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).
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Patent number: 10468425Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 26, 2015Date of Patent: November 5, 2019Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Patent number: 9368209Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 26, 2015Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Patent number: 9361982Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 26, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2016Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20150221661Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Luca MILANI, Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20150221371Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Luca Milani, Fabrizio Torricelli, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20150221372Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 26, 2015Publication date: August 6, 2015Inventors: Luca MILANI, Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovàcs-Vajna
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Patent number: 8873291Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 25, 2013Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Fabrizio Torricelli, Luigi Colalongo, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Kovàcs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20130343128Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 25, 2013Publication date: December 26, 2013Inventors: Fabrizio TORRICELLI, Luigi COLALONGO, Anna RICHELLI, Zsolt KOVÀCS-VAJNA
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Patent number: 7317347Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: October 28, 2005Date of Patent: January 8, 2008Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
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Patent number: 7248096Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 22, 2004Date of Patent: July 24, 2007Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
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Patent number: 7196915Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 13, 2003Date of Patent: March 27, 2007Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Alessandro Savio, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs Vajna
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Publication number: 20060109047Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2004Publication date: May 25, 2006Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20060109048Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2005Publication date: May 25, 2006Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Luca Mensi, Anna Richelli, Luigi Colalongo, Zsolt Kovacs-Vajna
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Publication number: 20040135568Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 13, 2003Publication date: July 15, 2004Applicant: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.Inventors: Alessandro Savio, Anna Richelli, Zsolt Miklos Kovacs Vajna