Patents by Inventor Alfio Russo

Alfio Russo has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240204478
    Abstract: In a driver circuit couplable to laser diodes, a semiconductor body has a first surface. First and second control switches have drains coupled to a drain metallization, which is couplable to a power supply line, and sources coupled to respective first and second source metallizations, which are couplable to cathode terminals of the laser diodes and a reference node. A plurality of high-side switches have drains coupled to the drain metallization and sources coupled to third source metallizations, each of which is coupled to a respective drive output node for driving an anode terminal of a respective laser diode. The drain, first, second and third source metallizations face the first surface of the semiconductor body, which faces the laser diodes. The second and third source metallizations are aligned with one another and are superimposed to the respective source terminals of the second control switch and high-side switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Alfio Russo, Nadia Lecci, Antonio Filippo Massimo Pizzardi, Antoine Pavlin, Vanni Poletto, Marco Brera, Simone Bianchi
  • Publication number: 20240071912
    Abstract: SiC-based MOSFET electronic device comprising: a solid body; a gate terminal, extending into the solid body; a conductive path, extending at a first side of the solid body, configured to be electrically couplable to a generator of a biasing voltage; a protection element of a solid-state material, coupled to the gate terminal and to the conductive path, the protection element forming an electronic connection between the gate terminal and the conductive path, and being configured to go from the solid state to a melted or gaseous state, interrupting the electrical connection, in response to a leakage current through the protection element greater than a critical threshold; a buried cavity in the solid body accommodating, at least in part, the protection element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Laura Letizia SCALIA, Cateno Marco CAMALLERI, Edoardo ZANETTI, Alfio RUSSO
  • Patent number: 11894657
    Abstract: An embodiment pulse generator circuit comprises a first electronic switch coupled between first and second nodes, and a second electronic switch coupled between the second node and a reference node. An LC resonant circuit comprising an inductance and a capacitance is coupled between the first and reference nodes along with charge circuitry comprises a further inductance in a current flow line between a supply node and an intermediate node in the LC resonant circuit. Drive circuitry of the electronic switches repeats, during a sequence of switching cycles, charge time intervals, wherein the capacitance in the LC resonant circuit is charged via the charge circuit, and pulse generation time intervals, wherein a pulsed current is provided to the load via the first and second nodes. The charge and pulse generation time intervals are interleaved with oscillation time intervals where the LC resonant circuit oscillates at a resonance frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Vanni Poletto, Antoine Pavlin, Nadia Lecci, Alfio Russo
  • Patent number: 11469177
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Francesco Patane′, Alfio Russo
  • Publication number: 20220214430
    Abstract: An electronic module for generating light pulses includes an electronic card or interposer, a LASER-diode lighting module, and a LASER-diode driver module. The interposer has an edge recess in which the lighting module is completely inserted. The driver module is arranged on top of the interposer and the lighting module. The electrical connections for driving the LASER diodes are obtained without resorting to wire bonding in order to reduce the parasitic inductances.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS, STMicroelectronics Application GmbH
    Inventors: Romeo LETOR, Roberto TIZIANI, Alfio RUSSO, Antoine PAVLIN, Nadia LECCI, Manuel GAERTNER
  • Publication number: 20220014187
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a pulse generator circuit includes: an LC resonant circuit coupled between a first node and a reference node; a first switch coupled between the first node and the reference node; a switching network comprising a second switch coupled between the first node and a respective drive node; and drive circuit having outputs coupled to the first switch and to the second switch of the switching network. The drive circuit configured to, in repeating cycles: close the first switch when a current flowing through an inductor of the LC resonant circuit increases during a resonant cycle, when the current flowing through the inductor reaches a threshold value, open the first switch, close the second switch of the switching network for a pulse duration time when the first switch is open, and open the second switch at an expiration of the pulse duration time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Vanni Poletto, Antoine Pavlin, Alfio Russo, Nadia Lecci
  • Publication number: 20220013984
    Abstract: An embodiment pulse generator circuit comprises a first electronic switch coupled between first and second nodes, and a second electronic switch coupled between the second node and a reference node. An LC resonant circuit comprising an inductance and a capacitance is coupled between the first and reference nodes along with charge circuitry comprises a further inductance in a current flow line between a supply node and an intermediate node in the LC resonant circuit. Drive circuitry of the electronic switches repeats, during a sequence of switching cycles, charge time intervals, wherein the capacitance in the LC resonant circuit is charged via the charge circuit, and pulse generation time intervals, wherein a pulsed current is provided to the load via the first and second nodes. The charge and pulse generation time intervals are interleaved with oscillation time intervals where the LC resonant circuit oscillates at a resonance frequency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Publication date: January 13, 2022
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Vanni Poletto, Antoine Pavlin, Nadia Lecci, Alfio Russo
  • Publication number: 20220005702
    Abstract: A process for manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes providing a silicon carbide wafer, having a substrate. An epitaxial growth for formation of an epitaxial layer, having a top surface, is carried out on the substrate. Following upon the step of carrying out an epitaxial growth, the process includes the step of removing a surface portion of the epitaxial layer starting from the top surface so as to remove surface damages present at the top surface as a result of propagation of dislocations from the substrate during the previous epitaxial growth and so as to define a resulting top surface substantially free of defects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2021
    Publication date: January 6, 2022
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Nicolo' PILUSO, Andrea SEVERINO, Stefania RINALDI Beatrice, AngeloAnnibale MAZZEO, Leonardo CAUDO, Alfio RUSSO, Giovanni FRANCO, Anna BASSI
  • Publication number: 20210218223
    Abstract: An embodiment pulse generator circuit is configured to apply a current pulse to two output terminals. The pulse generator circuit comprises an LC resonant circuit comprising an inductance and a capacitance connected in series between a first node and a negative input terminal. The pulse generator circuit comprises a charge circuit configured to charge the capacitance via a supply voltage, a first electronic switch configured to selectively short-circuit the two output terminals, a second electronic switch configured to selectively connect the two output terminals in parallel with the LC resonant circuit, and a control circuit configured to drive the first and the second electronic switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Romeo Letor, Antoine Pavlin, Alfio Russo, Nadia Lecci
  • Patent number: 11037965
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Massimo Cataldo Mazzillo, Alfio Russo
  • Publication number: 20210013147
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Francesco PATANE', Alfio RUSSO
  • Patent number: 10818593
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Francesco Patané, Alfio Russo
  • Publication number: 20200052010
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Massimo Cataldo MAZZILLO, Alfio RUSSO
  • Patent number: 10483298
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Massimo Cataldo Mazzillo, Alfio Russo
  • Patent number: 10479674
    Abstract: A MEMS sensor has at least a movable element designed to oscillate at an oscillation frequency, and an integrated measuring system coupled to the movable element to provide a measure of the oscillation frequency. The measuring system has a light source to emit a light beam towards the movable element and a light detector to receive the light beam reflected back from the movable element, including a semiconductor photodiode array. In particular, the light detector is an integrated photomultiplier having an array of single photon avalanche diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Alfio Russo, Massimo Cataldo Mazzillo, Ferenc Nagy
  • Publication number: 20190326217
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a control terminal, which extends on a first face of a substrate; a first conduction terminal, which extends in the substrate at the first face of the substrate; a first insulating layer interposed between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal; a conductive path, which can be biased at a biasing voltage; and a protection element, coupled to the control terminal and to the conductive path, which forms an electrical connection between the control terminal and the conductive path and is designed to melt, and thus interrupt electrical connection, in the presence of a leakage current higher than a critical threshold between the control terminal and the first conduction terminal through the first insulating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Francesco PATANÉ, Alfio RUSSO
  • Publication number: 20170297910
    Abstract: A MEMS sensor has at least a movable element designed to oscillate at an oscillation frequency, and an integrated measuring system coupled to the movable element to provide a measure of the oscillation frequency. The measuring system has a light source to emit a light beam towards the movable element and a light detector to receive the light beam reflected back from the movable element, including a semiconductor photodiode array. In particular, the light detector is an integrated photomultiplier having an array of single photon avalanche diodes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Alfio RUSSO, Massimo Cataldo MAZZILLO, Ferenc NAGY
  • Publication number: 20170236851
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Publication date: August 17, 2017
    Inventors: Massimo Cataldo MAZZILLO, Alfio RUSSO
  • Patent number: 9725308
    Abstract: A MEMS sensor has at least a movable element designed to oscillate at an oscillation frequency, and an integrated measuring system coupled to the movable element to provide a measure of the oscillation frequency. The measuring system has a light source to emit a light beam towards the movable element and a light detector to receive the light beam reflected back from the movable element, including a semiconductor photodiode array. In particular, the light detector is an integrated photomultiplier having an array of single photon avalanche diodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Alfio Russo, Massimo Cataldo Mazzillo, Ferenc Nagy
  • Patent number: 9671351
    Abstract: An optical device for detecting a first chemical species and a second chemical species contained in a specimen, which includes: a first optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to an optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a first range of wavelengths; and a second optical sensor, which may be optically coupled to the optical source through the specimen and is sensitive to radiation having a wavelength comprised in a second range of wavelengths, different from the first range of wavelengths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Massimo Cataldo Mazzillo, Alfio Russo