Patents by Inventor Anna Richelli

Anna Richelli 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).

  • Patent number: 10468425
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes an access portion and a control portion. The access and control portions share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the access portion and a second capacitive coupling with the control portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacity lower than a second capacity defined by the second capacitive coupling. The control portion is configured so that an electric current extracts charge carriers from the electrically floating layer through Fowler-Nordheim tunneling to store a first logic value in the memory cell. The access portion is configured so that an electric current injects charge carriers in the electrically floating layer by injection of band-to-band tunneling-induced hot electrons to store a second logic value, respectively, in the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Patent number: 9368209
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a program/read portion and an erase portion that share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the program/read portion and a second capacitive coupling with the erase portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacitance greater than a second capacitance defined by the second capacitive coupling. The erase portion is configured so that an electric current extracts charge carriers from the electrically floating layer to store a first logic value in the memory cell. The program/read portion is further configured so that an electric current injects charge carriers in the electrically floating layer to store a second logic value in the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Patent number: 9361982
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a read portion and a control portion. The read portion and the control portion share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the read portion and a second capacitive coupling with the control portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacity greater than a second capacity defined by the second capacitive coupling. The control portion is configured so that an electric current injects or extracts charge carriers into or from the electrically floating layer to store of a first logic value or a second logic value, respectively, in the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20150221661
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes an access portion and a control portion. The access and control portions share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the access portion and a second capacitive coupling with the control portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacity lower than a second capacity defined by the second capacitive coupling. The control portion is configured so that an electric current extracts charge carriers from the electrically floating layer through Fowler-Nordheim tunneling to store a first logic value in the memory cell. The access portion is configured so that an electric current injects charge carriers in the electrically floating layer by injection of band-to-band tunneling-induced hot electrons to store a second logic value, respectively, in the memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Luca MILANI, Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20150221371
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a program/read portion and an erase portion that share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the program/read portion and a second capacitive coupling with the erase portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacitance greater than a second capacitance defined by the second capacitive coupling. The erase portion is configured so that an electric current extracts charge carriers from the electrically floating layer to store a first logic value in the memory cell. The program/read portion is further configured so that an electric current injects charge carriers in the electrically floating layer to store a second logic value in the memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20150221372
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. Each memory cell includes a read portion and a control portion. The read portion and the control portion share an electrically floating layer of conductive material defining a first capacitive coupling with the read portion and a second capacitive coupling with the control portion. The first capacitive coupling defines a first capacity greater than a second capacity defined by the second capacitive coupling. The control portion is configured so that an electric current injects or extracts charge carriers into or from the electrically floating layer to store of a first logic value or a second logic value, respectively, in the memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventors: Luca MILANI, Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Patent number: 8873291
    Abstract: An embodiment of a nonvolatile-memory device includes: a body accommodating at least a first semiconductor well and a second semiconductor well; an insulating structure; and at least one nonvolatile memory cell. The cell includes: at least one first control region in the first well; conduction regions in the second well; and a floating gate region, which extends over portions of the first well and of the second well, is capacitively coupled to the first control region and forms a floating-gate memory transistor with the conduction regions. The insulating structure includes: first insulating regions, which separate the floating gate region from the first control region and from the second well outside the conduction regions and have a first thickness; and second insulating regions, which separate the floating gate region from the first well outside the first control region and have a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Fabrizio Torricelli, Luigi Colalongo, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Kovàcs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20130343128
    Abstract: An embodiment of a nonvolatile-memory device includes: a body accommodating at least a first semiconductor well and a second semiconductor well; an insulating structure; and at least one nonvolatile memory cell. The cell includes: at least one first control region in the first well; conduction regions in the second well; and a floating gate region, which extends over portions of the first well and of the second well, is capacitively coupled to the first control region and forms a floating-gate memory transistor with the conduction regions. The insulating structure includes: first insulating regions, which separate the floating gate region from the first control region and from the second well outside the conduction regions and have a first thickness; and second insulating regions, which separate the floating gate region from the first well outside the first control region and have a second thickness greater than the first thickness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 25, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Inventors: Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Luigi COLALONGO, Anna RICHELLI, Zsolt KOVÀCS-VAJNA
  • Patent number: 7317347
    Abstract: A two-phase charge pump is provided that is capable of being controlled by first and second clock signals that are out-of-phase and take alternatively a first value and a second value during consecutive phases. The charge pump includes a sequence of cascade-connected stages that each have a first section and a second section. Each section includes an input terminal and an output terminal, a capacitive element, and a controlled switch coupling the input terminal of the section with the output terminal of the section. The input terminals in each stage other than the first stage are cross-coupled with the output terminals in a preceding stage. The capacitive element has first and second terminals. The first terminals in the first and second sections receive the first and second clock signals, respectively, and the second terminal is coupled with the output terminal of the section. The controlled switch has a control terminal. In each stage, the control terminals are coupled to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2008
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
  • Patent number: 7248096
    Abstract: A two-phase charge pump is provided that is controlled by first and second clock signals in phase-opposition. The charge pump has a sequence of cascade-connected stages. Each stage includes a capacitive element driven by one clock signal such that capacitive elements of adjacent stages are driven by different clock signals, a pass transistor that transfers electric charge to the capacitive element from the capacitive element of a previous stage, a first biasing circuit that enables the pass transistor during a first phase of the one clock signal, and a second biasing circuit that disables the pass transistor during a second phase of the one clock signal. Also provided is a two-phase charge pump having two branches that each include a sequence of such cascade-connected stages, with each stage of one branch having a corresponding stage in the other branch. A method of operating two-phase charge pumps is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
  • Patent number: 7196915
    Abstract: A step-up converter based on an integrated transformer, comprising a self-resonating oscillator circuit that has inductive elements constituted by primary and secondary windings of at least one first transformer, the self-resonating oscillator circuit being powered by an external supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro Savio, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs Vajna
  • Publication number: 20060109047
    Abstract: A two-phase charge pump is provided that is controlled by first and second clock signals in phase-opposition. The charge pump has a sequence of cascade-connected stages. Each stage includes a capacitive element driven by one clock signal such that capacitive elements of adjacent stages are driven by different clock signals, a pass transistor that transfers electric charge to the capacitive element from the capacitive element of a previous stage, a first biasing circuit that enables the pass transistor during a first phase of the one clock signal, and a second biasing circuit that disables the pass transistor during a second phase of the one clock signal. Also provided is a two-phase charge pump having two branches that each include a sequence of such cascade-connected stages, with each stage of one branch having a corresponding stage in the other branch. A method of operating two-phase charge pumps is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2004
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20060109048
    Abstract: A two-phase charge pump is provided that is capable of being controlled by first and second clock signals that are out-of-phase and take alternatively a first value and a second value during consecutive phases. The charge pump includes a sequence of cascade-connected stages that each have a first section and a second section. Each section includes an input terminal and an output terminal, a capacitive element, and a controlled switch coupling the input terminal of the section with the output terminal of the section. The input terminals in each stage other than the first stage are cross-coupled with the output terminals in a preceding stage. The capacitive element has first and second terminals. The first terminals in the first and second sections receive the first and second clock signals, respectively, and the second terminal is coupled with the output terminal of the section. The controlled switch has a control terminal. In each stage, the control terminals are coupled to each other.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2005
    Publication date: May 25, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Kovacs-Vajna
  • Publication number: 20040135568
    Abstract: A step-up converter based on an integrated transformer, comprising a self-resonating oscillator circuit that has inductive elements constituted by primary and secondary windings of at least one first transformer, the self-resonating oscillator circuit being powered by an external supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2003
    Publication date: July 15, 2004
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Alessandro Savio, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs Vajna