Abstract: In embodiments, a capacitance is coupled to a source of electrical charge via a drain to source current flow path through a field-effect transistor. The capacitance is pre-charged by making the field-effect transistor selectively conductive in response to the gate-source voltage of the field-effect transistor exceeding a threshold. The difference between the gate-source voltage of the field-effect transistor and the threshold provides an overdrive value of the field-effect transistor. The gate of the field-effect transistor is driven with a variable gate-source voltage having as a target maintaining a constant overdrive value. Electrical charge is controllably transferred from the source to the capacitance via the drain to source current flow path through the field-effect transistor avoiding undesirably high inrush currents.

Abstract: In an embodiment a microcontroller includes a processing unit and a deserial-serial peripheral interface (DSPI) module, wherein the deserial-serial peripheral interface module is coupleable to a communication bus configured to operate according to a selected communication protocol, wherein the processing unit is configured to read user data intended for inclusion in an outgoing frame encoded according to the selected communication protocol, calculate, as a function of the user data, a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) value intended for inclusion in the outgoing frame, compose the outgoing frame by including the user data and the calculated CRC value into the outgoing frame, produce a DSPI frame encoded according to the selected communication protocol as a function of the outgoing frame and program a data register of the deserial-serial peripheral interface module with the DSPI frame, and wherein the deserial-serial peripheral interface module is configured to transmit the DSPI frame via the communication bus.

Abstract: In an embodiment the method a includes performing, by an integrated circuit (IC) card hosted in a local equipment, authentication with a contactless subscriber device when the subscriber device is within a communication range of a contactless interface of the local equipment, receiving, by the IC card, an identifier (SID) identifying a software module from the subscriber device, the software module configured to enable a subscription profile for a mobile network operator, performing a checking operation at the IC card whether the SID matches a software module identifier stored in the IC card and selectively performing one of downloading the software module to the IC card, enabling the software module at the IC card or disabling the software module at the IC card as a result of performing the checking operation.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a HEMT device includes forming, on a heterostructure, a dielectric layer, forming a through opening through the dielectric layer, and forming a gate electrode in the through opening. Forming the gate electrode includes forming a sacrificial structure, depositing by evaporation a first gate metal layer, carrying out a lift-off of the sacrificial structure, depositing a second gate metal layer by sputtering, and depositing a third gate metal layer. The second gate metal layer layer forms a barrier against the diffusion of metal atoms towards the heterostructure.

Abstract: A vertical conduction MOSFET device includes a body of silicon carbide having a first conductivity type and a face. A metallization region extends on the face of the body. A body region of a second conductivity type extends in the body, from the face of the body, along a first direction parallel to the face and along a second direction transverse to the face. A source region of the first conductivity type extends towards the inside of the body region, from the face of the body. The source region has a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a first doping level and extends in direct electrical contact with the metallization region. The second portion has a second doping level and extends in direct electrical contact with the first portion of the source region. The second doping level is lower than the first doping level.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a piezoelectric transducer configured to transduce mechanical vibrations into transduced electrical signals at a pair of sensor electrodes includes stimulating a resonant oscillation of the piezoelectric transducer by applying at least one pulse electrical stimulation signal to the pair of sensor electrodes; detecting, at the pair of sensor electrodes, at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation, wherein the at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation oscillates at a resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer; measuring a frequency of oscillation of the at least one electrical signal resulting from the stimulated resonant oscillation to obtain a measured resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer; and tuning a stopband frequency of a notch filter coupled to the piezoelectric transducer to match the measured resonance frequency of the piezoelectric transducer.

Abstract: An audio device includes a gain step selection circuit that receives a different requested gain value and an associated requested step size from each of a plurality of sources, compares each requested gain value to a same feedback gain value and generates a polarity based thereupon, performs step polarization on each requested step size as a function of the generated polarity therefor to thereby generate a plurality of step values, and outputs a least of the plurality of step values as an output step value. An accumulator circuit generates a current input gain value based upon the output step value and the feedback gain value, and then updates the feedback gain value to be equal to the current input gain value. A normalizing circuit multiplies an input data value by the current input gain value and applies a truncation function to a result thereof to produce an output data value.

Abstract: Cantilever probes are produced for use in a test apparatus of integrated electronic circuits. The probes are configured to contact corresponding terminals of the electronic circuits to be tested during a test operation. The probe bodies are formed of electrically conductive materials. On a lower portion of each probe body that, in use, is directed to the respective terminal to be contacted, an electrically conductive contact region is formed having a first hardness value equal to or greater than 300 HV; each contact region and the respective probe body form the corresponding probe.

Abstract: A first switch couples an input node receiving a main control signal for a main switching stage of a multi-phase converter to an output node delivering a secondary control signal for a secondary switching stage following actuation of the secondary switching stage. A second switch couples the output node to a capacitor during a time period of actuation/deactuation of the secondary switching stage. Current is sourced to the capacitor during the actuation time period or sunk from the capacitor during the deactuation time period. The sourced or sunk current may be generated proportional to the main control signal.

Abstract: A system and method for measuring a capacitance value of a capacitor are provided. In embodiments, a resistor is coupled to a terminal of the capacitor. A difference in voltage at the terminal between a first time and a second time during a discharge routine of the capacitor is measured. The discharge routine includes sinking a current through a discharge circuit coupled to the resistor from first to second. Integration of a difference in voltage at terminals of the resistor during the discharge routine between the first and second times is also measured. The capacitance value is computed based on the measured difference in voltage, the measured integration, and the resistance value of the resistor. The health of the capacitor is determined based on a difference between the computed capacitance value and a threshold value.

Abstract: In an embodiment a device includes a supply node configured to receive a supply voltage, an output node configured to provide an output voltage, a plurality of switching stages coupled to the supply node and to the output node, a sensing circuit coupled to the supply node and configured to provide at least one sensing signal based on the supply voltage and a driver circuit coupled to the sensing circuit and to the plurality of switching stages, wherein the driver circuit is configured to provide the drive signal based on at least one sensing signal exceeding or failing to exceed at least one reference voltage level and to selectively bypass a selected number of the plurality of switching stages based on the drive signal thereby varying an output voltage level at the output node.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical mirror device has, in a die of semiconductor material: a fixed structure defining a cavity; a tiltable structure carrying a reflecting region elastically suspended above the cavity; at least a first pair of driving arms coupled to the tiltable structure and carrying respective piezoelectric material regions which may be biased to cause a rotation thereof around at least one rotation axis; elastic suspension elements coupling the tiltable structure elastically to the fixed structure and which are stiff with respect to movements out of the horizontal plane and yielding with respect to torsion; and a piezoresistive sensor configured to provide a detection signal indicative of the rotation of the tiltable structure. At least one test structure is integrated in the die to provide a calibration signal indicative of a sensitivity variation of the piezoresistive sensor in order to calibrate the detection signal.

Abstract: A lead frame for an integrated electronic device includes a die pad made of a first metallic material. A top coating layer formed by a second metallic material is arranged on a top surface of the die pad. The second metallic material has an oxidation rate lower than the first metallic material. The top coating layer leaves exposed a number of corner portions of the top surface of the die pad. A subsequent heating operation, for example occurring in connection with wirebonding, causes an oxidized layer to form on the corner portions of the top surface of the die pad at a position in contact with the top coating layer.

Abstract: An electronic device includes a solid body of SiC having a surface and having a first conductivity type. A first implanted region and a second implanted region have a second conductivity type and extend into the solid body in a direction starting from the surface and delimit between them a surface portion of the solid body. A Schottky contact is on the surface and in direct contact with the surface portion. Ohmic contacts are on the surface and in direct contact with the first and second implanted regions. The solid body includes an epitaxial layer including the surface portion and a bulk portion. The surface portion houses a plurality of doped sub-regions which extend in succession one after another in the direction, are of the first conductivity type, and have a respective conductivity level higher than that of the bulk portion.

Abstract: A waveform generator includes a system control unit and signal channels controlled by the system control unit and configured to supply driving signals for driving a respective transducer of an array of transducers. Each signal channel includes a sequential access memory having rows, where each row contains an instruction word configured to generate a respective step of a waveform to be generated. A memory output of the sequential access memory is defined by an output row at a fixed location. The waveform to be generated is defined by a block of instruction words. Each signal channel also includes an internal control unit that is configured to sequentially move the content of the sequential access memory, based on the instruction word currently at the memory output, so that sequences of instruction words are provided at the output row.

Abstract: At least one semiconductor chip or die is held within at a chip retaining formation provided in a chip holding device. The chip holding device is then positioned with the at least one semiconductor chip or die arranged facing a chip attachment location in a chip mounting substrate. This positioning produces a cavity between the at least one semiconductor chip or die arranged at the chip retaining formation and the chip attachment location in the chip mounting substrate. A chip attachment material is dispensed into the cavity. Once cured, the chip attachment material attaches the at least one semiconductor chip or die onto the substrate at the chip attachment location in the chip mounting substrate.

Abstract: A piezoelectric microelectromechanical structure is provided with a piezoelectric stack having a main extension in a horizontal plane and a variable section in a plane transverse to the horizontal plane. The stack is formed by a bottom-electrode region, a piezoelectric material region arranged on the bottom-electrode region, and a top-electrode region arranged on the piezoelectric material region. The piezoelectric material region has, as a result of the variable section, a first thickness along a vertical axis transverse to the horizontal plane at a first area, and a second thickness along the same vertical axis at a second area. The second thickness is smaller than the first thickness. The structure at the first and second areas can form piezoelectric detector and a piezoelectric actuator, respectively.

Abstract: A Junction Barrier Schottky device includes a semiconductor body of SiC having a first conductivity. An implanted region having a second conductivity, extends into the semiconductor body from a top surface of the semiconductor body to form a junction barrier diode with the semiconductor body. An electrical terminal is in ohmic contact with the implanted region and in direct electrical contact with the top surface, laterally to the implanted region, to form a Schottky diode with the semiconductor body. The implanted region is formed by a first and a second portion electrically connected directly to each other and aligned along an alignment axis transverse to the top surface. Orthogonally to the alignment axis, the first portion has a first maximum width and the second portion has a second maximum width greater than the first maximum width.

Abstract: A method includes performing, by a terminal with an access card, a first relay attack check for the access card in accordance with a local value associated with the terminal and a local value associated with the access card; determining, by the terminal, that the access card has passed the first relay attack check, and based thereon, performing, by the terminal with the access card, an authentication check of the access card in accordance with the local value associated with the terminal, the local value associated with the access card, and a local challenge value associated with the terminal; and determining, by the terminal, that the access card has passed the first relay attack check and the authentication check, and based thereon, validating, by the terminal, the access card.

Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes a fixed structure having a frame defining a cavity, a tiltable structure elastically suspended above the cavity with main extension in a horizontal plane, a piezoelectrically driven actuation structure which can be biased to cause a desired rotation of the tiltable structure about a first and second rotation axes, and a supporting structure integral with the fixed structure and extending in the cavity starting from the frame. Lever elements are elastically coupled to the tiltable structure at a first end by elastic suspension elements and to the supporting structure at a second end by elastic connecting elements which define a lever rotation axis. The lever elements are elastically coupled to the actuation structure so that their biasing causes the desired rotation of the tiltable structure about the first and second rotation axes.