Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics
  • Publication number: 20120319191
    Abstract: Process for manufacturing a semiconductor power device, wherein a trench is formed in a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type; the trench is annealed for shaping purpose; and the trench is filled with semiconductor material via epitaxial growth so as to obtain a first column having a second conductivity type. The epitaxial growth is performed by supplying a gas containing silicon and a gas containing dopant ions of the second conductivity type in presence of a halogenide gas and occurs with uniform distribution of the dopant ions. The flow of the gas containing dopant ions is varied according to a linear ramp during the epitaxial growth; in particular, in the case of selective growth of the semiconductor material in the presence of a hard mask, the flow decreases; in the case of non-selective growth, in the absence of hard mask, the flow increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Simona Lorenti, Cateno Marco Camalleri, Mario Giuseppe Saggio, Ferruccio Frisina
  • Publication number: 20120320681
    Abstract: A sector of an electrically programmable non-volatile memory includes memory cells connected to word lines and to bit lines, each cell including at least one transistor having a gate connected to a word line, a drain connected to a bit line and a source connected to a source line. The sector includes at least two distinct wells insulated from one another, each including a number of cells of the sector, being able to take different potentials, and in that the sector has at least one bit line electrically linked to the drain of at least two cells mounted on two distinct wells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventor: Jean-Michel Mirabel
  • Publication number: 20120320477
    Abstract: An integrated circuit chip including a plurality of parallel wells of alternated conductivity types formed in the upper portion of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type, and a device of protection against attacks including: between the wells, trenches with insulated walls filled with a conductive material, said trenches extending from the upper surface of the wells to the substrate; and a circuit capable of detecting a modification of the stray capacitance formed between said conductive material and a region of the chip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Mathieu Lisart, Alexandre Sarafianos
  • Publication number: 20120319206
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including at least one isolating trench that delimits an active area made of a monocrystalline semiconductor material, the or each trench comprising an upper portion including an insulating layer that encapsulates a lower portion of the trench, the lower portion being at least partly buried in the active area and the encapsulation layer comprising nitrogen or carbon.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Grégory Bidal, Laurent Favennec, Raul Andres Bianchi
  • Publication number: 20120320545
    Abstract: An intelligent power module includes a power circuit board having a plurality of power devices and fixed on a base plate of a case body able to be closed with a lid to form a protective case of the intelligent power module. The intelligent power module also includes a control circuit board suitable to drive the power devices of the power circuit board. The control circuit board is associated with the lid in such a way that the control circuit board is comprised within the case body. The control circuit board and the lid thus realizing an intelligent lid of the intelligent power module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Matteo Lo Presti, Nunzio Abbate, Agatino Minotti, Mario Di Guardo
  • Publication number: 20120319204
    Abstract: A triggerable bidirectional semiconductor device has two terminals and at least one gate. The device comprises, within a layer of silicon on insulator, a central semiconductor zone incorporating the at least one gate and comprising a central region having a first conductivity type, two intermediate regions having a second conductivity type respectively arranged on either side of and in contact with the central region, two semiconductor end zones respectively arranged on either side of the central zone, each end zone comprising two end regions having opposite types of conductivity, in contact with the adjacent intermediate region, the two end regions of each end zone being mutually connected electrically in order to form the two terminals of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Thomas Benoist, Philippe Galy, Johan Bourgeat, Frank Jezequel, Nicolas Guitard
  • Publication number: 20120320550
    Abstract: A link device for three-dimensional integrated structure may include a module having a first end face designed to be in front of a first element of the structure, and a second end face designed to be placed in front of a second element of the structure. The two end faces may be substantially parallel, and the module including a substrate having a face substantially perpendicular to the two end faces and carrying an electrically conducting pattern formed in a metallization level on top of the face and enclosed in an insulating region. The electrically conducting pattern may include a first end part emerging onto the first end face and a second end part emerging onto the second end face and connected to the first end part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2012
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Pierre Bar, Sylvain Joblot, Jean-Francois Carpentier
  • Patent number: 8334576
    Abstract: MOS device formed in a semiconductor body having a first conductivity type and a surface and housing a first current-conduction region and a second current-conduction region, of a second conductivity type. The first and second current-conduction regions define between them a channel, arranged below a gate region, formed on top of the surface and electrically insulated from the channel region. A conductive region extends on top of a portion of the channel, adjacent to and insulated from the gate region only on a side thereof facing the first current-conduction region. The conductive region is biased so as to modulate the current flowing in the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Salvatore Cascino, Maria Concetta Nicotra, Antonello Santangelo
  • Patent number: 8335121
    Abstract: A device, and a corresponding method of implementation, for SRAM memory information storage are provided. The device is powered by a supply voltage and includes an array of base cells organized in base columns, and at least one mirror column of at least one mirror cell liable to simulate the behavior of the cells in a base column. The device further includes Emulation means, in a mirror column, of the most restricting cell in a base column, Means for varying a mirror power supply voltage for the mirror column, and Means for copying the mirror power supply voltage in the emulated base column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.A.
    Inventors: Cyrille Dray, Francois Jacquet, Sébastien Barasinski
  • Patent number: 8334188
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing an SOI wafer, including the steps of: forming, in a wafer of semiconductor material, cavities delimiting structures of semiconductor material; thinning out the structures through a thermal process; and completely oxidizing the structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Flavio Villa, Gabriele Barlocchi, Pietro Corona
  • Publication number: 20120313144
    Abstract: A semiconductor device having a gate positioned in a recess between the source region and a drain region that are adjacent either side of the gate electrode. A channel region is below a majority of the source region as well as a majority of the drain region and the entire gate electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicants: International Business Machines, STMicroelectronics, Inc.
    Inventors: John H. ZHANG, Lawrence A. Clevenger, Carl Radens, Yiheng Xu
  • Publication number: 20120313615
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a saw-tooth generator including a saw tooth node configured to have a saw-tooth voltage generated thereon; and a first switch having a first end connected to the saw tooth node. The integrated circuit further includes a second switch coupled between an output node and an electrical ground, wherein the first switch and the second switch are configured to operate synchronously. A first current source is connected to the saw tooth node. A second current source is connected to the output node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (SHENZHEN) R&D CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Liu, Haibo Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120313182
    Abstract: An electronic component including a number of insulated-gate field effect transistors, said transistors belonging to at least two distinct subsets by virtue of their threshold voltage, wherein each transistor includes a gate that has two electrodes, namely a first electrode embedded inside the substrate where the channel of the transistor is defined and a second upper electrode located above the substrate facing buried electrode relative to channel and separated from said channel by a layer of dielectric material and wherein the embedded electrodes of all the transistors are formed by an identical material, the upper electrodes having a layer that is in contact with the dielectric material which is formed by materials that differ from one subset of transistors to another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics (Crolles 2) SAS
    Inventors: Jean Luc Huguenin, Stéphane Monfray
  • Publication number: 20120317662
    Abstract: In an embodiment, to deter or delay counterfeiting/cloning of a replacement component of a host device, the replacement component is provided with a code value. The code value is generated from a value of at least one physical parameter of the replacement component and is stored on the replacement component. The host device determines whether the replacement component is authentic if the stored code value matches a reference code value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicants: STMICROELECTRONICS, INC., STMICROELECTRONICS ASIA PACIFIC PTE LTD. (Singapore)
    Inventors: TeckKhim NEO, Paul I. MIKULAN, Murray J. ROBINSON, Rube M. ROSS
  • Publication number: 20120313223
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method of fabricating an integrated circuit of CMOS technology in a semiconductor wafer comprising scribe lines. According to the disclosure, a ground contact pad of the integrated circuit is made in a scribe line of the wafer and is destroyed during a step of individualizing the integrated circuit by singulation of the wafer. A ground contact of the integrated circuit is made on the back side of the integrated circuit when it is assembled in an interconnection package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
    Inventor: François Tailliet
  • Publication number: 20120315966
    Abstract: An embodiment of a method for scheduling execution of jobs with the resources of a Multi-Core system envisages producing a system model based upon agents representing the jobs, said agents being able to implement a strategy for scheduling execution of the jobs with the resources of the Multi-Core system via respective available moves corresponding to the choice of a given resource of the Multi-Core system for execution of a given job. The agents are configured for implementing said strategy as strategy that integrates MiniMax and Nash-equilibrium strategies, for example operating in an iterative way, identifying an optimal solution deriving from the iteration. The strategy can be implemented by maximizing the probability of optimizing the time of completion of a given job for one of the agents.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventor: Massimo Orazio SPATA
  • Publication number: 20120313766
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an object configured to be handheld and including vibratory actuators. The method including mechanically coupling a first group of at least one vibratory actuator to a first part of the object, mechanically coupling a second group of at least one vibratory actuator to a second part of the object, the first and the second parts being configured to be able to vibrate independently of each other, and to come into contact with different areas of the hand of the user holding the object, and transmitting to each group of actuators, an electrical signal having a frequency adapted to the resonance frequency of the part to which it is mechanically coupled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicants: STMICROELECTRONICS (GRENOBLE 2) SAS, STMICROELECTRONICS SA
    Inventors: Cedrick Chappaz, Yves Gilot, Olivier Girard
  • Publication number: 20120313153
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the invention, the gate contact is formed by a selective deposition on the gate electrode. One acceptable technique for the selective deposition is by plating. Plating is one process by which a metal structure, such as a gate contact, may be formed directly on the gate electrode. The plating is carried out by immersing the semiconductor die in a plating solution with the gate electrode exposed. The gate contact is plated onto the gate electrode and thus is ensured of being fully aligned exactly to the gate electrode. After this, the appropriate dielectric layers are formed adjacent the gate contact and over the source and drain to ensure that the gate electrode is electrically isolated from other components of the transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 12, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicants: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES, STMICROELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: John H. ZHANG, Lawrence A. CLEVENGER, Carl J. RADENS, Yiheng XU
  • Publication number: 20120313605
    Abstract: A circuit may generate a clock signal with a variable period given by a ratio between an initial switching period and a number of phase circuits through which a current of a multi-phase PWM voltage converter flows. The circuit may include an adjustable current generator driven by a signal representing the number of phase circuits through which the current flows and configured to generate a current proportional to the number of phase circuits through which the current flows, and a tank capacitor charged by the adjustable current generator. The circuit may include a comparator of a voltage on the tank capacitor with a threshold value configured to generate a pulse of the clock signal when the threshold value is attained, and a discharge path of the tank capacitor, the discharge path being enabled during the pulses of the clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: OSVALDO ENRICO ZAMBETTI, DANIELE GIORGETTI
  • Publication number: 20120313689
    Abstract: A low voltage isolation circuit is coupled between an input terminal for receiving a high voltage signal and an output terminal for transmitting the high voltage signal to a load. The isolation circuit includes a driving block; having a first driving transistor coupled between a first voltage reference and an intermediate node and a second driving transistor coupled between the intermediate node and a second voltage reference; an isolation block connected between the input and output terminals and, through a protection block to the intermediate node. The protection block includes first and second protection transistors (MD1, coupled in anti-series to each other and having control terminals receiving complementary protection driving signals. The isolation block includes a voltage limiter block, a diode block and a control transistor connected across the diode block between the input and output terminals and having a control terminal connected to the intermediate node through the protection block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Valeria Bottarel, Giulio Ricotti, Silvia Marabelli