Abstract: An electronic device may include a controlled generator configured to generate an adjustable frequency clock signal at at least one part of an integrated circuit coupled to the output of the controller generator and including at least one transistor having a gate of less than forty-five nanometers in length. The electronic device may include determination circuitry configured to determine the temperature of the at least one part of the integrated circuit, and drive circuitry coupled to the determination circuitry and configured to control the generator to increase the frequency of the clock signal when the temperature increases.

Abstract: A circuit includes an antenna terminal for generating a current through electromagnetic induction. The circuit also includes a rectifier for receiving the current and generating a rectified power supply voltage. In addition, the circuit includes a voltage clamp for sinking at least some of the current from the antenna terminal based on the rectified power supply voltage from the rectifier. The voltage clamp could include a control circuit (such as an N-channel transistor and a resistor) for controlling the sinking of at least some of the current from the antenna terminal. The voltage clamp could also include a sink circuit (such as an N-channel transistor) for sinking at least some of the current from the antenna terminal. The voltage clamp could further include a sink control circuit (such as a P-channel transistor and a resistor) for activating and deactivating the sink circuit based on operation of the control circuit.

Abstract: Internet Protocol address prefixes are hashed into hash tables allocated memory blocks on demand after collisions occur for both a first hash and a single rehash. The number of memory blocks allocated to each hash table is limited, with additional prefixes handled by an overflow content addressable memory. Each hash table contains only prefixes of a particular length, with different hash tables containing prefixes of different lengths. Only a subset of possible prefix lengths are accommodated by the hash tables, with a remainder of prefixes handled by the content addressable memory or a similar alternate address lookup facility.

Abstract: A driving device for a lamp, in particular an HID lamp, the device including a first circuit to convert a network input voltage into a output direct voltage, a second circuit that receives the direct voltage as an input and converts the direct voltage into an alternating signal for supplying the lamp. The first circuit includes a transformer provided with a secondary winding elements a center tap. The driving device further includes at least two capacitive elements connected to the center tap of the secondary winding of the transformer and coupled with the ends of the secondary winding and with the input of the second circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit for the processing of conditional access television signals that includes an input interface for receiving encrypted television signals and an output interface for output of decrypted television signals. The semiconductor integrated circuit is provided with some functionality restricted in some way by preventing one or more hardware circuit elements from operating, such as an MPEG decoder, display engine, IO ports or main CPU. To enable the functionality, a subscriber must pay for a service and then receives an encrypted message broadcast to the semiconductor integrated circuit that is decrypted and instructs functionality to be turned on or off.

Abstract: A back-side illuminated image sensor formed from a thinned semiconductor substrate, wherein: a transparent conductive electrode, insulated from the substrate by an insulating layer, extends over the entire rear surface of the substrate; and conductive regions, insulated from the substrate by an insulating coating, extend perpendicularly from the front surface of the substrate to the electrode.

Abstract: A method for forming a back-side illuminated image sensor from a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: a) thinning the substrate from its rear surface; b) depositing, on the rear surface of the thinned substrate, an amorphous silicon layer of same conductivity type as the substrate but of higher doping level; and c) annealing at a temperature enabling to recrystallized the amorphous silicon to stabilize it.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a HEMT transistor includes: realizing an undoped epitaxial layer on a substrate; realizing a barrier epitaxial layer on the undoped epitaxial layer so as to form a heterojunction; realizing source and drain structures, separated from one other, on the barrier epitaxial layer; depositing an insulating layer on the barrier epitaxial layer and on the source and drain structures; and photolithographic defining the insulating layer, defining first and second insulating portions in correspondence of the source and drain structures, respectively, and exposing a portion of the barrier epitaxial layer. The method further comprises: forming first and second spacers lying at the corners of the first and second insulating portions; and depositing a gate metal structure at least partially covering said first and second insulating portions, and said first and second spacers, said gate metal structure being a field plate of the HEMT transistor.

Abstract: A method for forming a back-side illuminated image sensor, including the steps of: a) forming, from the front surface, doped polysilicon regions, of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate, extending in depth orthogonally to the front surface and emerging into the first layer; b) thinning the substrate from its rear surface to reach the polysilicon regions, while keeping a strip of the first layer; c) depositing, on the rear surface of the thinned substrate, a doped amorphous silicon layer, of a conductivity type opposite to that of the substrate; and d) annealing at a temperature capable of transforming the amorphous silicon layer into a crystallized layer.

Abstract: Contactless differential coupling structures can be used to communicate signals between circuits located on separate chips or from one chip to a probing device. The contactless coupling structures avoid problems (breaks, erosion, corrosion) that can degrade the performance of ohmic-type contact pads. The contactless coupling structures comprise pairs of conductive pads placed in close proximity. Differential signals are applied across a first pair of differential pads, and the signals are coupled wirelessly to a mating pair of conductive pads. Circuitry for generating and receiving differential signals is described.

Abstract: An elementary image acquisition or display device, including a focusing structure with microlenses, each microlens being shaped to focus incident light beams towards a substrate while avoiding intermediate conductive tracks and vias.

Abstract: A method for forming a back-side illuminated image sensor from a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: a) forming, from the front surface of the substrate, areas of same conductivity type as the substrate but of higher doping level, extending deep under the front surface, these areas being bordered with insulating regions orthogonal to the front surface; b) thinning the substrate from the rear surface to the vicinity of these areas and all the way to the insulating regions; c) partially hollowing out the insulating regions on the rear to surface side; and d) performing a laser surface anneal of the rear surface of the substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a MEMS resonant structure, provided with a substrate of semiconductor material; a mobile mass suspended above the substrate and anchored to the substrate by constraint elements to be free to oscillate at a resonance frequency; and a fixed-electrode structure capacitively coupled to the mobile mass to form a capacitor with a capacitance that varies as a function of the oscillation of the mobile mass; the fixed-electrode structure arranged on a top surface of the substrate, and the constraint elements being configured in such a way that the mobile mass oscillates, in use, in a vertical direction, transverse to the top surface of the substrate, keeping substantially parallel to the top surface.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method is provided for performing motion compensated interpolation wherein, for any pixels in the interpolated frame to which there is neither a forward vector nor a backward vector projecting: including the pixel in an intermediate frame conceal area if it is not located within the full frame reveal area; including the pixel in an intermediate frame reveal area if it is not located within the full frame conceal area; and using the intermediate frame conceal and reveal areas to interpolate values for pixels within an area of the interpolated frame.

Abstract: A method is provided. The method comprises calibrating noise prediction parameters by adapting one or more biases, adapting one or more filter coefficients using the adapted one or more biases, and adapting one or more prediction error variances using the adapted one or more biases and the adapted one or more filter coefficients.

Abstract: A process manufactures an interaction structure for a storage medium. The process includes forming a first interaction head provided with a first conductive region having a sub-lithographic dimension. The step of forming a first interaction head includes: forming on a surface a first delimitation region having a side wall; depositing a conductive portion having a deposition thickness substantially matching the sub-lithographic dimension on the side wall; and then defining the conductive portion. The sub-lithographic dimension preferably is between 1 and 50 nm, more preferably 20 nm.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element formed by a strip of magnetoresistive material which extends on a substrate of semiconductor material having an upper surface. The strip comprises at least one planar portion which extends parallel to the upper surface, and at least one transverse portion which extends in a direction transverse to the upper surface. The transverse portion is formed on a transverse wall of a dig. By providing a number of magnetoresistive elements perpendicular to one another it is possible to obtain an electronic compass that is insensitive to oscillations with respect to the horizontal plane parallel to the surface of the Earth.

Abstract: An analog switch configuration includes a gate control circuit coupled between an input of a switch and a gate of the switch. The gate control circuit passes voltage changes on the input of the switch to the gate of the switch to decrease the influence the inherent gate to input capacitance has on the bandwidth of the switch. By reducing the change in voltage across the inherent capacitance, the current through the capacitance in decreased as well as its influence on the bandwidth of the configuration.

Abstract: A routing system is improved by performing three steps sequentially to complete an execution process. The first step estimates a normalized criticality score for each design net. The second step arranges the scores for each design net in descending order. Third step rips up and reroutes the design so as to make it more feasible.

Abstract: Methods and systems are described for displaying video data after a hot plug event during a start-up dead period. In particular, approaches for receiving data, determining whether link training can be performed and, if not, self-configuring a receiver to display the information in a proper format even during the dead period.