Abstract: A transmission channel configured to transmit high-voltage pulses and to receive echoes of the high-voltage pulses includes a high voltage buffer, a voltage clamp and a switch. The voltage clamp may include clamping transistors and switching off transistors coupled together in series with body diodes in anti-series. The transmission channel may include a reset circuit configured to bias the transmission channel between pulses. The switch may include a bootstrap circuit.

Abstract: A transmission channel includes at least one high voltage buffer block having buffer transistors and respective buffer diodes, being electrically coupled between respective voltage reference terminals, these buffer transistors being also coupled to a clamping block, in turn including clamping transistors connected to at least one output terminal of this transmission channel through diodes coupled to prevent the body diodes of the clamping transistors from conducting. The transmission channel includes at least one reset circuit having diodes and being electrically coupled between circuit nodes of the high voltage buffer block and of the clamping block, these circuit nodes being in correspondence with conduction terminals of the transistors comprised into the high voltage buffer block and into the clamping block.

Abstract: A clamping circuit includes a clamping core connected to an output terminal and having a central node connected to a voltage reference and at least one first and one second clamp transistor, connected to the central node and having respective control terminals, the clamping core being also connected at the input to a low voltage input driver block. The clamping core includes a first switching off transistor connected to the output terminal and to the first clamp transistor, as well as a second switching off transistor connected to the output terminal and to the second clamp transistor.

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 system and method of making a firmware self updatable depending on option information stored in a configuration module. The configuration module can either be in a memory device or a memory controller. The self-updation flexibility can be achieved by customizing the options as per the customer's requirements and can be done either through an USB interface or by pre-programming the configuration module or any other communication or programming options. The option information is provided by using a configurable module inside either the memory or the memory controller. After the basic initialization operations, the firmware reads the option information from the controller itself or any other non-volatile memory and performs the tasks to enhance the overall performance.

Abstract: A bipolar selection transistor and a circuitry MOS transistor for a memory device are formed in a semiconductor body. The bipolar selection transistor is formed by implanting a buried collector, implanting a base region on the buried collector, forming a silicide protection mask on the semiconductor body, and implanting an emitter region and a control contact region. The circuitry MOS transistor is formed by defining a gate on the semiconductor body, forming lateral spacers on the sides of the gate and implanting source and drain regions on the sides of the lateral spacers. Then, a silicide region is formed on the emitter, base contact, source and drain regions and the gate, in a self-aligned way. The lateral spacers are multilayer structures including at least two different layers, one of which is used to form the silicide protection mask on the bipolar selection transistor. Thereby, the dimensions of the lateral spacers are decoupled from the thickness of the silicide protection mask.

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 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: Capacitive coupling devices and methods of fabricating a capacitive coupling device are disclosed. The coupling device could include a stack of layers forming electrodes and at least one insulator. The insulator could include a region of doped silicon. The silicon could be doped with a species selected from Ce, Cr, Co, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ho, Ir, Li, Lu, Mn, Pr, Rb, Sm, Sr, Tb, Tm, Yb, Y, Ac, Am, Ba, Be, Cd, Gd, Fe, La, Pb, Ni, Ra, Sc, Th, Hf, Tl, Sn, Np, Rh, U, Zn, Ag, and Yb in relief and forming roughnesses relative to the neighboring regions of the same level in the stack. The electrodes and the insulator form conformal layers above the doped silicon region.

Abstract: A method for scrambling current consumption of an integrated circuit, at least during execution of a confidential operation by the integrated circuit that includes reading confidential data stored therein and/or the calculation of an encryption code is provided. The charge pump is activated to generate current consumption fluctuations on the electrical power supply line of the integrated circuit, at an intensity great enough to mask the current consumption variations associated with the execution of the confidential operation.

Abstract: An embodiment of a design of one or more devices such as e.g. integrated circuits is ported from a source design technology to a target design technology by:—producing a standardized set of porting rules which translate device information related to the device or devices from the source design technology to the target design technology, and—creating a migrated design for the device or devices resulting from porting the CAD design from the source design technology to the target design technology by applying the standardized set of rules to the device information related.

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: 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: An apparatus for processing semiconductor wafers includes at least a wet bench and an automatic handling system of a wafer carrier removably connected thereto. The wet bench includes a first processing tank, a second processing tank and a third processing tank, separated from one another, each processing tank being dedicated to a different chemical, as well as a special cleaning and drying tank for processing the automatic handling system when the wafer carrier has been removed.

Abstract: A ring oscillator has a plurality of elementary units connected in cascade and linked in order to make a chain with the respective output terminals connected to the input terminals of the successive elementary units of the chain, the elementary units being crossed by a cyclic signal during a time period of activation, each of said elementary units comprising an auxiliary recovery terminal for temporarily resetting each elementary unit during each loop of said cyclic signal, said auxiliary recovery terminal being connected to an output terminal of a successive elementary unit of the chain.

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: 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 an assembly including, stacked on each other, first and second devices with semiconductor components including opposite conductive balls, this method including the steps of: a) forming, on the first device, at least one resin pattern, close to at least some of the conductive balls by a distance smaller than or equal to half the ball diameter, and of a height greater than the ball height; and b) bonding the second device to the first device, by using said at least one pattern to guide the balls of the second device towards the corresponding balls of the first device.

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.