Abstract: A microfluidic device provided in a body accommodating a fluid containment chamber. A fluidic access channel and a drop emission channel are formed in the body and are in fluidic connection with the fluid containment chamber to form a fluidic path towards the body outside through a nozzle having an outlet section. An actuator is operatively coupled to the fluid containment chamber and is configured to cause ejection of fluid drops through the drop emission channel in an operating condition of the microfluidic device. The drop emission channel comprises a portion of reduced section having a smaller area than the outlet section of the nozzle.

Abstract: A control module, for a resonant switched-capacitor converter having first, second, third and fourth cascaded switches and generating an output voltage, includes a timing circuit generating a clock, a controller generating first and second control signals indicating, respectively, first and second control quantities, the difference between which being a function of the difference between a reference quantity and a feedback quantity depending on the output voltage, first and second delay circuits that generate first and second logic signals and, respectively, third and fourth logic signals, the first and third logic signals being delayed with respect to the clock as a function of, respectively, the first and second control quantities, the second and fourth control signals being respectively the logic negation of the first and third logic signals, and a driver that controls the first, second, third, and fourth switches based on, respectively, the first, second, third, and fourth logic signals.

Abstract: In at least one embodiment, a Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode, including a semiconductor body, is provided. The semiconductor body includes a semiconductive structure and a front epitaxial layer on the semiconductive structure. The front epitaxial layer has a first conductivity type. An anode region having a second conductivity type that is different from the first conductivity type extends into the front epitaxial layer. The photodiode further includes a plurality of gettering regions in the semiconductive structure.

Abstract: The vertical-conduction electronic power device is formed by a body of wide band gap semiconductor which has a first conductivity type and has a surface, and is formed by a drift region and by a plurality of surface portions delimited by the surface. The electronic device is further formed by a plurality of first implanted regions having a second conductivity type, which extend into the drift region from the surface, and by a plurality of metal portions, which are arranged on the surface. Each metal portion is in Schottky contact with a respective surface portion of the plurality of surface portions so as to form a plurality of Schottky diodes formed by first Schottky diodes and second Schottky diodes, wherein the first Schottky diodes have, at equilibrium, a Schottky barrier having a height different from that of the second Schottky diodes.

Abstract: A system can be used for detecting execution of a swimming activity of a user. The system includes a processing unit, a buffer, and an electrostatic-charge-variation sensor configured to sense a variation of electrostatic charge of the user during execution of the swimming activity and to generate a corresponding charge-variation signal. The processing unit is configured to acquire the charge-variation signal, detect a first sub-portion of signal that identifies a basic movement of the swimming activity in the charge-variation signal, store the first sub-portion of signal in the buffer, compute an auto-correlation between the first sub-portion of signal stored in the buffer and a second sub-portion of signal of the charge-variation signal, and detect the presence of the basic movement in the second sub-portion of signal based on a result of the auto-correlation.

Abstract: An electronic device includes processing circuitry and one or more memories, including a non-volatile memory. Ephemeral cryptographic key generation circuitry, in operation, applies a function to code stored in the non-volatile memory, generating an ephemeral cryptographic key. Cryptographic circuitry coupled between the processing circuitry and the one or more memories, in operation, performs one or more cryptographic operations on data using the generated ephemeral cryptographic key. The device may include a register, which, in operation, temporarily stores the generated ephemeral cryptographic key.

Abstract: A method for detecting orientation of an integrated circuit is disclosed. The method includes moving, in response to a gravitational force, a mobile metallic piece in an evolution zone of a housing. The housing is formed in an interconnect region of the integrated circuit. The housing includes walls defining the evolution zone. The walls are formed within multiple metallization levels of the interconnect region. The walls include a floor wall and a ceiling wall. At least one of the floor wall and ceiling wall incorporate a pointed element directing its pointed region towards the mobile metallic piece. The pointed element delimits an open crater in a concave part of a projection. The method further includes creating an electrical signal by movement of the mobile metallic piece at a plurality of electrically conducting elements positioned at boundary points of the evolution zone and detecting the electrical signal by a detector.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a CAN protocol controller, a first communication port configured to be coupled to a first segment of a differential bus, and a second communication port configured to be coupled to a second segment of the differential bus. A first CAN transceiver circuit is coupled to the CAN protocol controller and is configured to receive a first CAN transmission signal and to transmit a first CAN reception signal. The first CAN transceiver is configured to drive a differential voltage at the first segment of the differential bus based on the first CAN transmission signal and to sense a differential voltage at the first segment of the differential bus. The second communication port is enabled in response to a control signal being de-asserted and disabled in response to the control signal being asserted.

Abstract: The device has a first support element forming a first thermal dissipation surface and carrying a first power component; a second support element forming a second thermal dissipation surface and carrying a second power component, a first contacting element superimposed to the first power component; a second contacting element superimposed to the second power component; a plurality of leads electrically coupled with the power components through the first and/or the second support elements; and a thermally conductive body arranged between the first and the second contacting elements. The first and the second support elements and the first and the second contacting elements are formed by electrically insulating and thermally conductive multilayers.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, methods, and computer products for fast wakeup recovery for narrow-band internet of things (NBIOT) systems are provided. The fast wakeup recovery may wakeup a NBIOT device from a sleep mode to an active mode. The fast wakeup recovery may identify a servicing cell for the NBIOT device to synchronize with. The fast wakeup recovery may be based on a coarse timing detection operation using a NPSS and a fine timing detection operation using a NSSS.

Abstract: One or more embodiments are directed to quad flat no-lead (QFN) semiconductor packages, devices, and methods in which one or more electrical components are positioned between a die pad of a QFN leadframe and a semiconductor die. In one embodiment, a device includes a die pad, a lead that is spaced apart from the die pad, and at least one electrical component that has a first contact on the die pad and a second contact on the lead. A semiconductor die is positioned on the at least one electrical component and is spaced apart from the die pad by the at least one electrical component. The device further includes at least one conductive wire, or wire bond, that electrically couples the at least one lead to the semiconductor die.

Abstract: The electronic module has a three-dimensional frame, a printed circuit board and a plurality of electronic devices. The printed circuit board is fixed to the three-dimensional frame and has a plurality of support portions which extend transversely to each other in space. The electronic devices are fixed to the printed circuit board and are operatively coupled to each other. The electronic devices are arranged on at least one support portion of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a programmable logic block. The programmable logic block includes a programmable logic array (PLA) and a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The PLA includes logic cells having a first architecture. The FPGA includes logic cells having a second architecture more complex than the first architecture. The programmable logic block includes an interface coupled to the PLA and the FPGA. An integrated circuit may also include circuitry for selecting one of plurality of clock signals for logic cells of a PLA.

Abstract: The present description discloses a secure element and a communication method comprising a router managing first messages using a first communication protocol between applications of the secure element and the outside of the secure element, and a software layer performing a processing at the level of the router. The software layer is adapted to verify the compatibility of a second communication protocol, different from the first one, with which second messages are received, in the absence of a compatibility, convert the second messages into the first communication protocol, and transmit the second messages to the router.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a structure comprising, in a trench of a substrate, a first conductive region separated from the substrate by a first distance shorter than approximately 10 nm; and a second conductive region extending deeper than the first region.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a pixel comprising: a photodiode comprising a portion of a substrate of a semiconductor material, extending vertically from a first face of the substrate to a second face of the substrate configured to receive light; a layer of a first material covering each of the lateral surfaces of the portion; a layer of a second material covering the portion on the side of the first face, first and second material having refractive indexes lower than that of the semiconductor material; and a diffractive structure disposed on a face of the photodiode on the side of the second face.

Abstract: A MEMS device is provided that includes a semiconductor substrate including a main surface extending perpendicular to a first direction and a side surface extending on a plane parallel to the first direction and to a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. At least one cantilevered member protrudes from the side surface of the semiconductor substrate along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions. The at least one cantilevered member includes a body portion that includes a piezoelectric material. The body portion has a length along the third direction, a height along the first direction and a width along the second direction, and the height is greater than the width. The at least one cantilevered member is configured to vibrate by lateral bending along a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: Encryption of data using a cryptographic device is protected. The protecting includes generating a first output of a first branch by encrypting a constant using a key, and generating a first output of a second branch by encrypting a constant using a key. The first output of the first branch, the first output of the second branch, and a first portion of plaintext data are XORed, generating a first portion of cypher text. A second output of the first branch is generated by encrypting the first output of the first branch using a key, and a second output of the second branch is generated by encrypting the first output of the second branch using a key. The second output of the first branch, the second output of the second branch, and a second portion of plaintext data are XORed, generating a second portion of cypher text.

Abstract: An integrated circuit device includes: one or more switches of a Buck converter; and a control circuit for the Buck converter, including: a comparator configured to compare a feedback voltage of the Buck converter with a compensation ramp voltage; a pulse generator configured to generate, in response to a rising edge in a comparator output signal, a pulse signal for controlling the Buck converter; a transconductance amplifier (TA) configured to generate, at an output terminal of the TA, a current proportional to a difference between a reference voltage and the feedback voltage; a capacitor coupled between an output terminal of the TA and a reference voltage node; and a ramp signal generator configured to generate the compensation ramp voltage by adding a voltage at the output terminal of the TA and a ramp voltage having a gradient proportional to a switching frequency of the Buck converter.

Abstract: A near field communication (NFC) system utilizes an NFC reader in reader mode to update firmware of a controller associated with the NFC reader. An NFC device receives firmware update data. The NFC reader, operating in reader mode, reads the firmware update data from the NFC device.