and includes a heterostructure; and a separation region that extends on the substrate region. The separation region includes a polycrystalline region of semiconductor material of polycrystalline type which is arranged, along a first direction, alongside the epitaxial multilayer. The electronic device also has an epitaxial region of a single semiconductor material of monocrystalline type which extends on the substrate region. The polycrystalline region extends, along the first direction, between the epitaxial multilayer and the epitaxial region.

Abstract: A memory circuit includes an array of memory cells arranged with first word lines connected to a first sub-array storing less significant bits of data and second word lines connected to a second sub-array storing more significant bits of data. A first word line signal is applied to a selected one of the first word lines to read less significant bits from the first sub-array, and a mathematical operation is performed on the read less significant bits to produce modified less significant bits that are written back to the first sub-array. If the read less significant bits are saturated, a second word line signal is applied to a selected one of the second word lines to read more significant bits from the second sub-array, and a mathematical operation is performed on the read more significant bits to produce modified more significant bits that are written back to the second sub-array.

Abstract: System, method, and circuitry for simulating a memory architecture to generate a bin image of a file tree for a memory embedded on a programmable computing device. A memory configuration of the memory and a file tree identifying a file structure to be used in the memory are obtained. A bin image of a file system for the memory is generated based on the memory configuration and the file tree using a memory simulator and a file-management-system manager. The bin image is provided to the programmable computing device for storage in the memory.

Abstract: A control circuit operates to control a switching stage of an electronic converter. The control circuit includes: first terminals providing drive signals to electronic switches of the switching stage; a second terminal receiving from a feedback circuit a first feedback signal proportional to a converter output voltage; and a third terminal configured to receive from a current sensor a second feedback signal proportional to an inductor current. A driver circuit provides the drive signals as a function of a PWM signal generated by a generator circuit as a function of the first and second feedback signals, a reference voltage and a slope compensation signal. A mode selection signal is generated as a function of a comparison between the input voltage and the output voltage. A feed-forward compensation circuit is configured to source and/or sink a compensation current as a function of a variation in the mode selection signal.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices, such as QFN/BGA flip-chip type packages, arranging on a leadframe one or more semiconductor chips or dice having a first side facing towards the leadframe and electrically coupled therewith and a second side facing away from the leadframe. The method also includes molding an encapsulation on the semiconductor chip(s) arranged on the leadframe, where the encapsulation has an outer surface opposite the leadframe and comprises laser direct structuring (LDS) material. Laser direct structuring processing is applied to the LDS material of the encapsulation to provide metal vias between the outer surface of the encapsulation and the second side of the semiconductor chip(s) and as well as a metal pad at the outer surface of the encapsulation.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, such as a Quad-Flat No-lead (QFN) package, includes a semiconductor chip arranged on a die pad of a leadframe. The leadframe has an array of electrically-conductive leads around the die pad. The leads in the array have distal ends facing away from the die pad as well as recessed portions at an upper surface of the leads. Resilient material, such as low elasticity modulus material, is present at the upper surface of the leads and filling the recessed portions. An insulating encapsulation is molded onto the semiconductor chip. The resilient material is sandwiched between the insulating encapsulation and the distal ends of the leads. This resilient material facilitates flexibility of the leads, making them suited for reliable soldering to an insulated metal substrate.

Abstract: A substrate made of doped single-crystal silicon has an upper surface. A doped single-crystal silicon layer is formed by epitaxy on top of and in contact with the upper surface of the substrate. Either before or after forming the doped single-crystal silicon layer, and before any other thermal treatment step at a temperature in the range from 600° C. to 900° C., a denuding thermal treatment is applied to the substrate for several hours. This denuding thermal treatment is at a temperature higher than or equal to 1,000° C.

Abstract: Memory devices and methods of manufacturing such devices are provided herein. In at least one embodiment, a memory device includes a plurality of phase-change memory cells. An electrically-insulating layer covers lateral walls of each of the phase-change memory cells, and a thermally-insulating material is disposed on the electrically-insulating layer and covers the lateral walls of the phase-change memory cells.

Abstract: An imaging device includes a sensor array with a number of pixels. In an embodiment, the imaging device can be operated by capturing a first low-spatial resolution frame using a subset of pixels of the sensor array and then capturing a second low-spatial resolution frame using the same subset of pixels of the sensor array. A first depth map is generated using raw pixel values of the first low-spatial resolution frame and a second depth map is generated using raw pixel values of the second low-spatial resolution frame. The first depth map can be compared to the second depth map to determine whether an object has moved in a field of view of the imaging device.

Abstract: A system on a chip including a first-port controller for a first development port configured to receive a first development tool and a second-port controller for a second development port configured to receive a second development tool. The system on a chip further including a central controller in communication with the first-port controller, the second-port controller, and a security subsystem. The central controller being configured to manage authentication exchanges between the security subsystem and the first development tool and authentication exchanges between the security subsystem and the second development tool.

Abstract: A flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) receives an input control signal and performs coarse tuning of a frequency of an output signal, produced between first and second nodes having an inductance coupled therebetween. The flash ADC quantizes an operating frequency range for the output signal produced between the first and second nodes as M·?f, where M is an integer from 0 to N?1, where N is a number of intervals into which a frequency range for the output signal is divided, and where ?f is a resulting frequency step produced by the quantizing. The value of M is generated based upon the input control signal and a word controlling switches of a plurality of switched capacitance circuits associated with the first and second nodes to close ones of those switches associated with the control word to coarsely tune the frequency of the output signal.

Abstract: An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a method of detection of a touch contact by a sensor including a first step of comparison of a voltage with a first voltage threshold; and a second step of comparison of the voltage with a second voltage threshold, the second step being implemented if the first voltage threshold has been reached within a duration shorter than a first duration threshold, the second voltage threshold being higher than the first voltage threshold.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a power supply circuit includes: a first transistor device comprising a first gate associated with a first transconductance and a second gate associated with a transconductance greater than the first transconductance; and a second transistor device including a third gate associated with a second transconductance and a fourth gate associated with a transconductance greater than the second transconductance. The second transistor device is configured to supply power to at least one load, the first and the third gates are controlled by a closed regulation loop, and the second and the fourth gates are controlled by a sampled reference voltage.

Abstract: A Low Voltage Differential Signaling (LVDS) transmitter includes driver circuit with a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a first resistor, and a second resistor. The first transistor is coupled between a first node and first output. The second transistor is coupled between the first node and a second output. The third transistor is coupled between the first output and a second node. The fourth transistor is coupled between the second output and the second node. The first resistor is coupled between the first output and a common mode node. The second resistor is coupled between the second output and the common mode node. A pre-driver circuit generates gate control signals controlling the first, second, third, and fourth transistors in response to a data signal. A controlled timing delay is applied to the timing of logic state transistors for the control signals.

Abstract: A driving circuit for controlling a MEMS oscillator includes a digital conversion stage to acquire a differential sensing signal indicative of a displacement of a movable mass of the MEMS oscillator, and to convert the differential sensing signal of analog type into a digital differential signal of digital type. Processing circuitry is configured to generate a digital control signal of digital type as a function of the comparison between the digital differential signal and a differential reference signal indicative of a target amplitude of oscillation of the movable mass which causes the resonance of the MEMS oscillator. An analog conversion stage includes a ?? DAC and is configured to convert the digital control signal into a PDM control signal of analog type. A filtering stage of low-pass type, by filtering the PDM control signal, generates a control signal for controlling the amplitude of oscillation of the movable mass.

Abstract: Two sets of the DC voltages are determined from among sets of DC voltages. At a first temperature, a first voltage of one of the two sets and a first voltage of the other one of the two sets surround a detection voltage that varies substantially proportionally to temperature. The detection voltage is compared with a second voltage of one of the two sets.

Abstract: A method includes receiving a plurality of digital feedback signals from a voltage converter, controlling the voltage converter based upon a user desired brightness level and the plurality of digital feedback signals, the voltage converter receiving input from a DC voltage bus and providing output to drive a lighting load, and receiving a plurality of feedback signals from a power factor correction circuit that receives a rectified mains voltage and provides output to the DC voltage bus, and based thereupon operating the power factor correction circuit in transition mode or discontinuous mode based upon the user desired brightness level and a threshold brightness. The plurality of feedback signals include an input sense signal that is a function of the rectified mains voltage as drawn by the power factor correction circuit and an output sense signal that is a function of the output provided to the DC voltage bus.

Abstract: A method for determining temperature of a chip, includes generating a first voltage and a second voltage using a pair of bipolar-junction transistors, and generating a third voltage using another bipolar-junction transistor. When a most recent bit of a bitstream is a logic-zero, the difference between the first and second voltages is sampled using a switched-capacitor input-sampling circuit, and a difference between the first and second voltages is integrated, to produce a proportional-to-absolute-temperature voltage. The proportional-to-absolute-temperature voltage is quantized to produce a next bit of the bitstream. When the most recent bit of the bitstream is a logic-one, the third voltage is sampled using the switched-capacitor input-sampling circuit, and the third voltage is integrated, to produce a complementary-to-absolute-temperature voltage. The complementary-to-absolute-temperature voltage is quantized to produce a next bit of the bitstream.