Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics
  • SCAN CHAIN MODIFICATION FOR REDUCED LEAKAGE
    Publication number: 20130262944
    Abstract: A leakage power control vector is loaded into existing test scan chain elements for application to circuit elements of a circuit in which the leakage currents are to be controlled. The vector is designed to configure the circuit elements into states in which leakage currents are reduced. A multiplexer selects the power control vector for loading into the scan chain elements, and a clock generator clocks the configuration vector into the scan chain elements. A sleep mode detector may be provided to configure the multiplexer to select the power control vector and to operate the clock generator to clock the power control vector into the scan chain elements when a sleep mode of the circuit is detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Razak Hossain
  • REGULATOR WITH LOW DROPOUT VOLTAGE AND IMPROVED OUTPUT STAGE
    Publication number: 20130257401
    Abstract: The regulator with low dropout voltage comprises an error amplifier and an output stage comprising an output transistor and a buffer circuit comprising an input connected to the output node of the error amplifier, an output connected to the output transistor, a follower amplifier connected between the input and the output of the buffer circuit. The buffer circuit furthermore comprises a transistor active load connected to the output of the follower amplifier and a negative feedback amplifier arranged in common gate configuration and connected between the output of the follower amplifier and the gate of the transistor of the active load.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Jimmy Fort, Thierry Soude
  • On-chip functional debugger and a method of providing on-chip functional debugging
    Patent number: 8549370
    Abstract: An on-chip functional debugger includes one or more functional blocks each providing one or more functional outputs. A hierarchical selection tree is formed by one or more selectors having the output of one of the selectors as a final output and individual selector inputs coupled either to a functional output from the functional blocks or to an output of another selector. A selection signal coupled to the select input of each of the selectors to enable a selected one of its output. An output node coupled to the final output. A method of providing on-chip functional debugging is also provided. A desired functional output from one or more available functional outputs is selected and then the selected functional output is coupled to an output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N. V.
    Inventor: Parul Bansal
  • System and method for cleaning a conditioning device
    Patent number: 8545634
    Abstract: A system for cleaning a conditioning device to improve the efficiency of the conditioning of a polishing pad using the conditioning device as part of a chemical-mechanical polishing process, the system comprising a conditioning device; a fluid dispenser arranged to dispense a fluid on the conditioning device; and an acoustic nozzle arranged to emit a megasonic or ultrasonic signal at the conditioning device while the fluid dispenser is dispensing the fluid on the conditioning device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., STMicroelectronics SRL, STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Jean-Marc Lafon, Silvio Delmonaco, Sebastien Petitdidier
  • Via chains for defect localization
    Patent number: 8546155
    Abstract: Method form via chain and serpentine/comb test structures in kerf areas of a wafer. The via chain test structures comprise a first via chain and a second via chain in a first kerf area. The via chain test structures are formed such that geometrically shaped portions of the first via chain and geometrically shaped portions of the second via chain alternate along the length of the first kerf area. The methods perform relatively low (first) magnification testing to identify a defective geometrically shaped portion that contains a defective via structure. The methods then perform relatively high (second) magnification testing only within the defective geometrically shaped portion. The first magnification testing is performed at a lower magnification relative to the second magnification testing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher B. D'Aleo, Gregory M. Johnson, Muthukumarasamy Karthikeyan, Shenzhi Yang, Balasingham Bahierathan
  • Electronic device for protecting against a polarity reversal of a DC power supply voltage, and its application to motor vehicles
    Patent number: 8547671
    Abstract: The electronic device for protecting against a polarity reversal of a DC power supply voltage comprises, produced within one and the same integrated circuit, an N-channel main transistor (TP) mounted on the line of expected positive polarity of the power supply voltage and command means (MCM) for the main transistor comprising a charging pump circuit (CP), associated with a dynamic biasing circuit (MCTRL) for the substrate regions of active components connected to the main transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Antoine Pavlin
  • Low-power sigma-delta converter
    Patent number: 8547266
    Abstract: A sigma-delta converter may include an input node, a switched capacitor input stage integrating a difference signal between an input signal from the input node and a feedback signal representing an output signal, and a switched capacitor adder coupled downstream from the switched capacitor input stage and generating a sum signal based upon the input signal with a signal generated by the switched capacitor input stage. The sigma-delta converter may include a switched capacitor output stage amplifying the sum signal and generating an analog amplified signal, a quantization stage coupled in cascade to the switched capacitor output stage and generating the output signal as a digital replica of the analog amplified signal, and a circuit generating the feedback signal as an analog replica of the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Jesus Alejandro Guinea Trigo, Andrea Baschirotto
  • Electronic device including MEMS devices and holed substrates, in particular of the LGA or BGA type
    Patent number: 8546895
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a substrate provided with a passing opening and a MEMS device including an active surface wherein a portion of the MEMS device is integrated sensitive to chemical/physical variations of a fluid. The active surface of the MEMS device faces the substrate and is spaced therefrom, the sensitive portion being aligned to the opening. A protective package incorporates at least partially the MEMS device and the substrate, leaving at least the sensitive portion of the MEMS device, and the opening of the substrate exposed. A barrier element is positioned in an area which surrounds the sensitive portion to realize a protection structure for the MEMS device, so that the sensitive portion is free.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics (Malta) Ltd
    Inventors: Mario Cortese, Mark Anthony Azzopardi, Edward Myers, Chantal Combi, Lorenzo Baldo
  • ELECTRICALLY ACTIVATABLE INTEGRATED MECHANICAL ANTI-ROLLBACK DEVICE WITH ONE OR MORE POSITIONS
    Publication number: 20130250531
    Abstract: A thermally deformable assembly is formed in an integrated-circuit metallization level. The physical behavior of the metal forming the assembly brings the assembly into contact with a stop-forming body when subjected to a temperature change caused by a current flow. A natural rollback to the initial configuration in which the assembly is a certain distance away from the body is prevented. The state or configuration of the assembly is determined by a capacitive reader.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
    Inventors: Albert Martinez, Pascal Fornara
  • MICROELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE HAVING AN OSCILLATING MASS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A MICROELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE HAVING AN OSCILLATING MASS
    Publication number: 20130249642
    Abstract: A microelectromechanical device includes a body, a movable mass, elastically connected to the body and movable in accordance with a degree of freedom, and a driving device, coupled to the movable mass and configured to maintain the movable mass in oscillation at a steady working frequency in a normal operating mode. The microelectromechanical device moreover includes a start-up device, which is activatable in a start-up operating mode and is configured to compare a current oscillation frequency of a first signal correlated to oscillation of the movable mass with a reference frequency, and for deciding, on the basis of the comparison between the current oscillation frequency and the reference frequency, whether to supply to the movable mass a forcing signal packet so as to transfer energy to the movable mass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni, Carlo Caminada, Luciano Prandi
  • OPTICAL ELECTRONIC PACKAGE
    Publication number: 20130248887
    Abstract: An optical electronic package includes transmitting chip and a receiving chip fixed to a wafer. A transparent encapsulation structure is formed by a transparent plate and a transparent encapsulation block that are formed over the transmitter chip and at least a portion of the receiver chip, with the transparent encapsulation block embedding the transmitter chip. An opaque encapsulation block extends over the transparent plate and includes an opening that reveals a front area of the transparent plate. The front area is situated above an optical transmitter of the transmitting chip and is offset laterally relative to an optical sensor of the receiving chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicants: STMICROELECTRONICS PTE LTD, STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS
    Inventors: Romain Coffy, Eric Saugier, Hk Looi, Norbert Chevrier
  • APPARATUS HAVING A HOUSING, WITH INTRUSION DETECTION
    Publication number: 20130249691
    Abstract: An embodiment of an apparatus has a closed housing accommodating an element to be protected, and a pressure sensor coupled to a control unit configured to detect pressure variations within the housing upon opening the housing. The control unit is configured to activate countermeasures upon detecting opening of the housing. For example, the apparatus may be a set-top box, a cell phone, a television set, a printer ink cartridge of toner cartridge, or a meter, wherein the element to be protected is a semiconductor chip and relevant couplings, storing an enabling code or key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Guido Marco BERTONI, Fabio TOTA
  • PHASE MOTION DETECTOR FOR BASEBAND YC SEPARATION
    Publication number: 20130250178
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein for a motion detection system for video signal processing that includes a luminance motion detector, a chroma motion detector, and a smoothness detector. These systems and methods may also include a phase motion detector, a baseband YC separation circuitry for video signal processing, a chip for video signal processing, and a video signal processing system used in an electronic article.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE., LTD.
    Inventor: Patricia Chiang Wei Yin
  • NONVOLATILE MEMORY COMPRISING MINI WELLS AT A FLOATING POTENTIAL
    Publication number: 20130250700
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an integrated circuit comprising a nonvolatile memory on a semiconductor substrate. The integrated circuit comprises a doped isolation layer implanted in the depth of the substrate, isolated conductive trenches reaching the isolation layer and forming gates of selection transistors of memory cells, isolation trenches perpendicular to the conductive trenches and reaching the isolation layer, and conductive lines parallel to the conductive trenches, extending on the substrate and forming control gates of charge accumulation transistors of memory cells. The isolation trenches and the isolated conductive trenches delimit a plurality of mini wells in the substrate, the mini wells electrically isolated from each other, each having a floating electrical potential and comprising two memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 5, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Francesco La Rosa
  • OSCILLATOR
    Publication number: 20130251076
    Abstract: An oscillator is described, comprising at least one transistor having a first terminal connected to a power supply voltage. The oscillator comprises at least one inductive element connected to a second terminal of the transistor and to a bias voltage and at least one capacitive element coupled between a third terminal of the transistor and ground. The oscillator further comprises means to collect the output signal of the oscillator on the second terminal of the transistor. The oscillator is of the millimeter wave type, i.e., both the inductive element and the capacitive element are sized such that the oscillation frequency is between 30 and 300 gigahertz.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Giuseppina Sapone, Alessandro Italia, Egidio Ragonese, Giuseppe Palmisano
  • Source of photons resulting from a recombination of localized excitons
    Patent number: 8541791
    Abstract: A source of photons resulting from a recombination of localized excitons, including a semiconductor layer having a central portion surrounded with heavily-doped regions; above said central portion, a layer portion containing elements capable of being activated by excitons, coated with a first metallization; and under the semiconductor layer, a second metallization of greater extension than the first metallization. The distance between the first and second metallizations is on the order of from 10 to 60 nm; and the lateral extension of the first metallization is on the order of from ?0/10*ne to ?0/2*ne, where ?0 is the wavelength in vacuum of the emitted light and ne is the effective refractive index of the mode formed in the cavity created by the two metallizations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics (Grenoble) SAS, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
    Inventors: Roch Espiau de Lamaestre, Jean-Jacques Greffet, Bernard Guillaumot, Ruben Esteban Llorente
  • Method of transmitting a packet of digital data over a poly-phase power line affected by impulsive noise
    Patent number: 8542754
    Abstract: The method transmits a long packet of digital data over a poly-phase power line affected by impulsive noise synchronous with phase voltages. Instead of using very complicated coding schemes, starting from the knowledge of the typical power line scenario, useful information is transmitted where noise synchronous with the main signal is absent. Time-intervals of a known or estimated duration during which the poly-phase power line is affected by impulsive noise are determined, and dummy data during the time-intervals, and useful data during other time-intervals free from impulsive noise, are transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignees: Dora S.p.A., STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Lorenzo Guerrieri, Emile Saccani, Alessandro Lasciandare, Arturo Lotito, Paola Bisaglia
  • Method of list decoding and relative decoder for LDPC codes
    Patent number: 8543889
    Abstract: A method is for generating, for each check node related to a parity check equation of a LDPC code, signals representing a first output table of corrected values of symbols of a word received through a communication channel and transmitted according to the LDPC code, and signals representing a second output table of the logarithm of the ratio between the respective probability of correctness of the values of same coordinates in the first output table and their corresponding maximum probability of correctness. The method is implemented by processing the components of a first input table of values of a Galois Field of symbols that may have been transmitted and of a second input table of corresponding probability of correctness of each value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Mauro Natuzzi, Angelo Poloni, Stefano Valle
  • Microelectromechanical gyroscope with calibrated synchronization of actuation and method for actuating a microelectromechanical gyroscope
    Patent number: 8539834
    Abstract: A gyroscope includes a body, a driving mass, which is mobile according to a driving axis, and a sensing mass, which is driven by the driving mass and is mobile according to a sensing axis, in response to rotations of the body. A driving device forms a microelectromechanical control loop with the body and the driving mass and maintains the driving mass in oscillation with a driving frequency. The driving device comprises a frequency detector, which supplies a clock signal at the frequency of oscillation of the driving mass, and a synchronization stage, which applies a calibrated phase shift to the clock signal so as to compensate a phase shift caused by components of the loop that are set between the driving mass and the control node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luciano Prandi, Carlo Caminada, Alessandra Maria Rizzo Piazza Roncoroni
  • High voltage transmission switch, namely for ultrasound applications
    Patent number: 8542056
    Abstract: A high voltage transmission switch comprises a switching block coupled between a connection terminal to a load and a low voltage output terminal and comprising at least a first switching transistor and a second switching transistor coupled between the connection terminal and the low voltage output terminal and interconnected at a first circuit node; and a driving circuit coupled between a positive low voltage supply reference and a negative high voltage supply reference and having an output terminal connected to the switching block. The driving circuit including at least a first driving transistor coupled between the positive low voltage supply reference and the output terminal and a second driving transistor coupled between the output terminal and the negative high voltage supply reference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.rl.
    Inventors: Sandro Rossi, Giulio Ricotti