Abstract: A MOS-type power device having a drain terminal, a source terminal, and a gate terminal; and a protection circuit having a first conduction terminal connected to the gate terminal, via a diffused resistor, and a second conduction terminal connected to the source terminal. The protection circuit has a resistance variable between a first value and a second value according to the operating condition of the power device. In a first embodiment of the protection circuit, an ON-OFF switch made by means of a horizontal MOS transistor has a control terminal connected to the drain terminal of the power device. In a second embodiment of the protection circuit, the ON-OFF switch is replaced with a gradual-intervention switch made by means of a P-channel JFET transistor having a control terminal connected to the gate terminal of the power device.

Abstract: A method of modifying the threshold voltages of a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, for example, flash EEPROM memory cells, after an erasure operation, is described. In order to perform the equalization quickly and to optimize the use of the voltage supplies for biasing the columns, the method provides for the following steps: connecting all of the column lines to a voltage supply, monitoring the supply voltage, and applying, to all of the row lines, a voltage variable from a predetermined minimum value to a predetermined maximum value, the rate of change being regulated to maintain the supply voltage of the column lines at a substantially constant, predetermined value. The same method can be used for reliable and quick programming of a memory of the flash EEPROM type, or of another type.

Abstract: A memory cell for an EEPROM memory is fabricated to provide increased oxide thickness at the edge of the tunnel oxide and under the edges of the polysilicon capacitor plate in order to improve the dielectric integrity of the capacitor structure. In one embodiment using a silicided polysilicon process, the oxide is made thicker at the edge of the tunnel oxide by reoxidizing the silicon at the corner of the polysilicon capacitor plate and the underlying substrate surface by exposing the device to a short duration oxidation step after having deposited a 200 Å to 500 Å thick porous oxide over the device to protect the silicide from excessive exposure to the oxidizing ambient. In another embodiment the tunnel oxide is grown in a window in the gate oxide layer, which is about four times thicker than the tunnel oxide, so that the gate oxide completely surrounds the tunnel oxide, and the polysilicon capacitor plate extends beyond the edge of the tunnel oxide terminating at a point above the gate oxide.

Abstract: A CMOS voltage translator having a differential cell circuit portion connected between first and second supply voltage references, and including first and second transistor pairs connected together in series between the supply voltage references. A first divider of the first supply voltage reference for producing a first reduced supply voltage reference on a first internal circuit node, and a second divider of the first supply voltage reference for producing a second reduced supply voltage reference on a second internal circuit node is included, as well as a multiplexer circuit portion connected between the first and second reduced supply voltage references to supply first and second reference voltages to the differential cell circuit portion, respectively on third and fourth internal circuit nodes.

Abstract: A method and circuit are disclosed for replacing defective columns of flash memory cells in a flash memory device. The circuit includes a plurality of sets of storage elements, each set of storage elements being capable of identifying at least one column of memory cells in any block of memory cells as being defective. The circuit further includes control circuitry for replacing an addressed column of memory cells with a redundant column of memory cells upon an affirmative determination that a set of storage elements identifies the addressed column of memory cells as being defective.

Abstract: A voltage follower includes a follower stage including first and second bipolar junction transistors connected in cascade, and a first current generator connected to the follower stage for biasing the first and second bipolar junction transistors. A cascode stage is connected between the first current generator and the first bipolar junction transistor, and a second current generator is connected between the first bipolar junction transistor and a first voltage reference. The voltage follower dissipates less power when the output current is small.

Abstract: The amplifier circuit includes at least one amplification branch having an input transistor, an output transistor, having a source terminal connected to the input terminal and a drain terminal connected to a first output terminal, and a gain raising stage, having an input and an output connected to the source terminal and, respectively, to a gate terminal of the output transistor. The amplifier circuit includes, moreover, a compensation capacitor connected between the gate terminal and the drain terminal of the output transistor.

Abstract: A method of storing a data file, particularly in the MPEG format and including a flow of different frames, comprises a protection system for the data file based on a parameter stored in the data file. Advantageously, the storage method comprises selectively protecting the frames by storing parameters that are associated with corresponding different frames whose values are selected to provide a playing quality level requested by an end user. Also, a method is provided for decoding a data file, particularly of the MPEG type and including a flow of different frames, wherein the data file is stored per above.

Abstract: The conversion into a progressive format of digital images organized in half-frames or fields with interlaced lines or rows envisages selecting successive lines in one or more of said fields and reconstructing by pixels an image line set between the interlaced lines selected. The reconstruction operation obtains the image by creating a set of candidate patterns associated to the work window by selecting the patterns to be considered within the window. Next, applying to the patterns of the aforesaid set a first cost function which is representative of the correlations between pairs of pixels. Applying to the patterns of the aforesaid set a second cost function which is representative of the non-correlations between pairs of pixels. Selecting, for each candidate pattern, respective internal correlations and external non-correlations, calculating corresponding scores for the candidate patterns using the aforesaid first cost function.

Abstract: A semiconductor package is provided that includes a flat leadframe having front and rear faces. The leadframe includes a central platform and elongate electrical connection leads distributed around this platform. Electrical connection wires connect the chip to the front face of the leads, and encapsulation means encapsulates the chip such that the rear face of the leadframe is visible. The electrical connection leads include an inner end part and an outer end part, the rear faces of the inner and outer end parts lie in the plane of the rear face of the leadframe, and the inner and outer end parts are connected by a branch whose rear face is set back with respect to the plane of the rear face of the leadframe so as to define a rear recess. The electrical connection wires are connected to the leads on the front face of their inner end part.

Abstract: Described herein is an erase method for an electrically erasable nonvolatile memory device, in particular an EEPROM-FLASH nonvolatile memory device, comprising a memory array formed by a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns and grouped in sectors each formed by a plurality of subsectors, which are in turn formed by one or more rows. Erase of the memory array is performed by sectors and for each sector envisages applying an erase pulse to the gate terminals of all the memory cells of the sector, verifying erase of the memory cells of each subsector, and applying a further erase pulse to the gate terminals of the memory cells of only the subsectors that are not completely erased.

Abstract: An LED driver circuit and method are disclosed where an array of light emitting diodes have a transistor connected to each respective array of light emitting diodes. A PWM controller has an input for receiving a voltage reference and an output connected to selected transistors for driving selected transistors and setting a PWM duty cycle for the selected arrays of light emitting diodes to determine the brightness of selected light emitting diodes. An oscillator is connected to the PWM controller for driving the PWM controller.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory cell having a word line, a bit line, a precharge line, an access transistor, and first and second cross-coupled inverters. The first inverter includes a first P-channel transistor and a first N-channel transistor, and the second inverter includes a second P-channel transistor and a second N-channel transistor. The access transistor selectively couples the bit line to an output of the first or second inverter, and one terminal of the first N-channel transistor is connected to the precharge line. In a preferred embodiment, a control circuit is provided that, during a writing operation, supplies data to be written to the memory cell to the bit line, supplies a pulse signal to the precharge line, and activates the word line. A method of writing data to a semiconductor memory cell that is coupled to a word line and single bit line is also provided.

Abstract: A new technique for Hard Disk Drive (HDD) servo-burst demodulation is provided. A 4-samples per dibit Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) amplitude estimation is used to calculate the read-head servo-position error signal. Comparatively, the conventional method of burst demodulation—called burst integration—typically uses more than 8 samples/dibit. Consequently, the new 4-samples/dibit DFT burst-demodulation scheme requires fewer samples per dibit than does burst integration, thus reducing the disk space occupied by the burst data while increasing the performance as compared to burst integration. Furthermore, the DFT scheme does not require the samples to be synchronized to any particular points of the servo burst, and can include an averaging algorithm that further improves performance for a given Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR). Moreover, the same sample-clocking circuit that detects the Gray Code servo information can also implement the DFT burst-demodulation scheme to demodulate the servo burst.

Abstract: An oversampling electromechanical modulator, including a micro-electromechanical sensor which has a first sensing capacitance and a second sensing capacitance and supplies an analog quantity correlated to the first sensing capacitance and to the second sensing capacitance; a converter stage, which supplies a first numeric signal and a second numeric signal that are correlated to the analog quantity; and a first feedback control circuit for controlling the micro-electromechanical sensor, which supplies an electrical actuation quantity correlated to the second numeric signal.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing post-etch residues or polymers from the surface of semiconductor devices which comprises treating the semiconductor device with an aqueous ammonia or ammonium hydroxide solution, optionally containing ozone for a time sufficient to effectively remove said post-etch residues or polymers from the surface of the semiconductor device and rinsing the semiconductor device with ozonized water, i.e. water enriched with ozone, in which water is preferably deionized (ozone-DIW).

Abstract: The transistor includes an emitter region 17 disposed in a first isolating well 11, 150 formed in a semiconductor bulk. An extrinsic collector region 16 is disposed in a second isolating well 3, 150 formed in the semiconductor bulk SB and separated laterally from the first well by a bulk separator area 20. An intrinsic collector region is situated in the bulk separator area 20 in contact with the extrinsic collector region. An intrinsic base region 100 is formed which is thinner laterally than vertically and in contact with the intrinsic collector region and in contact with the emitter region through bearing on a vertical flank of the first isolating well facing a vertical flank of the second isolating well. An extrinsic base region 60 is formed which is substantially perpendicular to the intrinsic base region in the top part of the bulk separator area, and contact terminals C, B, E respectively in contact with the extrinsic collector region, the extrinsic base region, and the emitter region.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for buffering 2-dimensional graphical image data to be supplied to a scrolling display controller. A 2-dimensional, circularly addressed data buffer is used to store a portion of an entire image. The data buffer is larger than the amount of data displayed at one time. A user enters scrolling commands and the display scrolls around the data initially in the buffer. New data is loaded into the buffer as the displayed data approaches the edge of the buffered data.

Abstract: An optical device is formed by a first chip and a second chip bonded together. The first chip (4 has an optical layer of glass housing an optical circuit; the second chip has a body of semiconductor material housing integrated electronic components and coated with a bonding layer of glass fixed directly and contiguous to the optical layer of the first chip. The bonding layer delimits cavities facing corresponding cavities in the first chip in positions corresponding to the intersection points of waveguides constituting the optical circuit. The cavities are filled with a liquid having the same refractive index as the waveguides. Underneath each cavity, in the body of semiconductor material there is present a resistor, which, when traversed by current, causes formation of a bubble inside the chamber and deflection of the light beam traversing a waveguide towards a different waveguide.

Abstract: A receiver in a data read channel has an input terminal for receiving an input signal provided by a transmitter of the data read channel, and produces an output signal at an output terminal. The receiver includes a finite impulse response (FIR) filter coupled to the input terminal and having filter coefficients capable of being adapted, an interpolated timing-recovery circuit coupled to an output of the FIR filter, the timing-recovery circuit having an output signal coupled to the output terminal of the receiver, and a timer circuit coupled to the output terminal and feedback connected to the timing-recovery circuit, wherein the coefficients of the timing-recovery circuit are dynamically adapted using a cost weighted function through a signal power spectrum of the data read channel.