Abstract: A process for the manufacturing of an integrated circuit having DMOS-technology power devices and non-volatile memory cells provides for forming respective laterally displaced isolated semiconductor regions, electrically insulated from each other and from a common semiconductor substrate, inside which the devices will be formed; forming conductive gate regions for the DMOS-technology power devices and for the memory cells over the respective isolated semiconductor regions. Inside the isolated semiconductor regions for the DMOS-technology power devices, channel regions extending under the insulated gate regions are formed. The channel regions are formed by an implantation of a dopant along directions tilted of a prescribed angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to a top surface of the integrated circuit, in a dose and with an energy such that the channel regions are formed directly after the implantation of the dopant without performing a thermal diffusion at a high temperature of the dopant.

Abstract: The video memory requirement of an MPEG decoder, or of an SQTV processor, or of similar devices, wherein the storing of full pages or pixels or portions thereof is performed in decoding or in filtering noise, may be dynamically reduced by ADPCM recompressing and decompressing of the MPEG decoded digital data stream, before and after storing the data in the video memory, respectively. A particularly efficient and simple ADPCM compression method employs a differential variance estimator which, instead of processing bidimensional blocks of pels, instead processes blocks of pels all belonging to a same horizontal video line.

Abstract: An integrated structure is made in a chip of semiconductor material inside an insulated N type region extending from a surface of the chip. The structure comprises a Zener diode formed by a P type first region extending from the surface inside the insulated region and by a second region of type N extending from the surface inside the first region. These regions form between themselves a buried junction, in which the structure further includes a lateral bipolar transistor having an emitter region provided by the first region.

Abstract: A charge pump includes a plurality of stages connected in series between a reference potential and an output terminal of the charge pump. The plurality of stages includes a first group of stages, proximate to the reference potential, and a second group of stages proximate to the output terminal of the charge pump. Each stage of the first group includes a pass-transistor with first and second terminals respectively connected to an input and an output of the stage, and a first capacitor with a first plate connected to the output of the stage and a second plate driven by a digital signal switching between the reference voltage and a positive voltage. Each stage of the second group includes a junction diode having a first electrode connected to an input of the stage and a second electrode connected to an output of the stage, and a second capacitor having a first plate connected to the output of the stage and a second plate driven by a digital signal switching between the reference voltage and the voltage supply.

Abstract: The power output of a static DC--DC converter employing a current mode PWM controller is controlled upon the varying of the switching frequency, by detecting the sawtooth signal produced by the local oscillator generating a DC signal with an amplitude inversely proportional to the frequency. The power output is controlled by alternatively clamping the output voltage of the error amplifier of the PWM controller at a voltage proportional to the amplitude of the DC signal, or by offsetting the signal present on the current sensing resistor by a voltage corresponding to the difference between a constant voltage and the DC signal.

Abstract: A method and circuit to trim the internal timing conditions for a semiconductor memory device including a memory matrix and circuit portions for allowing reading of the data stored in the memory matrix wherein such circuit portions include an ATD generator detecting each transition of a plurality of address terminals of the memory device to produce an ATD synchronization signal, a sense amplifier which receives an equalization a signal EQU from a generator activated by the ATD signal, and output buffers enabled by an OUTLATCH signal produced by a generator receiving the ATD signal and the EQU signal. The length of the signals is automatically trimmed according to a corresponding length code contained in a portion of the memory device.

Abstract: The present invention is a monolithically integrated programmable device having elementary modules connected electrically by means of memory cells of the flash type, which cells allow the signal paths between signal lines of the elementary modules to be programmed and re-programmed. Preferably, the flash memory cells are Fowler-Nordheim Effect cells.

Abstract: A process for forming an integrated circuit includes at least one matrix of non-volatile memory cells having an intermediate dielectric multilayer including at least a lower dielectric material layer and an upper silicon oxide layer. The integrated circuit includes at least one transistor simultaneously formed in zones peripheral to the matrix and having a gate dielectric of a first thickness. After formation of the floating gate with a gate oxide layer and a polycrystalline silicon layer and the formation of the lower dielectric material layer, the process includes removal of said layers from the peripheral zones of the matrix; deposition of said upper silicon oxide layer over the memory cells, and over the substrate in the areas of the peripheral transistors; and formation of a first silicon oxide layer at least in the areas of the peripheral transistors. A second transistor type can be formed having a gate dielectric of a second thickness, thinner than said first thickness, in successive steps.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor is described which is formed by planar technology on a substrate. It includes a core of ferromagnetic material and, coupled conductively together by the core, a first winding adapted to be connected to a power supply and a second winding adapted to be connected to circuit means for measuring an electrical magnitude induced therein. The core has two suspended portions which are free to bend as a result of an inertial force due to an accelerative movement of the sensor itself. The bending causes lengthening of the core and hence a variation in the reluctance of the magnetic circuit. If a constant current is supplied to the first winding, a voltage is induced in the second winding as a result of the variation in the magnetic flux caused by the variation in reluctance.

Abstract: A servo-demodulator for a pair of alternating signals generated by a magnetic disc read head and indicative of the position of the read head in relation to the center of a recorded track. The servo-demodulator comprises a peak detector for successively and individually sampling the amplitude of each of a plurality of peaks of the pair of alternating signals, and a capacitor periodically connected to the output of the peak detector by a control logic for deriving a weighted average of the various successively sampled amplitudes. In this manner, the control logic obtains an averaged measure of amplitude with high immunity to noise.

Abstract: A structure is disclosed which comprises a metal plate, a chip of a semiconductor material attached to the plate, terminal leads, interconnection wires between the leads and the metallized regions of the chip, and a polymer body encapsulating all this with the exception of a surface of the plate and part of the leads. To achieve improved bond between the polymer and the metal, predetermined areas of the plate and the leads have a higher roughness than 1 (R.sub.a .gtoreq.1 .mu.m).

Abstract: A process for forming a microtip cathode structure on a field emission display panel which avoids the need of vacuum depositing a lift-off layer for the microtip deposition overstructure in specially equipped reactors to accomplish a deposition at a grazing angle, by co-patterening the lift-off layer together with an underlying metal grid layer using a succession of different etching steps through the openings of a grid definition mask. According to an embodiment, nickel is used as lift-off material and is either wet-etched or sputter-etched before performing a plasma etch of the underlying grid metal layer. According to an alternative embodiment, the masking resist layer is used as lift-off material.

Abstract: In a storage device of the multi-level type, comprising a plurality of memory cells addressable through an address input each cell being adapted for storing more than one binary information element in a MOS transistor which has a control gate, and a floating gate for storing electrons to modify the threshold voltage of the transistor, and comprising a circuit enabling a Direct Memory Access (DMA) mode for directly accessing the memory cells from outside the device, the memory cells are programmed in the direct memory access mode by controlling, from outside the device, the amount of charge stored into the floating gate of each transistor.

Abstract: A bipolar power transistor of interdigitated geometry having a buried P type base region, a buried N type emitter region, a P type base-contact region, an N type emitter-contact region, connected to an emitter electrode and an N type connection region disposed around the emitter-contact region. The emitter region is buried within the base region in such a way that the buried emitter region and the connection region delimit a P type screen region. The transistor further includes a biasing P type region in contact with the emitter electrode, which extends up to the screen region.

Abstract: In a switched operational amplifier including a differential input stage and at least a second output stage, the compensation capacitor commonly required to couple the output node of the second stage with the respective output node of the input differential stage of the amplifier is associated with a switching circuit. The switching circuit is controlled by the same control phase that enables/disables the amplifier for interrupting the connection between the compensation capacitor (CC) and the output node of the differential input stage during a phase in which the amplifier is disabled for reducing the switch-on time. Notably the differential input stage of the operational amplifier remains always active and only the second output stage is switched on and off.

Abstract: A method of depositing a layered dielectric structure to improve the planarity of electronic devices which include a plurality of active elements having gate regions laid across the substrate as discrete parallel lines, such as the bit lines of memory cells. The bit lines are isolated from one another by a layered dielectric structure to provide a planar architecture onto which an optional conductive layer may be deposited. The dielectric structure is formed from a highly planarizing dielectric layer of the SOG type spun over a first insulating dielectric layer and solidified by means of a thermal polymerization process. After solidifying the dielectric layer, it is subjected to a rapid thermal annealing treatment.

Abstract: A CMOS twin-tub negative voltage switching architecture is for a non-volatile memory device and includes a negative voltage multiplier for generating a increased voltage value starting from a single main power supply. A voltage regulator feedback is connected to the voltage multiplier for regulating the generated negative voltage value; and a plurality of independent switch circuits each one receiving as an input the negative voltage value and producing as an output a predetermined local negative voltage.

Abstract: An operational amplifier frequency self-compensated with respect to closed-loop gain comprises a transconductance input stage and an amplifier output stage connected serially together to receive an input signal on at least one input terminal of the amplifier and generate an amplified signal on an output terminal of the amplifier. Provided between the input and output stages is an intermediate node which is connected to a compensation block to receive a frequency-variable compensation signal therefrom. The compensation block is coupled with its input to the input terminal of the amplifier. The compensation block is connected to receive at least the feedback signal. Preferably, the compensation signal is variable as a function of a gain value which is determined by the feedback circuit, and said variation of the compensation signal occurs in a relationship of inverse proportionality to the gain value.

Abstract: A power integrated circuit including a substrate of semiconductor material having a first conductivity type on which is formed a first epitaxial layer of the same conductivity type. In a first portion of the first epitaxial layer are formed first and second diffused regions having respectively first and second conductivity type. The first and the second diffused regions are isolated from a power stage included partially in a second portion of the first epitaxial layer by an annular region having the second conductivity type. Over the first epitaxial layer is formed a second epitaxial layer having the first conductivity type in which are extended the first and the second diffused regions to permit forming a control circuitry for the power stage.

Abstract: A method of automatically measuring the horizontal scan frequency of a composite synchronism signal, comprising horizontal synchronization impulses at line frequency, consists of first performing a count of a number of impulses having a repeat frequency higher than said line frequency, as intervening between two successive impulses at line frequency.The count value, corresponding to said number of impulses, is stored to obtain the line frequency of the signal, and thereafter, a series of down counts is effected, as initiated at predetermined times, until a change of frequency of the signal is detected.