Abstract: An integrated electronic device, delimited by a first surface and by a second surface and including: a body made of semiconductor material, formed inside which is at least one optoelectronic component chosen between a detector and an emitter; and an optical path which is at least in part of a guided type and extends between the first surface and the second surface, the optical path traversing the body. The optoelectronic component is optically coupled, through the optical path, to a first portion of free space and a second portion of free space, which are arranged, respectively, above and underneath the first and second surfaces.

Abstract: A method for assisting with positioning of an electromagnetic transponder by a user with respect to a terminal, wherein: a current value of a ratio of the current coupling factor between the transponder and the terminal to an optimum coupling factor with a first resistive load value is calculated and stored; the current value is compared with a previous value of this ratio, stored in a previous iteration; and data elements intended for the user are controlled according to the comparison.

Abstract: A method for assisting with positioning of an electromagnetic transponder by a user with respect to a terminal, wherein: a first value of the current in an oscillating circuit of the terminal is periodically measured; a second value of a ratio between a no-load value of this current, stored when no transponder is in the field of the terminal, and the first value, is calculated; and pieces of information intended for the user are controlled according to said second value.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating a touch panel includes operating a slave touch panel controller by receiving a synchronization signal from a master touch panel controller of a display driver circuit, and polling a plurality of receive inputs coupled to outputs of an in-cell touch module based on an predetermined pattern.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a method of operating an electronic system includes detecting an incoming transmission on a power line, and modifying a switching behavior of a switched-mode power supply coupled to the power line upon detecting the incoming transmission. Modifying reduces the level of interference produced by the switched-mode power supply.

Abstract: A system for detecting a laser attack on an integrated circuit chip formed in a semiconductor substrate, including a detection device capable of detecting voltage variations of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for protecting communication between an electromagnetic transponder and a terminal, wherein the transmission of an acknowledgement for a request received from a terminal by the transponder is only allowed when the transponder is in mechanical contact or in quasi-mechanical contact with the terminal.

Abstract: An analog disconnection envelope detection circuit having a low power supply detects a high speed, high differential voltage disconnect state on a data line. Level-shifting circuitry shifts the voltage level of two input signals by the value of a detection threshold voltage, generates differential signals used to indicate conditions of the input signals, and mitigates effects of input differential signal common-mode voltage on the detection operation. Circuitry is provided to equalize VDS of detecting tail current sources, thereby eliminating errors resulting from VDS mismatch of tail current sources. Comparator circuitry compares the sets of differential signals and indicates when the absolute difference between the two input signals is greater than a reference voltage. Output circuitry generates a disconnect signal corresponding to the disconnect condition.

Abstract: An optical navigation device for use with mobile telephones and the like is disclosed, which has a reduced height as compared with current designs. The navigation device comprises a laser such as a VCSEL laser, an exposed user surface and two other surfaces that provide for total internal reflection of the incident laser beam. The surfaces are constructed with shallower than normal angles, preserving the basic functionality of the device while reducing the height.

Abstract: A low-power wideband Power-on-Reset (PoR) and supply brown out detection circuit is proposed, wherein a technique for accurately controlling the PoR trip points and hysteresis voltage is presented. The PoR circuit includes a CMOS circuit with asymmetric rise and fall delays for monitoring wideband supply voltage transients including supply brown out. Being a non-bandgap and non-comparator based circuit, it consumes a very small power and Si area.

Abstract: An image sensor device may include a bottom interconnect layer, an image sensing IC above the bottom interconnect layer and coupled thereto, and an adhesive material on the image sensing IC. The image sensor device may include an IR filter layer above the lens layer, and an encapsulation material on the bottom interconnect layer and surrounding the image sensing IC, the lens layer, and the IR filter layer. The image sensor device may include a top contact layer above the encapsulation material and including a dielectric layer, and a contact thereon, the dielectric layer being flush with adjacent portions of the IR filter layer.

Abstract: An image processor includes generates a content adaptive kernel from an image block with noise of a luminance component signal with a low resolution. The content adaptive kernel is convolved with the luminance component signal. A noise signal and an extracted texture which excludes noise are generated. The luminance component signal is filtered as function of the noise signal to generate an enhanced luminance component signal. Horizontal and vertical scaling is performed on the enhanced luminance component signal, the extracted texture, and the luminance component signal, with the luminance component signal adaptively scaled as a function of the extracted texture. The horizontally and vertically scaled enhanced luminance component signal, extracted texture and luminance component signal are then combined to generate an output luminance component signal with a high resolution.

Abstract: A memory cell includes a true data node, a true pullup transistor, a complement data node and a complement pullup transistor. A true switching circuit selectively supplies a first or second supply voltage to a source of the true pullup transistor. A true bias switching circuit selectively supplies a third or fourth supply voltage to a body of the true pullup transistor. When writing a logic high data value to the true data storage node, a control circuit causes the true switching circuit to supply the second supply voltage and the true bias switching circuit to supply the third supply voltage. The second supply voltage is higher than the first supply voltage, and the fourth supply voltage is higher than the third supply voltage. A similar operation is performed with respect to the complement pullup transistor when writing a logic high data value to the complement data storage node.

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: The present disclosure relates to a method for controlling a touch pad, comprising an object locate mode for locating an object on the touch pad comprising steps of: determining a measurement of capacitance of each of the pairs of electrodes of the touch pad, each pair comprising a row electrode and a column electrode transverse to the row electrode, comparing each measurement with a first detection threshold, and if the comparison of at least one measurement with the first threshold reveals the presence of an object on the touch pad, locating the object on the touch pad according to the capacitance measurements, the method comprising a proximity detection mode comprising steps of: determining a measurement representative of the capacitance between one or two electrodes and one or two other electrodes of the touch pad, and comparing a measurement obtained with a second detection threshold different from the first threshold.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit including the steps of: a) forming openings in a front surface of a first semiconductor wafer, the depth of the openings being smaller than 10 ?m, and filling them with a conductive material; b) forming doped areas of components in active areas of the front surface, forming interconnection levels on the front surface and leveling the surface supporting the interconnection levels; c) covering with an insulating layer a front surface of a second semiconductor wafer, and leveling the surface coated with an insulator; d) applying the front surface of the second wafer coated with insulator on the front surface of the first wafer supporting interconnection levels, to obtain a bonding between the two wafers; e) forming vias from the rear surface of the second wafer, to reach the interconnection levels of the first wafer; and f) thinning the first wafer to reach the openings filled with conductive material.

Abstract: An integrated circuit, comprising a capacitive device having a thermally variable capacitive value and comprising a thermally deformable assembly disposed within an enclosure, and comprising an electrically-conducting fixed body and a beam held at least two different locations by at least two arms rigidly attached to edges of the enclosure, the beam and the arms being metal and disposed within the first metallization level. A part of the said thermally deformable assembly may form a first electrode of the capacitive device and a part of the said fixed body may form a second electrode of the capacitive device. The thermally deformable assembly has a plurality of configurations corresponding respectively to various temperatures of the said assembly and resulting in a plurality of distances separating the two electrodes and various capacitive values in the capacitive device corresponding to the plurality of distances.

Abstract: A video decoder that separates and analyzes analog video signals includes a hue and saturation separator and a video signal determiner. The hue and saturation separator demodulates from a component video signal chroma signal, which includes a hue signal and a saturation signal. The video signal determiner determines at least one video signal characteristic of the component video signal dependent on the hue and saturation signal. The video signal determiner may include a mode determiner that determines the encoding standard of the video signal, and a color burst determiner that determines a location of a color burst signal with the video signal. The mode determiner may include a signal lock detector, a sequence matcher, and an encoding mode selector. The color burst determiner may include an absolute value determiner and a burst position determiner.

Abstract: A Shockley diode including: a vertical stack of first to fourth layers of alternated conductivity types between first and second electrodes; a recess formed in the fourth layer and extending vertically to penetrate into the second layer; a first region of same conductivity type as the second layer but of greater doping level, extending at the bottom of the recess in the second layer; and a second region of same conductivity type as the third layer but of greater doping level, extending along the lateral walls of the recess and connecting the first region to the fourth layer.

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.