Patents by Inventor Attilio Frangi

Attilio Frangi 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: 20230253895
    Abstract: MEMS actuator including: a substrate; a first and a second semiconductive layer; a frame including transverse regions formed by the second semiconductive layer, elongated parallel to a first direction and offset along a second direction, the frame being movable parallel to the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.r.l.
    Inventors: Andrea OPRENI, Valentina ZEGA, Attilio FRANGI, Gabriele GATTERE, Manuel RIANI
  • Publication number: 20230194910
    Abstract: A MEMS based device includes a phononic crystal body formed from unit cells and having a defect line extending through the phononic crystal body. Unit cells inside of the defect line lack a same phononic bandgap as the unit cells outside of the defect line. An input MEMS resonator is mechanically coupled to a first end of the defect line, and an output MEMS resonator is mechanically coupled to a second end of the defect line. Each of the unit cells outside of the defect line has an identical geometry. The input MEMS resonator and output MEMS resonator each have a natural frequency within the same phononic bandgap possessed by the unit cells outside of the defect line. There may be more than one defect line, and in such cases, the MEMS device may include more than one input MEMS resonator and/or more than one output MEMS resonator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Politecnico Di Milano
    Inventors: Valentina ZEGA, Chiara GAZZOLA, Luca Giuseppe FALORNI, Attilio FRANGI
  • Patent number: 11183953
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer includes an anchorage and a beam of semiconductor material extending in cantilever fashion from the anchorage in a main direction parallel to a first axis and having a face parallel to a first plane defined by the first axis and by a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. A piezoelectric layer is on the face of the beam. A cross-section of the beam is perpendicular to the first axis and is asymmetrical and shaped so the beam deformations out of the first plane in response to forces applied to the anchorage and oriented parallel to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Francesco Procopio, Attilio Frangi
  • Publication number: 20190044458
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer includes an anchorage and a beam of semiconductor material extending in cantilever fashion from the anchorage in a main direction parallel to a first axis and having a face parallel to a first plane defined by the first axis and by a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. A piezoelectric layer is on the face of the beam. A cross-section of the beam is perpendicular to the first axis and is asymmetrical and shaped so the beam deformations out of the first plane in response to forces applied to the anchorage and oriented parallel to the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: February 7, 2019
    Inventors: Francesco Procopio, Attilio Frangi
  • Patent number: 10135365
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer includes: an anchorage; a beam of semiconductor material, extending in cantilever fashion from the anchorage in a main direction parallel to a first axis and having a face parallel to a first plane defined by the first axis and by a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and a piezoelectric layer on the face of the beam. A cross-section of the beam perpendicular to the first axis is asymmetrical and is shaped so that the beam presents deformations out of the first plane in response to forces applied to the anchorage and oriented according to the first axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Francesco Procopio, Attilio Frangi
  • Publication number: 20160373031
    Abstract: A piezoelectric transducer includes: an anchorage; a beam of semiconductor material, extending in cantilever fashion from the anchorage in a main direction parallel to a first axis and having a face parallel to a first plane defined by the first axis and by a second axis perpendicular to the first axis; and a piezoelectric layer on the face of the beam. A cross-section of the beam perpendicular to the first axis is asymmetrical and is shaped so that the beam presents deformations out of the first plane in response to forces applied to the anchorage and oriented according to the first axis.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Inventors: Francesco Procopio, Attilio Frangi
  • Patent number: 9316550
    Abstract: A shock sensor includes: a supporting body; a bistable mechanism, configured to switch from a first stable mechanical configuration to a second stable mechanical configuration in response to an impact force applied along a detection axis and such as to supply to the bistable mechanism an amount of energy higher than a transition energy; and a detection device, coupled to the bistable mechanism and having a first state, when the bistable mechanism is in an initial stable mechanical configuration and a second state, after the bistable mechanism has made a transition from the initial stable mechanical configuration to a final stable mechanical configuration. The bistable mechanism includes at least one elastic element, constrained to the supporting body in at least two opposite peripheral regions and defining a first concavity in the first stable mechanical configuration and a second concavity, opposite to the first concavity, in the second stable mechanical configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
    Inventors: Attilio Frangi, Biagio De Masi, Leonardo Baldasarre
  • Patent number: 8863575
    Abstract: A micromechanical structure for a MEMS structure is provided with: a substrate; a single inertial mass having a main extension in a plane and arranged suspended above the substrate; and a frame element, elastically coupled to the inertial mass by coupling elastic elements and to anchorages, which are fixed with respect to the substrate by anchorage elastic elements. The coupling elastic elements and the anchorage elastic elements are configured so as to enable a first inertial movement of the inertial mass in response to a first external acceleration acting in a direction lying in the plane and also a second inertial movement of the inertial mass in response to a second external acceleration acting in a direction transverse to the plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.R.L.
    Inventors: Attilio Frangi, Biagio De Masi, Barbara Simoni
  • Publication number: 20140033964
    Abstract: A shock sensor includes: a supporting body; a bistable mechanism, configured to switch from a first stable mechanical configuration to a second stable mechanical configuration in response to an impact force applied along a detection axis and such as to supply to the bistable mechanism an amount of energy higher than a transition energy; and a detection device, coupled to the bistable mechanism and having a first state, when the bistable mechanism is in an initial stable mechanical configuration and a second state, after the bistable mechanism has made a transition from the initial stable mechanical configuration to a final stable mechanical configuration. The bistable mechanism includes at least one elastic element, constrained to the supporting body in at least two opposite peripheral regions and defining a first concavity in the first stable mechanical configuration and a second concavity, opposite to the first concavity, in the second stable mechanical configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Inventors: Attilio Frangi, Biagio De Masi, Leonardo Baldasarre
  • Publication number: 20120000287
    Abstract: A micromechanical structure for a MEMS three-axis capacitive accelerometer is provided with: a substrate; a single inertial mass having a main extension in a plane and arranged suspended above the substrate; and a frame element, elastically coupled to the inertial mass by coupling elastic elements and to anchorages, which are fixed with respect to the substrate by anchorage elastic elements. The coupling elastic elements and the anchorage elastic elements are configured so as to enable a first inertial movement of the inertial mass in response to a first external acceleration acting in a direction lying in the plane and also a second inertial movement of the inertial mass in response to a second external acceleration acting in a direction transverse to the plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: January 5, 2012
    Applicant: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Attilio Frangi, Biagio De Masi, Barbara Simoni