Abstract: A method for forming a level of a tridimensional structure on a first support in which components are formed, including the steps of forming, on a second semiconductor support, a single-crystal semiconductor substrate with an interposed thermal oxide layer; placing the free surface of the single-crystal semiconductor substrate on the upper surface of the first support; eliminating the second semiconductor support; and thinning down the thermal oxide layer down to a thickness capable of forming a gate insulator.
Abstract: A device monitors at least one power switch which is series-mounted with a logic core between a first and a second potential. A connection point between the switch and logic core is carried to a third potential. The switch is biased by a biasing potential. The device includes a feedback control module mounted between first and second potentials which is capable of generating a set potential representative of the third potential variation. A biasing module of the power switch is mounted between the first and second potentials, and generates a biasing potential based on the set potential. The biasing potential linearly varies with the decrease of the third potential.
Abstract: A millimeter wave transformer including, at its primary, a turn formed of a conductive track made in at least one first metallization level, and, at its secondary, a winding in front of the primary turn, including at least one turn formed of a conductive track made in at least one second metallization level isolated from the at least one first level, the track width of the primary turn being at least equal to the total width of the secondary winding.
Type:
Application
Filed:
May 26, 2010
Publication date:
December 2, 2010
Applicants:
STMicroelectronics S.A., CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE
Inventors:
Didier Belot, Bernardo Leite, Eric Kerherve, Jean-Baptiste Begueret
Abstract: An electronic system providing a video signal to an output terminal intended to be connected to a receiver having one input impedance out of two input impedances, the electronic system including an adaptable amplifier providing the video signal and capable of operating according to one operation configuration out of two operation configurations, each operation configuration being adapted to one of the two input impedances of the receiver; circuitry for detecting characteristic portions of the video signal; and control and measurement circuitry capable of measuring a signal representative of the current provided to the output terminal by the electronic system during each detected characteristic portion, and of having the adaptable amplifier adopt one of the two operation configurations based on the comparison of the representative measured signal with thresholds.
Abstract: An interface having internal conductors to transfer data between a sending circuit and a receiving circuit in an integrated electronic circuit, the receiving circuit including an input buffer capable of receiving data and an output terminal for sending to the sending circuit an item of extraction information on each extraction of a data word from the input buffer, and the sending circuit including an enable circuit capable of activating an enable signal according to an item of availability information representative of the memory space available in the input buffer. The item of availability information is updated in the sending circuit on each transmission of a data word or on each receipt of the item of extraction information.
Abstract: A resonant device including a stack of a first metal layer, a piezoelectric material layer, and a second metal layer formed on a silicon substrate, a cavity being formed in depth in the substrate, the thickness of the silicon above the cavity having at least a first value in a first region located opposite to the center of the stack, having a second value in a second region located under the periphery of the stack and having at least a third value in a third region surrounding the second region, the second value being greater than the first and the third values.
Abstract: A microresonator comprising a single-crystal silicon resonant element and at least one activation electrode placed close to the resonant element, in which the resonant element is placed in an opening of a semiconductor layer covering a substrate, the activation electrode being formed in the semiconductor layer and being level at the opening.
Abstract: A circuit for detecting noise peaks on the power supply of an electronic circuit, including at least a first transistor having its control terminal connected to a terminal of application of a first potential of a supply voltage of the circuit and having a first conduction terminal connected to a terminal of application of a second potential via at least one first resistive element, the second conduction terminal of the first transistor providing the result of the detection.
Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a support plate made of an electrically non-conducting material. Electrical connection vias are formed outside a chip fixing region provided on the front face of the support plate. Electrical connection wires connect pads on a front of the chip to pads on the front of the support plate associated with the electrical connection vias. The front face of the support plate is further provided with at least one intermediate front layer made of a thermally conducting material extending at least partly below the chip. The rear face of the support plate is provided with at least one rear layer made of a thermally conducting material extending at least partly opposite the front layer. The front and rear layers are connected by vias made of a thermally conducting material that fills through-holes made through the plate.
Abstract: An image sensor including an array of pixels, wherein each pixel includes, in a vertical stack: a central photosensitive area; a stack of interconnects on top of the periphery of the photosensitive area, extending upwards up to a first height; a filtering layer on top of the photosensitive area, extending upwards from a height lower than the first height; and a microlens overlying the filtering layer in vertical projection, the optical axis of this microlens being such that the light rays received by the pixel reach the photosensitive area, substantially at its center.
Abstract: A variable gain amplifier having an input node, a variable current source including a control input coupled to the input node, first and second branches coupled in parallel between a first supply terminal and the variable current source, the first and second branches defining a differential pair arranged to be controlled by first and second differential gain signals and having first and second output terminals, one of the output terminals including an output node of the variable gain amplifier; and a potential divider having a middle node coupled to the first and second output terminals, wherein the middle node is also coupled to the input node by a capacitor.
Abstract: A barrel shifter receiving N symbols, arranged n2 distinct groups of n1 symbols, applying a circular shift to the N symbols. The barrel shifter comprises n2 first barrel shifters, each applying a first circular shift to one of the groups of n1 symbols; a rearrangement module receiving the N symbols provided by the first barrel shifters and providing N symbols arranged, in a determined manner, in n1 distinct groups of n2 symbols; n1 second barrel shifters, each applying a second circular shift to one of the distinct groups of n2 symbols; a control module providing, to each first barrel shifter, an identical signal bs_ctrl1 representing the first shift, and providing, to each second barrel shifter, an identical signal bs_ctrl2 representing the second shift; and a switching module switching at least two of the symbols of the N symbols.
Abstract: An embodiment improves the quality of sound rendition during restitution of sound and picture originating from a source signal exhibiting temporal drift. To restore the sound and the pictures at a selected fixed picture rate, a picture sequence is calculated at the selected rate on the basis of the pictures of the source signal, and the sound of the source signal is sampled so as to obtain a sampled sound signal having a selected number of sound samples per picture of the source signal. The calculated picture sequence and the sampled sound signal are restored in a manner synchronized with the reception of the source signal. The sampled sound signal is restored without a change of pitch, with an adjustment of timing as a function of the ratio between the selected picture rate and the variable picture rate.
Abstract: The protection of an inductance of a voltage step-up converter, comprising a first switch with an inverted input logic between the inductance and a terminal of connection of a load to be supplied, the control electrode of which can be connected either to the inductance supply voltage, or to a voltage smaller than the voltage of a power electrode of said first switch, on the inductance side.
Abstract: A memory structure has an access transistor connected in series with a programmable resistive element, wherein the programmable resistive element comprises on a semiconductor substrate; an insulated layer with a cavity comprising: a first layer lining the lateral surfaces and the bottom of the said cavity and impermeable to the diffusion of metal; a second layer made of porous material on the said first layer; a third layer of metallic material allowing to realize a contact electrode susceptible to spread within the said formed porous material of the second layer. Diffusion of metallic ions within the said second layer is controlled by the joint action of an electric field and temperature. A manufacturing process is also described.
Abstract: The invention concerns a monitoring device (18?, 18?) integrated to the chip of a microprocessor (12) executing a series of instructions comprising message calculating means (36) for upon each execution of an instruction, producing a corresponding digital message; a buffer memory (34) for storing each message produced; and a plurality of output terminals (FA, FB, FC) connected to an external analyzing tool (24), each output terminal (FA, FB, FC) being associated with one type of instructions; the message calculating means (36) modifying the state of the output terminal (FA, FB, FC) associated with one type of instructions at the time when a message corresponding to said type of instructions is stored in the buffer memory.
Abstract: A method and a circuit for detecting a loss in the equiprobable character of a first output bit flow originating from at least one first element of normalization of an initial bit flow, including analyzing the flow rate of the normalization element.
Abstract: A bipolar transistor with very high dynamic performance, usable in an integrated circuit. The bipolar transistor has a single-crystal silicon emitter region with a thickness smaller than 50 nm. The base of the bipolar transistor is made of an SiGe alloy.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
September 6, 2006
Date of Patent:
November 2, 2010
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics S.A.
Inventors:
Alain Chantre, Bertrand Martinet, Michel Marty, Pascal Chevalier
Abstract: A method and a circuit for extracting a secret datum from an integrated circuit taking part in an authentication procedure that uses an external device that takes this secret datum into account, the secret datum being generated on request and made ephemeral.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
April 4, 2002
Date of Patent:
November 2, 2010
Assignee:
STMicroelectronics S.A.
Inventors:
Pierre-Yvan Liardet, Luc Wuidart, François Guette
Abstract: A method for forming a component of TMBS type having its periphery formed of a trench with insulated walls filled with a conductor, including the steps of depositing on a semiconductor substrate a thick layer of a first insulating material and a thin layer of a second material; simultaneously digging a peripheral trench and the trenches of the component; isotropically etching the first material so that a cap overhanging a recess remains; forming a thin insulating layer; and filling the trenches and said recess with a conductive material.