Abstract: Data exchanges between an ultra-wide band communication module and a secure element are controlled such that the data exchanges pass through a near-field communication router. The near-field communication router controls routing of the data exchanges so that the data exchanges do not pass through a host circuit that is also coupled to the near-field communication router.
Abstract: An EEPROM memory integrated circuit includes memory cells arranged in a memory plane. Each memory cell includes an access transistor in series with a state transistor. Each access transistor is coupled, via its source region, to the corresponding source line and each state transistor is coupled, via its drain region, to the corresponding bit line. The floating gate of each state transistor rests on a dielectric layer having a first part with a first thickness, and a second part with a second thickness that is less than the first thickness. The second part is located on the source side of the state transistor.
Abstract: A near-field communication device includes an oscillating circuit, a rectifying bridge configured to rectify a voltage across the oscillating circuit, and a voltage-controlled oscillator configured to supply a reference frequency. The voltage-controlled oscillator is powered and controlled by a voltage that is a function of an output voltage of the rectifying bridge.
Abstract: A microcontroller includes a core and a unit for managing the power supply of the core that includes an input for receiving an external signal indicating a leaving of a stand-by mode of operation. A signal intercepting unit intercepts the external signal and transmitting it with a delay to the unit for managing.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 3, 2018
Date of Patent:
July 21, 2020
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
Inventors:
Nicolas Froidevaux, Jean-Michel Gril-Maffre, Jean-Pierre Leca
Abstract: A rotary element is equipped with a pattern representing a reflected binary code on at least three bits. A detection circuit is configured to sense the pattern and deliver an incident signal encoded in reflected binary code on at least three bits. The incident signal is converted by a transcoding circuit into an intermediate signal encoded in reflected binary code on two bits. A decoding stage decodes the intermediate signal and outputs at least one clock signal representing the amount of rotation of the rotary element and a direction signal representing the direction of rotation. A processing circuit determines the movement of the rotary element, and has at least one general purpose timer designed to receive the at least one clock signal and direction signal.
Abstract: A diode is formed by a polycrystalline silicon bar which includes a first doped region with a first conductivity type, a second doped region with a second conductivity type and an intrinsic region between the first and second doped regions. A conductive layer extends parallel to the polycrystalline silicon bar and separated from the polycrystalline silicon bar by a dielectric layer. The conductive layer is configured to be biased by a bias voltage.
Abstract: An electronic integrated circuit chip includes a first transistor arranged inside and on top of a solid substrate, a second transistor arranged inside and on top of a layer of semiconductor material on insulator having a first thickness, and a third transistor arranged inside and on top of a layer of semiconductor material on insulator having a second thickness. The second thickness is greater than the first thickness. The solid substrate extends underneath the layers of semiconductor material and is insulated from those layers by the insulator.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
August 7, 2018
Date of Patent:
July 14, 2020
Assignees:
STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
Inventors:
Jean-Jacques Fagot, Philippe Boivin, Franck Arnaud
Abstract: A MOS transistor is produced on and in an active zone which includes a source region and a drain region. The active zone is surrounded by an insulating region. A conductive gate region of the transistor has two flanks which extend transversely to a source-drain direction, and the conductive gate region overlaps two opposite edges of the active zone act overlap zones. The conductive gate region includes, at a location of at least one overlap zone, at least one conductive tag which projects from at least one flank at a foot of the conductive gate region. The conductive tag covers a part of the active zone and a part of the insulating region.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 17, 2018
Date of Patent:
July 14, 2020
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
Inventors:
Christian Rivero, Guilhem Bouton, Pascal Fornara, Julien Delalleau
Abstract: Microcode is stored in a program memory and intended to be executed by a central processing unit of a processing unit. The processing unit may include a memory controller associated with each program memory and a hardware peripheral. The method includes, in response to a request to update the microcode, a transmission, to each hardware peripheral, of a global authorization request signal obtained from an elementary authorization request signal generated by each corresponding memory controller, a transmission of a global authorization signal obtained from an elementary authorization signal generated by each hardware peripheral in response to the global authorization request signal and after satisfying a predetermined elementary condition, and an updating of each microcode by the corresponding memory controller only after the global authorization signal is received.
Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of operating a non-volatile static random access NVSRAM memory formed from words. Each word includes NVSRAM cells, each of those NVSRAM cells having an SRAM cell and an electronically erasable programmable read only memory EEPROM cell. If the SRAM cells of a word have been accessed since powerup, data is read from the NVSRAM cells of that word through the SRAM cells. However, if the SRAM cells of that word have not been written since powerup, data is read from the NVSRAM cells of that word through the EEPROM cells.
Abstract: A method for managing a product includes: placing an integrated circuit in a bootstrap mode with debugging prohibition in response to each reset or power-up of the integrated circuit and in an absence of a reception, on a test access port of the product, of a first command; and placing the integrated circuit in an analysis mode with debugging authorization in response to reception, on the test access port, of the first command following the reset or the power-up of the integrated circuit. Placing the integrated circuit in the analysis mode is maintained at least as long as a second command has not been received on the test access port. Placing the integrated circuit in the bootstrap mode and placing the integrated circuit in the analysis mode are performed in response to a determination that the integrated circuit has never before been placed in the analysis mode with debugging authorization.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 10, 2018
Date of Patent:
July 7, 2020
Assignee:
STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
Inventors:
Lionel Sinegre, Eric Sagnard, Stephan Courcambeck, William Orlando, Layachi Daineche
Abstract: The disclosure relates to a memory cell formed in a wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate covered with a first insulating layer, the insulating layer being covered with an active layer made of a semiconductor, the memory cell comprising a selection transistor having a control gate and a first conduction terminal connected to a variable-resistance element, the gate being formed on the active layer and having a lateral flank covered with a second insulating layer, the variable-resistance element being formed by a layer of variable-resistance material, deposited on a lateral flank of the active layer in a first trench formed through the active layer along the lateral flank of the gate, a trench conductor being formed in the first trench against a lateral flank of the layer of variable-resistance material.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 18, 2019
Date of Patent:
July 7, 2020
Assignees:
STMICROELECTRONICS (CROLLES 2) SAS, STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
Abstract: An interconnect circuit includes a plurality of input interfaces and a plurality of output interfaces. A plurality of source devices are respectively coupled to the input interfaces. A target device has a plurality of access ports respectively coupled to the output interfaces. Each source device is configured to deliver transactions to the target device. Programmable control circuit is configured to deliver, to the interconnect circuit, a control word designating an access port assigned to this source device. The interconnect circuit is configured to route the transaction from the corresponding input interface to the output interface that is coupled to this access port and to deliver the transaction to the access port, the content of each transaction delivered to an access port being identical to the content of the corresponding transaction delivered by the source equipment whatever the selected access port.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 13, 2019
Date of Patent:
June 30, 2020
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
Inventors:
Yassine El Khourassani, Patrick Valdenaire, Emmanuel Ardichvili
Abstract: A secure electronic chip including a plurality of biased semiconductor wells and a well biasing current detection circuit. Each of the wells includes a transistor and a bias contact electrically isolated from the transistor. The detection circuit is electrically coupled to each bias contact and is configured to detect a bias current passing through the bias contact that is indicative of an attempt to tamper with the electronic chip.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 25, 2016
Date of Patent:
June 23, 2020
Assignee:
STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
Inventors:
Alexandre Sarafianos, Jimmy Fort, Clement Champeix, Jean-Max Dutertre, Nicolas Borrel
Abstract: A semiconductor substrate includes a buried semiconductor layer and semiconductor wells. A device for detecting a possible thinning of the semiconductor substrate via the rear face thereof is formed on and in the semiconductor wells. The device is a non-inverting buffer including an input terminal and an output terminal, the device being powered between a supply terminal and a reference terminal where the buried semiconductor layer provides the supply terminal. A control circuit delivers an input signal in a first state to the input terminal and outputs a control signal indicating a detection of a thinning of the substrate if a signal generated at the output terminal in response to the input signal is in a second state different from the first state.
Abstract: A near-field communication circuit includes an oscillating circuit having a controllable capacitor. A control circuit is coupled to the oscillating circuit to control the controllable capacitor. A battery is coupled to the control circuit to enable control when the near-field communication circuit is in a standby mode. The near-field communication circuit can be utilized by a mobile communication device.
Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a substrate; an interconnect portion disposed over the substrate, the interconnect portion comprising multiple metallization levels separated by an insulating region; and an antifuse structure coated with a portion of the insulating region, the antifuse structure comprising a beam held at two different points by two arms, a body, and an antifuse insulating zone, the beam, the body and the arms being metal and located within a same metallization level, the body and the beam mutually making contact via the antifuse insulating zone, the antifuse insulating zone configured to undergo breakdown in the presence of a breakdown potential difference between the body and the beam.
Abstract: An electronic chip including a plurality of buried doped bars and a circuit for detecting an anomaly of an electric characteristic of the bars.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 8, 2018
Date of Patent:
June 16, 2020
Assignee:
STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
Inventors:
Alexandre Sarafianos, Jimmy Fort, Thierry Soude
Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a memory cell comprising a vertical selection gate extending in a trench made in a substrate, a floating gate extending above the substrate, and a horizontal control gate extending above the floating gate, wherein the floating gate also extends above a portion of the vertical selection gate over a non-zero overlap distance. Application mainly to the production of a split gate memory cell programmable by hot-electron injection.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 16, 2019
Date of Patent:
June 16, 2020
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
Inventors:
Francesco La Rosa, Stephan Niel, Arnaud Regnier, Julien Delalleau
Abstract: A device for detecting a fault attack, including: a circuit for detecting an interruption of a power supply; a circuit for comparing the duration of the interruption with a first threshold; and a counter of the number of successive interruptions of the power supply having a duration which does not exceed the first threshold.