Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
  • Patent number: 9096424
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical-acoustic-transducer assembly has: a first die integrating a MEMS sensing structure having a membrane, which has a first surface in fluid communication with a front chamber and a second surface, opposite to the first surface, in fluid communication with a back chamber of the microelectromechanical acoustic transducer, is able to undergo deformation as a function of incident acoustic-pressure waves, and faces a rigid electrode so as to form a variable-capacitance capacitor; a second die, integrating an electronic reading circuit operatively coupled to the MEMS sensing structure and supplying an electrical output signal as a function of the capacitive variation; and a package, housing the first die and the second die and having a base substrate with external electrical contacts. The first and second dice are stacked in the package and directly connected together mechanically and electrically; the package delimits at least one of the front and back chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Sebastiano Conti, Benedetto Vigna, Mario Francesco Cortese
  • Patent number: 9099480
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method is proposed for indexing electronic devices. The embodiment includes the steps of forming a plurality of first chips in a first wafer, forming a plurality of second chips in a second wafer, forming the electronic devices by coupling each first chip with a corresponding second chip, and forming an index on each electronic device; the index is indicative of a position of the corresponding first chip in the first wafer. In an embodiment, the step of forming an index includes forming a first portion of the index on the first chip, and forming a second portion of the index on the second chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro Freguglia, Luca Pividori
  • Patent number: 9099965
    Abstract: A driver circuit may include a first node (VA), and a first circuit to generate on the first node (VA) an inverted replica of an input signal (VIN) during driver switching between a first supply voltage (Vdd1) and ground, the inverted replica having a threshold voltage value based upon a reference voltage (Vref) greater than the first supply voltage (Vdd1). The driver circuit may include a cascode stage (M3) to be controlled by the reference voltage (Vref) and to be coupled between a second supply voltage (Vdd2) and the first node, a delay circuit (D) to generate a delayed replica of the input signal (VIN), an amplifier, and a switching network (M5, M6) to couple a control terminal of an active load transistor (M9) either to one of the reference voltage (Vref) or to ground, based upon the input signal (VIN).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Maurizio Zuffada, Massimo Pozzoni, Angelo Contini
  • Patent number: 9099305
    Abstract: The present disclosure regards a method for coupling a graphene layer to a substrate having at least one hydrophilic surface, the method comprising the steps of providing the substrate having at least one hydrophilic surface, depositing on the hydrophilic surface a layer of a solvent selected in the group constituted by acetone, ethyl lactate, isopropyl alcohol, methylethyl ketone and mixtures thereof and depositing on the solvent layer a graphene layer. It moreover regards an electronic device comprising the graphene/substrate structure obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Noemi Graziana Sparta', Cristina Tringali, Stella Loverso, Sebastiano Ravesi, Corrado Accardi, Filippo Giannazzo
  • Patent number: 9097525
    Abstract: A driving circuit for a gyroscope device provided with a micromechanical detection structure having a driving mass, which is driven in resonance condition and elastically coupled to which is a sensing mass for enabling detection of angular velocity; the driving circuit has: a set of driving electrodes, coupled to the driving mass; a driving stage supplying driving signals to the set of driving electrodes to cause oscillation in resonance condition of the driving mass; and a reading stage, which detects movement of the driving mass to implement a feedback control of the driving signals. In particular, the reading stage is selectively coupleable to the set of driving electrodes in a way temporally alternative to the driving stage, for discrete-time detection of the movement of the driving mass.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Cazzaniga, Luca Coronato
  • Patent number: 9099529
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to microstructure devices, in which a conductive pattern is formed on the basis of a conductive polymer material. In order to avoid the deposition and processing of the sacrificial materials and reduce a negative influence of the lithography process on sensitive conductive polymer materials a one-layer patterning sequence is proposed, in which a trench pattern is formed in a dielectric material that is subsequently filled with the conductive polymer material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Vincenza Di Palma, Andrea Di Matteo, Luigi Giuseppe Occhipinti
  • Patent number: 9094006
    Abstract: A control device of a switching circuit of a resonant apparatus is described. The switching circuit comprises at least one half-bridge having a high-side transistor and a low-side transistor connected between an input voltage and a reference voltage; the resonant apparatus comprises a resonant load. The control device is configured to determine the on time period and the off time period of the transistors alternatively and a dead time of both the transistors so that a periodic square-wave voltage is applied to the resonant load. The control device comprises a detector adapted to detect the current sign flowing through the resonant load and a correction circuit configured to extend the current operating time period of said two transistors in response to at least the current sign detected from the detection means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mirko Gravati, Christian Leone Santoro, Claudio Adragna, Aldo Vittorio Novelli
  • Patent number: 9093232
    Abstract: An electronic switch may include transfer transistor having a first conduction terminal for receiving an input signal, a second conduction terminal, and a control terminal. The transfer transistor may enable/disable a transfer of the input signal from the first conduction terminal to the second conduction terminal according to a control signal. The control signal may take a first value and a second value different from the first value, a difference between the first value and the second value defining, in absolute value, an operative value of the control signal. The electronic switch may further comprise a driving circuit for receiving the input signal and the control signal, and for providing a driving signal equal to the sum between the input signal and the operative value of the control signal to the control terminal of the transfer transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Enrico Castaldo, Antonino Conte, SantiNunzioAntonino Pagano, Stefania Rinaldi
  • Patent number: 9091932
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a three-dimensional integrated structure comprising a substrate and a plurality of projecting elements projecting from a flat surface thereof and obtained from a patterned and developed dry film photoresist. Advantageously, the three-dimensional integrated structure is highly defined, the projecting elements obtained by the patterned and developed dry film photoresist having a shape factor greater than 6. The three-dimensional integrated structure can be used to directly realize different type of electronic devices, such as microfluidic devices, microreactors or sensor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Corrado Accardi, Stella Loverso, Sebastiano Ravesi, Noemi Graziana Sparta
  • Patent number: 9093133
    Abstract: A buffer for ordering out-of-order data includes a memory with a plurality of memory locations for temporarily storing data and a detection circuit configured for generating a control signal when the memory locations contain valid data. The detection circuit includes a first block configured for generating validity signals that identify the memory locations containing valid data and a search circuit configured for determining a search pointer as a function of the validity signals. In the case where each memory location contains valid data, the search pointer indicates the last memory location. In the case where at least one memory location is still free, the search pointer indicates the first memory location that is free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Daniele Mangano, Salvatore Marco Rosselli, Giuseppe Falconeri
  • Publication number: 20150207336
    Abstract: A power receiver includes a resonant circuit generating an internal supply voltage. A voltage rectification circuit receives the internal supply voltage and generate a corresponding rectified voltage. A voltage regulator receives the rectified voltage and a modulation signal and is configured to generate a corresponding regulated voltage. A controlled voltage-to-current converter receives the regulated voltage and the modulation signal. The converter operates to deliver, through an output line of the power receiver, an output current having a DC value corresponding to the DC value of said regulated voltage and having an AC value corresponding to said modulation signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Danilo Antonio Claudio Morreale, Giovanni Benenati, Roberto Larosa
  • Patent number: 9087692
    Abstract: A method transfers a graphene layer from a donor substrate onto a final substrate. The method includes: providing a metal layer on the donor substrate; and growing a graphene layer on the metal layer. The method also includes: laminating a dry film photo-resist on the graphene layer; laminating a tape on the dry film photo-resist; chemically. etching the metal layer, obtaining an initial structure that includes the tape, the dry film photo-resist and the graphene layer; laminating the initial structure on the final substrate; thermally realizing the tape, so as to obtain an intermediate structure that includes the dry film photo-resist, the graphene layer and the final substrate; removing the dry film photo-resist; and obtaining a final structure that includes the final substrate with a transferred graphene layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Corrado Accardi, Stella Loverso, Sebastiano Ravesi, Noemi Graziana Sparta
  • Patent number: 9088841
    Abstract: A signal processor including an equalizer responsive to an input signal and to a parameter signal, said equalizer configured to provide an output signal to an electro-acoustical transducer for compensating a frequency response of said electro-acoustical transducer; a transducer element for monitoring at least a physical parameter of said electro-acoustical transducer, said transducer element configured to provide a transducer signal, a processor block responsive to said transducer signal, configured to provide said parameter signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Marco Veneri, Francesco Bianchi
  • Patent number: 9083250
    Abstract: A method for controlling a switching regulator includes defining a waiting time during which a trigger signal corresponding to a recirculation signal of the switching regulator is ignored holding a control switch in an open condition, and detecting a number of local valleys of the recirculation signal during the waiting time. In particular, defining the waiting time is performed for each switching cycle by adding a first value, which is determined on the basis of a load on the regulator, to a second variable value, which is proportional to the number valleys detected during the waiting time of the preceding switching cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventor: Claudio Adragna
  • Patent number: 9081514
    Abstract: The operation of a FIFO buffer memory includes writing the data at input to the memory in a single write location, and making the single write location available for writing an input datum with a shift of the datum written in the single write location to another location of the memory. At each operation of writing of an input datum in the single write location, there is scheduled shifting of the datum written therein to another location, without waiting for a new write request, thus eliminating the combinational constraint between the two operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Mirko Dondini, Cristina Nastasi
  • Patent number: 9080871
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical sensor includes: a supporting structure, having at least one first electrode and one second electrode, which form a capacitor; and a sensing mass made of non-conductive material, which is arranged so as to interact with an electric field associated to the capacitor and is movable with respect to the supporting structure according to a degree of freedom so that a relative position of the sensing mass with respect to the first electrode and to the second electrode is variable in response to external stresses. The sensing mass is made of a material selected in the group consisting of: intrinsic semiconductor materials, oxides of semiconductor materials, and nitrides of semiconductor materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Angelo Antonio Merassi, Biagio De Masi, Alberto Corigliano
  • Patent number: 9083338
    Abstract: A method of protection from noise of a digital signal generated by a comparator, including the steps of generating an output signal that switches from a first logic state to a second logic state at a first switching of logic state of the digital signal; detecting a change from the first logic state to the second logic state of the output signal; and inhibiting further switchings of the output signal for a first time interval after the change from the first logic state to the second logic state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Arber Cauli, Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada
  • Patent number: 9082476
    Abstract: An apparatus and method are disclosed to implement digital signal processing operations involving multiply-accumulate (MAC) operations, by using a modified balanced data structure and accessing architecture. This architecture maintains a data-path connecting one address generation unit, one register file and one MAC execution unit. The register file has a hierarchical grouping organization of individual registers, which reduces bubble cycles caused by memory misalignments. This architecture uses parallel execution and can achieve two or more MAC operations per cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignees: STMICROELECTRONICS (BEIJING) R&D COMPANY LTD., STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: PengFei Zhu, HongXia Sun, YongQiang Wu, Elio Guidetti
  • Patent number: 9083867
    Abstract: A device for assigning a geographical position to a picture may include a photo camera module for taking the picture, a satellite positioning system receiver module for identifying geographical coordinates when the picture is taken, and a cryptographic module to sign the picture and the corresponding geographical coordinates. The device may store the signed picture and the corresponding geographical coordinates as certified geographical position of the picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Marco Alfarano, Francesco Varone
  • Patent number: 9083278
    Abstract: A device to be positioned between a heat source and a heat sink may transform infrared electromagnetic (IR-EM) energy exchanged therebetween from a first form to a second form. The device may include a pair of layers facing each other and having dielectric material with molecular excitability characteristics to produce the second form of IR-EM energy. The pair of layers may define a gap therebetween. The device may include a conversion circuit configured to convert the second form of IR-EM energy into electrical energy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Giovanni Girlando