Abstract: An integrated circuit may include at least one MOS transistor having a sigmoid response. The at least one MOS transistor may include a substrate, a source region, a drain region, a gate region, and insulating spacer regions on either side of the gate region. The substrate may include a first region situated under the gate region between the insulating spacer regions. At least one of the source and drain regions may be separated from the first region of the substrate by a second region of the substrate situated under an insulating spacer region, which may be of a same type of conductivity as the first region of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an image sensor, including the successive steps of: forming columns of a semiconductor material; forming one or several pixels at a first end of each of the columns; and deforming the structure so that the second ends of each of the columns come closer to each other or draw away from each other to form a surface in the shape of a polyhedral cap.

Abstract: A method of forming at least one curved plate having first and second layers, the first layer being formed of a first material and the second layer being formed of a second material, the method including forming one or more blocks of a fusible material on a surface of a substrate; baking the one or more blocks to deform their shape; and depositing the first and second materials over the one or more deformed blocks to form the first and second layers.

Abstract: An assembly of semiconductor wafers/chips wherein the adjacent surfaces of the two wafers/chips comprise an insulating layer having opposite copper pads inserted therein. The insulating layer is made of a material selected from the group including silicon nitride and silicon carbon nitride.

Abstract: A method for forming an integrated circuit including the steps of: forming electronic capponents on a first surface of a substrate; forming a stack of interconnection levels on the first surface, each interconnection level including conductive tracks separated by an insulating material; forming at least one hole from a second surface of the substrate, opposite to the first surface, the hole stopping on one of the conductive tracks; depositing, on the walls and the bottom of the hole, a conductive layer and filling the remaining space with a filling material; and forming, in an interconnection level or at the surface of the interconnection stack, and opposite to said at least one hole, at least one region of a material having a modulus of elasticity greater than 50 GPa and an elongation at break greater than 20%, insulated from the conductive tracks.

Abstract: A three-dimensional integrated structure may include two assembled integrated circuits respectively including two metallic lines, and at least two cavities passing through one of the integrated circuits and opening onto two locations respectively in electrical contact with the two metallic lines. The cavities may be sized to place a measuring apparatus at the bottom of the cavities, and in electrical contact with the two locations.

Abstract: A tunnel-effect power converter including first and second electrodes having opposite surfaces, wherein the first electrode includes protrusions extending towards the second electrode.

Abstract: A method for designing a photolithography mask and a light source may include designing an initial photolithography mask and an initial light source using an initial target pattern corresponding to a desired target pattern in a resist layer. The method may also include designing a new target pattern and designing a new photolithography mask and/or a new light source using the new target pattern.

Abstract: A wireless unit includes a first motion sensitive device; communications circuitry for wirelessly communicating with a further wireless unit; and a processing device configured to compare at least one first motion vector received from the first motion sensitive device with at least one second motion vector received from a second motion sensitive device of the further wireless unit.

Abstract: An image sensor including a pixel array, each pixel including, in a substrate of a doped semiconductor material of a first conductivity type, a first doped region of a second conductivity type at the surface of the substrate; an insulating trench surrounding the first region; a second doped region of the first conductivity type, more heavily doped than the substrate, at the surface of the substrate and surrounding the trench; a third doped region of the second conductivity type, forming with the substrate a photodiode junction, extending in depth into the substrate under the first and second regions and being connected to the first region; and a fourth region, more lightly doped than the second and third regions, interposed between the second and third regions and in contact with the first region and/or with the third region.

Abstract: A trench is formed in a semiconductor substrate by depositing an etch mask on the substrate having an opening, etching of the trench through the opening, and doping the walls of the trench. The etching step includes a first phase having an etch power set to etch the substrate under the etch mask, and a second phase having an etch power set smaller than the power of the first phase. Further, the doping of the walls of the trench is applied through the opening of the etch mask.

Abstract: A memory device includes first and second inverters cross-coupled between first and second nodes. The first inverter is configured to be supplied by a first supply voltage via a first transistor and the second inverter is configured to be supplied by the first supply voltage via a second transistor. A first control circuit is configured to control a gate node of the first transistor based on the voltage at the second node and at a gate node of the second transistor. A second control circuit is configured to control the gate node of the second transistor based on the voltage at the first node and at the gate node of the first transistor.

Abstract: A DMOS on SOI transistor including an elongated gate extending across the entire width of an active area; a drain region of a first conductivity type extending across the entire width of the active area; a source region of the first conductivity type extending parallel to the gate and stopping before the limit of the active area at least on one side of the transistor width, an interval existing between the limit of the source region and the limit of the active area; a bulk region of a second conductivity type extending under the gate and in said interval; a more heavily-doped region of the second conductivity type extending on a portion of said interval on the side of the limit of the active area; and an elongated source metallization extending across the entire width of the active area.

Abstract: A method for defining an insulator in a semiconductor substrate includes forming a trench in the substrate, forming in the trench an insulating material having its upper surface arranged above the surface of the substrate, and forming a diffusion barrier layer in a portion of the insulating material located above the surface of the semiconductor substrate. Such insulators can be used, for example, to insulate and delineate electronic components or portions of components formed in the substrate.

Abstract: A method for defining an insulating area in a semiconductor substrate, including a step of forming of a bonding layer on the walls and the bottom of a trench defined in the substrate. A step of passivation of the apparent surface of said bonding layer, at least close to the surface of said semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing at least one deep trench isolation in a semiconductor substrate including silicon and having a front side may include forming at least one cavity in the semiconductor substrate from the front side. The method may include conformally depositing dopant atoms on walls of the cavity, and forming, in the vicinity of the walls of the cavity, a silicon region doped with the dopant atoms. The method may further include filling the cavity with a filler material to form the at least one deep trench isolation.