| STMicroelectronics Crolles 2 SAS Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120133021 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE COMPRISING A CAPACITOR AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION VIA, AND FABRICATION METHOD - A main blind hole is formed in a front face of a wafer having a rear face. A through capacitor is formed in the main blind hole including a conductive outer electrode, a dielectric intermediate layer, and a filling conductive material forming an inner electrode. Cylindrical portions of the outer electrode, the dielectric intermediate layer and the inner electrode have front ends situated in a plane of the front face of the wafer. A secondary rear hole is formed in the rear face of the wafer to reveal a bottom of the outer electrode. A rear electrical connection is made to contact the bottom of the outer electrode through the secondary rear hole. A through hole via filled with a conductive material is provided adjacent the through capacitor. An electrical connection is made on the rear face between the rear electrical connection and the through hole via. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120115311 | METHOD FOR FORMING A MULTILAYER STRUCTURE - The method for forming a multilayer structure on a substrate comprises providing a stack successively comprising an electron hole blocking layer, a first layer made from N-doped semiconductor material having a dopant concentration greater than or equal to 10 | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120112259 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT WITH PROTECTION FROM COPPER EXTRUSION - An integrated circuit may include an element placed in an insulating region adjacent to a copper metallization level and including a barrier layer in contact with a metallization level. The element may be electrically connected to and spaced away from a copper line of the metallization level by way of an electrical link passing through the barrier layer and including an electrically conductive material different from copper in direct contact with the copper line. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120100657 | SIMPLIFIED COPPER-COPPER BONDING - A method for bonding a first copper element onto a second copper element including forming a crystalline copper layer enriched in oxygen on each of surfaces of each of the first and second elements through which the elements will be in contact, the total thickness of both layers being less than 6 nm, which includes: a) polishing the surfaces so as to obtain a roughness of less than 1 nm RMS, and hydrophilic surfaces, b) cleaning the surfaces to suppress presence of particles due to the polishing and the major portion of corrosion inhibitors, and c) putting both crystalline copper layer enriched in oxygen in contact with each other. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120094470 | METHOD FOR FORMING INTEGRATED CIRCUITS ON A STRAINED SEMICONDUCTOR SUBSTRATE - A method for forming an electronic circuit on a strained semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: forming, on a first surface of a semiconductor substrate, electronic components defining electronic chips to be sawn; and forming at least portions of a layer of a porous semiconductor material on the side of a second surface of the semiconductor substrate, opposite to the first surface, to bend the semiconductor substrate. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120086608 | Antenna Array for Transmission/Reception Device for Signals with a Wavelength of the Microwave, Millimeter or Terahertz Type - Transmission/reception device for signals having a wavelength of the microwaves, millimeter or terahertz type, comprising an antenna array. The antenna array comprises a first group of first omni-directional antennas and a second group of second directional antennas disposed around the first group of antennas. | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120083110 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING MOS TRANSISTORS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF GATE STACKS - A method for manufacturing three types of MOS transistors in three regions of a same substrate, including the steps of: forming a first insulating layer, removing the first insulating layer from the first and second regions, forming a silicon oxide layer, depositing an insulating layer having a dielectric constant which is at least twice greater than that of silicon oxide, depositing a first conductive oxygen scavenging layer, removing the first conductive layer from the second and third regions, and annealing. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120081978 | READ BOOST CIRCUIT FOR MEMORY DEVICE - A read boost circuit arranged to boost the voltage difference between a pair of complementary bit lines of a memory device during a read operation, the read boost circuit including: a first transistor adapted to be controlled by the voltage level on a first bit line of the pair of bit lines to couple a second bit line of the pair of bit lines to a first supply voltage; and a second transistor connected directly to ground and adapted to be controlled by the voltage level on the second bit line to couple the first bit line to ground. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120074527 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT COMPRISING A DEVICE WITH A VERTICAL MOBILE ELEMENT INTEGRATED IN A SUPPORT SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THE DEVICE WITH A MOBILE ELEMENT - The integrated circuit comprises a support substrate having opposite first and second main surfaces. A cavity passes through the support substrate and connects the first and second main surfaces. The integrated circuit comprises a device with a mobile element, the mobile element and a pair of associated electrodes of which are included in a cavity. An anchoring node of the mobile element is located at the level of the first main surface. The integrated circuit comprises a first elementary chip arranged at the level of the first main surface and electrically connected to the device with a mobile element. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120062268 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING THE RELIABILITY OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - Electromigration may cause a fault to appear in an integrated circuit located on a semiconductor chip. To detect such a fault, at least one resistive test structure is provided separated from the integrated circuit and located on at least one metallization level of the integrated circuit. During operation of the integrated circuit, the resistive test structure is sensed. Detection of a voltage difference between two points of the resistive test structure is indicative of a fault. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120042292 | METHOD OF SYNTHESIS OF AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT - A method of synthesis of at least one logic device coupled between first and second supply voltages and having a plurality of inputs and an output, the logic device including a plurality of transistors having a standard gate length, the method including: identifying, in the at least one logic device, one or more transistors connected between the first or second supply voltage and the output node; and increasing the gate length of each of the identified one or more transistors. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120040525 | METHOD FOR FORMING INTERCONNECTION LEVELS OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A method for forming interconnection levels of an integrated circuit, including the steps of: (a) forming an interconnection level including conductive tracks and vias separated by a porous dielectric material; (b) forming, on the interconnection level, a layer of a non-porous insulating material, said layer comprising openings above portions of porous dielectric material; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) to obtain the adequate number of interconnection levels; and (d) annealing the structure. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120032291 | Stand-Alone Device - A stand-alone device comprising a silicon wafer having its front surface including a first layer of a first conductivity type and a second layer of a second conductivity type forming a photovoltaic cell; first vias crossing the wafer from the rear surface of the first layer and second vias crossing the wafer from the rear surface of the second layer; metallization levels on the rear surface of the wafer, the external level of these metallization levels defining contact pads; an antenna formed in one of the metallization levels; and one or several chips assembled on said pads; the metallization levels being shaped to provide selected interconnects between the different elements of the device. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120018889 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A METALLIZATION LEVEL AND A VIA LEVEL AND CORRESPONDING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A process for producing an upper metallization level and a via level connecting this upper metallization level to a lower metallization level includes: producing an insulating region on the lower metallization level; producing a hard mask on the insulating region ( | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120018619 | Method of Resetting a Photosite, and Corresponding Photosite - A method of resetting a photosite is disclosed. Photogenerated charges accumulated in the photosite are reset by recombining the photogenerated charges with charges of opposite polarity. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120017962 | PROCESS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICAL ENERGY IN A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND THE CORRESPONDING DEVICE - Electrical energy is generated in a device that includes an integrated circuit which produces thermal flux when operated. A substrate supports the integrated circuit. A structure is formed in the substrate, that structure having a semiconductor p-n junction thermally coupled to the integrated circuit. Responsive to the thermal flux produced by the integrated circuit, the structure generates electrical energy. The generated electrical energy may be stored for use by the integrated circuit. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20120007243 | METHOD OF MAKING CONNECTIONS IN A BACK-LIT CIRCUIT - A method for forming, on a surface of a thinned-down semiconductor substrate, a contact connected to a metal track of an interconnect stack formed on the opposite surface of the thinned-down substrate, including the steps of: forming, on the side of a first surface of a substrate, an insulating region penetrating into the substrate and coated with a conductive region and with an insulating layer crossed by conductive vias, the vias connecting a metal track of the interconnect stack to the conductive region; gluing the external surface of the interconnect stack on a support and thinning down the substrate; etching the external surface of the thinned-down substrate and stopping on the insulating region; etching the insulating region and stopping on the conductive region; and filling the etched opening with a metal. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20110316055 | SUBSTRATE PROVIDED WITH A SEMI-CONDUCTING AREA ASSOCIATED WITH TWO COUNTER-ELECTRODES AND DEVICE COMPRISING ONE SUCH SUBSTRATE - A support substrate comprises first and second counter-electrodes arranged in the same plane at the level of a surface of the support substrate. An electrically insulating area separates the first and second counter-electrodes. A semi-conducting area with first and second portions is separated from the support substrate by an electrically insulating material. The electrically insulating material is different from the material forming the support substrate. The first portion of the semi-conducting area is facing the first counter-electrode. The second portion of the semi-conducting area is facing the second counter-electrode. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110298019 | COMPACT FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR WITH COUNTER-ELECTRODE AND FABRICATION METHOD - An etching mask, comprising the delineation pattern of the gate electrode, of a source contact, a drain contact and a counter-electrode contact, is formed on a substrate of semi-conductor on insulator type. The substrate is covered by a layer of dielectric material and a gate material. The counter-electrode contact is located in the pattern of the gate electrode. The gate material is etched to define the gate electrode, the source contact and drain contacts and the counter-electrode contact. A part of the support substrate is released through the pattern of the counter-electrode contact area. An electrically conductive material is deposited on the free part of the support substrate to form the counter-electrode contact. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110298010 | Cell Library, Integrated Circuit, and Methods of Making Same - A cell library intended to be used to form an integrated circuit, this library defining a first cell including a first MOS transistor of minimum dimensions, and a second cell including a second MOS transistor of lower leakage current, wherein the second cell takes up the same surface area as the first cell, and the second MOS transistor has a gate of same length as the gate of the first MOS transistor across at least a first width in its central portion, and of greater length across at least a second width on either side of the central portion. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110291199 | SRAM MEMORY CELL WITH FOUR TRANSISTORS PROVIDED WITH A COUNTER-ELECTRODE - The memory cell is of SRAM type with four transistors provided with a counter-electrode. It comprises a first area made from semiconductor material with a first transfer transistor and a first driver transistor connected in series, their common terminal defining a first electric node. A second transfer transistor and a second driver transistor are connected in series on a second area made from semiconductor material and their common terminal defines a second electric node. The support substrate comprises first and second counter-electrodes. The first and second counter-electrodes are located respectively facing the first and second semiconductor material areas. The first transfer transistor and second driver transistor are on a first side of a plane passing through the first and second electric nodes whereas the first driver transistor and second transfer transistor are on the other side of the plane. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110272801 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE WITH CONNECTION PADS PROVIDED WITH INSERTS - A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit and external electrical connection pads. Each pad includes cavities that are at least partially filled with a material different from the material forming the pads, so as to form inserts. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110237068 | METHOD FOR FORMING ELECTRIC VIAS - A method for forming through vias connecting the front surface to the rear surface of a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: forming openings in the substrate, thermally oxidizing walls of the openings, filling the openings with a sacrificial material, forming electronic components in the substrate, etching the sacrificial material, filling the openings with a metal, and etching the rear surface of the substrate all the way to the bottom of the openings. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110225457 | System for Testing a Multitasking Computation Architecture Based on Communication Data between Processors and Corresponding Test Method - System for testing a multitasking computation architecture, comprising a set of processors linked by data communication channels, comprising a generating stage for generating sequences of test instructions based on characteristics of said processors comprising programming rules for the computation processors, characterized in that it comprises a control stage for the stage for generating sequences based on data representative of the data communication channels. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110183709 | IMAGE SENSOR PHOTODIODE - An image sensor including a plurality of pixels each including a charge collection region including an N-type region bounded by P-type regions and having an overlying P-type layer; and an insulated gate electrode positioned over the P-type layer and arranged to receive a gate voltage for conveying charges stored in the charge collection region through the P-type layer. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110180689 | COMPACT IMAGE SENSOR ARRANGEMENT - An image sensor having a number of pixel zones delimited by isolation trenches, each pixel zone including a photodiode; a transfer gate associated with each of the pixel zones and arranged to transfer charge from the photodiode to a sensing node; and a read circuit for reading a voltage at one of the sensing nodes, the read circuitry including a number of transistors of which at least one is positioned at least partially over a pixel zone of the pixel zones. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110147881 | HYBRID SUBSTRATE WITH IMPROVED ISOLATION AND SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR PRODUCING A HYBRID SUBSTRATE - A hybrid substrate comprises first and second active areas made from semiconductor materials laterally offset from one another and separated by an isolation area. The main surfaces of the isolation area and of the first active area form a plane. The hybrid substrate is obtained from a source substrate successively comprising layers made from a first and second semiconductor materials separated by an isolation layer. A single etching mask is used to pattern the isolation area, first active area and second active area. The main surface of the first active area is released thereby forming voids in the source substrate. The etching mask is eliminated above the first active area. A first isolation material is deposited, planarized and etched until the main surface of the first active area is released. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110140231 | INTEGRATED MICROELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH THROUGH-VIAS - An integrated microelectronic device is formed from a substrate having a first side and a second side and including a doped active zone ( | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110121391 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SUSPENDED MEMBRANE AND DUAL-GATE MOS TRANSISTOR - A method for manufacturing a suspended membrane in a single-crystal semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: forming in the substrate an insulating ring delimiting an active area, removing material from the active area, successively forming in the active area a first and a second layers, the second layer being a single-crystal semiconductor layer, etching a portion of the internal periphery of said ring down to a depth greater than the thickness of the second layer, removing the first layer so that the second layer formed a suspended membrane anchored in the insulating ring. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110115237 | THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR - A thermoelectric generator including a membrane maintained by lateral ends and capable of taking a first shape when its temperature reaches a first threshold and a second shape when its temperature reaches a second threshold greater than the first threshold; at least one electrically conductive element attached to with the membrane and connecting the lateral ends of the membrane; and circuitry capable of generating, at the level of the membrane, a magnetic field orthogonal to the membrane displacement direction, the lateral ends of the membrane being connected to output terminals of the generator. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110111448 | DEVICE COMPRISING A FIELD OF TIPS USED IN BIOTECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS - A method for manufacturing a device including a field of micrometric tips, including forming a polycrystalline layer on a support; performing an anisotropic plasma etching of all or part of the polycrystalline layer by using a gas mixture including chlorine and helium, whereby tips are formed at the surface of the polycrystalline layer. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110108939 | METHOD FOR FORMING A BACK-SIDE ILLUMINATED IMAGE SENSOR - A method for manufacturing a back-side illuminated image sensor, including the steps of: forming, inside and on top of an SOI-type silicon layer, components for trapping and transferring photogenerated carriers and isolation regions; forming a stack of interconnection levels on the silicon layer and attaching, on the interconnect stack, a semiconductor handle; removing the semiconductor support; forming, in the insulating layer and the silicon layer, trenches reaching the isolation regions; depositing a doped amorphous silicon layer, more heavily doped than the silicon layer, at least on the walls and the bottom of the trenches and having the amorphous silicon layer crystallize; and filling the trenches with a reflective material. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110108892 | DETECTOR OF BIOLOGICAL OR CHEMICAL MATERIAL AND CORRESPONDING ARRAY OF DETECTORS - A detector of biological or chemical material, including a MOS transistor having its channel region inserted between upper and lower insulated gates, the upper insulated gate including a detection layer capable of generating a charge at the interface of the upper insulated gate and of its gate insulator, the thickness of the upper gate insulator being smaller than the thickness of the lower gate insulator. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110108801 | SINGLE-CRYSTAL SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER WITH HETEROATOMIC MACRO-NETWORK - A single-crystal layer of a first semiconductor material including single-crystal nanostructures of a second semiconductor material, the nanostructures being distributed in a regular crystallographic network with a centered tetragonal prism. | 05-12-2011 |
| 20110096208 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH VERTICAL TRANSFER GATE - An image sensor including a first pixel positioned between second and third pixels, each of the first, second and third pixels comprising a photodiode region surrounded by an isolation trench; a first charge transfer gate comprising a first column electrode surrounded by an insulating layer and positioned in an opening of the isolation trench between the first and second pixels, the first column electrode being configured to receive a first transfer voltage signal; and a second charge transfer gate including a second column electrode surrounded by an insulating layer and positioned in an opening of the isolation trench between the first and third pixels, the second column electrode being configured to receive a second transfer voltage signal. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110095655 | THERMOELECTRIC GENERATOR - A thermoelectric generator including, between first and second walls delimiting a tightly closed space, a layer of a piezoelectric material connected to output terminals; a plurality of openings crossing the piezoelectric layer and emerging into first and second cavities close to the first and second walls; and in the tight space, drops of a liquid, the first wall being capable of being in contact with a hot source having a temperature greater than the evaporation temperature of the liquid and the second wall being capable of being in contact with a cold source having a temperature smaller than the evaporation temperature of the liquid. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110095646 | DEVICE FOR CONVERTING THERMAL POWER INTO ELECTRICITY - A device for converting thermal power into electric power including a plurality of bimetallic strips disposed between a rigid support and a plate of a resilient plastic material; and on the side of the plate of a resilient plastic material opposite to the strips, a layer of a piezoelectric material connected to output terminals, wherein the rigid support is capable of being in contact with a hot source, and the plate of a resilient plastic material is capable of transmitting to the piezoelectric layer the mechanical stress due to the deformations of the bimetallic strips. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110095375 | MIM TRANSISTOR - The invention concerns a conducting layer having a thickness of between 1 and 5 atoms, an insulated gate being formed over a part of the conducting layer. | 04-28-2011 |
| 20110080686 | MIM CAPACITOR - A method of forming a metal-insulator-metal capacitor having top and bottom plates separated by a dielectric layer, one of the top and bottom plates having at least one protrusion extending into a corresponding cavity in the other of the top and bottom plates, the method including the steps of growing one or more nanofibers on a base surface. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110080233 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING BAW RESONATORS ON A SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER - A method for manufacturing a wafer on which are formed resonators, each resonator including, above a semiconductor substrate, a stack of layers including, in the following order from the substrate surface: a Bragg mirror; a compensation layer made of a material having a temperature coefficient of the acoustic velocity of a sign opposite to that of all the other stack layers; and a piezoelectric resonator, the method including the successive steps of: a) depositing the compensation layer; and b) decreasing thickness inequalities of the compensation layer due to the deposition method, so that this layer has a same thickness to within better than 2%, and preferably to within better than 1%, at the level of each resonator. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110079920 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTION VIA FOR THE SUBSTRATE OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An electrical connection via is formed through a substrate to make an electrical connection from one face of the substrate to the other. The via includes a ring made of an electrically conductive material. The ring is formed in a hole in the substrate so as to at least partly form the via. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110079919 | ELECTRICAL CONNECTION VIA FOR THE SUBSTRATE OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An electrical connection via passing through a substrate for a semiconductor device is made of at least one conducting ring formed in an annular hole passing through the substrate. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110068381 | IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL CIRCUIT - A pixel circuit of an image sensor includes a sense node for storing a charge transferred from one or more photodiodes, a source follower transistor having its gate coupled to the sense node and its source node coupled to an output line of the pixel circuit via a read transistor, wherein a body contact of the source follower transistor is connected to the output line. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110057264 | METHOD FOR PROTECTING THE GATE OF A TRANSISTOR AND CORRESPONDING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A gate of a transistor in an integrated circuit is protected against the production of an interconnection terminal for a source/drain region. The transistor includes a substrate, at least one active zone formed in the substrate, at least one insulating zone formed in the substrate and a gate, the gate being formed above an active zone. A dielectric layer is formed on the transistor, the dielectric layer covering the gate. The dielectric layer is then etched while leaving it remaining at least on the gate so that the gate is electrically insulated from other elements formed above the dielectric layer. This etching is preferably carried out using a mask which was used for fabricating the gate and a mask which was used for fabricating the insulating zone. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110034329 | METHOD FOR FORMING POROUS MATERIAL IN MICROCAVITY OR MICROPASSAGE BY MECHANICOCHEMICAL POLISHING - A surface of a substrate comprising microcavities leading out of the substrate is placed in contact with an aqueous solution comprising a plurality of suspended particles and a fabric. Perpendicular pressure is applied the expanse of the substrate between the fabric and the surface of the substrate, and relative movement of the fabric and the surface is applied to the expanse of the substrate. At least one particle is thus fed into each microcavity, therein forming a porous material that is a catalyst material for nanothread or nanotube growth. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110006430 | COPPER DIFFUSION BARRIER - The invention concerns a method of forming a copper portion surrounded by an insulating material in an integrated circuit structure, the insulating material being a first oxide, the method having steps including forming a composite material over a region of the insulating material where the copper portion is to be formed, the composite material having first and second materials, annealing such that the second material reacts with the insulating material to form a second oxide that provides a diffusion barrier to copper; and depositing a copper layer over the composite material by electrochemical deposition to form the copper portion. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20100327327 | PHOTOSENSITIVE CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE COMPRISING VERTICAL ELECTRODES - A charge transfer device formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of electrodes forming rows and columns, wherein: the electrodes extend, in rows, in successive grooves with insulated walls, disposed in the substrate thickness and parallel to the charge transfer direction. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100327326 | TWO-PHASE CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE - A charge-coupled unit formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of identical electrodes forming rows and columns, wherein: each electrode extends in a cavity with insulated walls formed of a groove, oriented along a row, dug into the substrate thickness, and including, at one of its ends, a protrusion extending towards at least one adjacent row. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100327325 | MULTIDIRECTIONAL TWO-PHASE CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE - A charge transfer device formed in a semiconductor substrate and including an array of electrodes distributed in rows and columns, wherein: each electrode is formed in a cavity with insulated walls formed of a groove which generally extends in the row direction, having a first end closer to an upper row and a second end closer to a lower row; and the electrodes of two adjacent rows are symmetrical with respect to a plane orthogonal to the sensor and comprising the direction of a row. | 12-30-2010 |
| 20100320567 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT COMPRISING A CAPACITOR WITH METAL ELECTRODES AND PROCESS FOR FABRCATING SUCH A CAPACITOR - An integrated circuit (IC) includes at least one capacitor with metal electrodes. At least one of the electrodes ( | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100314668 | DEVICE WITH INTEGRATED CIRCUIT AND ENCAPSULATED N/MEMS AND METHOD FOR PRODUCTION - A method for producing a device including at least one integrated circuit and at least one N/MEMS. The method produces the N/MEMS in at least one upper layer arranged at least above a first section of a substrate, produces the integrated circuit in a second section of the substrate and/or in a semiconductor layer arranged at least above the second section of the substrate, and further produces a cover encapsulating the N/MEMS from at least one layer used for production of a gate in the integrated circuit and/or for producing at least one electrical contact of the integrated circuit. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100308411 | METHOD FOR FORMING AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT LEVEL BY SEQUENTIAL TRIDIMENSIONAL INTEGRATION - A method for forming a level of a tridimensional structure on a first support in which components are formed, including the steps of forming, on a second semiconductor support, a single-crystal semiconductor substrate with an interposed thermal oxide layer; placing the free surface of the single-crystal semiconductor substrate on the upper surface of the first support; eliminating the second semiconductor support; and thinning down the thermal oxide layer down to a thickness capable of forming a gate insulator. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100297799 | IMAGE CAPTURE UNIT - An image capture unit and its manufacturing method. The image capture unit includes a thinned-down integrated circuit chip having an image sensor on its upper surface side. A wall extends above a peripheral upper surface ring-shaped area, and a lens rests on the high portion of the wall. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100295416 | MICRORESONATOR - A microresonator comprising a single-crystal silicon resonant element and at least one activation electrode placed close to the resonant element, in which the resonant element is placed in an opening of a semiconductor layer covering a substrate, the activation electrode being formed in the semiconductor layer and being level at the opening. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100289107 | PHOTODIODE WITH INTERFACIAL CHARGE CONTROL BY IMPLANTATION AND ASSOCIATED PROCESS - A photodiode includes a first doped layer and a second doped layer adjacent to the first doped layer and sharing a common face. A deep isolation trench is provided adjacent the photodiode having a face contiguous with the first doped layer and the second doped layer. A free face of the second doped layer is in contact with a conducting layer. A protective layer capable of generating a layer of negative charge is provided at the interface between, on one side, the first doped layer and the second doped layer and, on the other side, the deep isolation trench. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100289106 | PHOTODIODE WITH INTERFACIAL CHARGE CONTROL AND ASSOCIATED PROCESS - A photodiode includes a first doped layer and a second doped layer that share a common face. A deep isolation trench has a face contiguous with the first and second doped layers. A conducting layer is in contact with a free face of the second doped layer. A protective layer is provided at an interface with the first doped layer and second doped layer. This protective layer is capable of generating a layer of negative charge at the interface. The protective layer may further be positioned within the second doped layer to form an intermediate protective structure. | 11-18-2010 |
| 20100276693 | FINFET FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR INSULATED FROM THE SUBSTRATE - A finFET field effect transistor is produced by the formation of an electrical junction between the thin fin portion of semiconductor material which forms the channel of the transistor and the circuit substrate. Doping particles are implanted in the substrate through a mask which is then subsequently used to form the thin fin portion of the channel. The channel of the finFET transistor is thus electrically insulated from the circuit substrate in the same manner as in MOS integrated circuits realized from bulk silicon substrates. | 11-04-2010 |
| 20100230755 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING AN MOS TRANSISTOR AND CORRESPONDING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A silicon substrate (SOI) is placed on a buried oxide layer (BOX). An MOS transistor is produced in an active zone of the substrate which is defined by an isolating region. A gate region and source and drain regions, which between them define a channel, are produced so that the gate region extends above the channel. The isolating region is produced by localized formation of a zone of material that can be selectively etched with respect to silicon. That material is selectively etched, and a dielectric material is deposited in the etched feature. The etching is carried out after the gate region has been produced. An upper surface of the substrate and an upper surface of the isolating region are flush with each other so as to define a planar surface on which the transistor gate region is formed. | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100204944 | CLOCK CIRCUITS AND COUNTING VALUES IN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS - A clock circuit for an integrated circuit having at least one MOS transistor. The clock circuit includes a first circuit for inducing a degradation of the transistor as a function of time and means for measuring a parameter of the transistor that reflects a lowering of the performance of the transistor resulting from the degradation. This also includes a method of generating a counting value of clock circuit by inducing continuous degradation of an MOS transistor. The method could include measuring a parameter of transistor, reflecting a lowering of performance of transistor resulting from said degradation. The method could also include measuring the temperature and calculating the counting value of the clock from the value of said parameter, from the measured temperature and from a law of variation of the parameter as a function of time and temperature. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100193845 | BACKSIDE ILLUMINATION SEMICONDUCTOR IMAGE SENSOR - A backside illumination semiconductor image sensor, wherein each photodetection cell includes a semiconductor body of a first conductivity type of a first doping level delimited by an insulation wall, electron-hole pairs being capable in said body after a backside illumination; on the front surface side of said body, a ring-shaped well of the second conductivity type, this well delimiting a substantially central region having its upper portion of the first conductivity type of a second doping level greater than the first doping level; and means for controlling the transfer of charge carriers from said body to said upper portion. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100124100 | DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE ACTIVITY OF MODULES OF AN ARRAY OF MEMORY MODULES - A memory device includes an array of memory modules, a global controller, and a local controller for each memory module in the array of memory modules being configured to deliver to the global controller an activity signal reflecting an activity of the respective memory module. The memory device includes a circuit configured to implement a NAND logic function based upon the activity signals and to output a control signal to the global controller based upon the NAND logic function. | 05-20-2010 |
| 20100102402 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A TRANSISTOR WITH SEMICONDUCTOR GATE COMBINED LOCALLY WITH A METAL - A method of forming a field effect transistor comprising a gate formed on an insulating layer, the gate having, in a zone in contact with the insulating layer, a semiconducting central zone and lateral zones in the length of the gate, the method comprising forming a gate comprising a portion of insulating layer, a portion of semiconducting layer formed over the insulating layer, and a portion of mask layer formed over the semiconducting layer; performing an etching of the portion of the mask layer such that only a portion in the centre of the gate remains; and reacting the semiconducting gate with a metal deposited over the gate. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100061139 | RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY CIRCUIT - A random access memory circuit includes a plurality of pixels, each having a light sensitive area and a light blocking layer arranged over at least each of the light sensitive areas. In an alternative embodiment, the circuit includes a plurality of memory elements for storing data. Each memory element may comprise a bit node formed between a photodiode, having a light arranged over the photodiode, and a switching element, where data may be stored. The circuit may also include a plurality of reading and writing circuits for reading and writing data to and from the memory cells. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100060386 | BULK ACOUSTIC WAVE RESONATOR WITH ADJUSTABLE RESONANCE FREQUENCY AND USE OF SUCH A RESONATOR IN THE FIELD OF TELEPHONY - A bulk acoustic wave resonator has an adjustable resonance frequency. A piezoelectric element is provided having first and second electrodes. A switching element is provided in the form of a MEMS structure which is deformable between a first and second position. The switching element forms an additional electrode that is selectively disposed on top of, and in contact with, one of the first and second electrodes. This causes a total thickness of the electrode of the resonator to be changed resulting in a modification of the resonance frequency of the resonator. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100044886 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING PAIRS OF PADS - An integrated-circuit semiconductor device includes external electrical connection pads on one face and electrical connection vias under said pads. The electrical connection vias are arranged with a defined pitch in a defined direction. Each via is respectively associated with one of a plurality of adjacent zones of the face. These zones extend perpendicularly to the pitch direction. The electrical connection pads are grouped in adjacent pairs. An insulation space is located between the pads of each pair of electrical connection pads. In a direction perpendicular to the pitch direction, the pads in the pair are spaced apart. The pads of each pair of electrical connection pads extend over a pair of adjacent zones and are associated with two adjacent vias. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100041189 | SELECTIVE REMOVAL OF A SILICON OXIDE LAYER - A method of fabricating a device, including the steps of forming a first silicon oxide layer within a first region of the device and a second silicon oxide layer within a second region of the device, implanting doping ions of a first type into the first region, implanting doping ions of a second type into the second region, and etching the first and second regions for a determined duration such that the first silicon oxide layer is removed and at least a part of the second silicon oxide layer remains. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100039874 | MEMORY WITH SHARED READ/WRITE CIRCUIT - A memory includes memory cells arranged as a matrix of rows and columns between word lines and bit lines, and a set of differential read/write amplifiers for reading and writing of the memory cells and for communicating with local bit lines common to at least some of the memory cells. A read/write circuit is common to the set of differential read/write amplifiers, and a set of selection gateways selectively transfer data between the common read/write circuit and a selected differential read/write amplifier. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100038797 | CONTROLLING LATERAL DISTRIBUTION OF AIR GAPS IN INTERCONNECTS - Properties of a hard mask liner are used against the diffusion of a removal agent to prevent air cavity formation in specific areas of an interconnect stack. According to one embodiment, there is provided a method in which there is defined a portion on a surface of an IC interconnect stack as being specific to air cavity introduction, with the defined portion being smaller than the surface of the substrate. At least one metal track is produced within the interconnect stack, and there is deposited at least one interconnect layer having a sacrificial material and a permeable material within the interconnect stack. There is defined at least one trench area surrounding the defined portion and forming at least one trench, and a hard mask layer is deposited to coat the trench. At least one air cavity is formed below the defined portion of the surface by using a removal agent for removing the sacrificial material to which the permanent material is resistant. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100035414 | METHOD FOR PREPARING A GERMANIUM LAYER FROM A SILICON-GERMANIUM-ON-ISOLATOR SUBSTRATE - A method for making a germanium-on-insulator layer from an SGOI substrate, including: a) depositing on the substrate a layer of a metallic element M capable of selectively forming a silicide, the layer being in contact with a silicon-germanium alloy layer; and b) a reaction between the alloy layer and the layer of a metallic element M, by which a stack of M silicide-germanium-insulator layers is obtained. Such a method may, for example, find application to production of electronic devices such as MOSFET transistors. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100032734 | MINIATURE IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor including at least one photodiode and at least one transistor formed in and on a silicon substrate, the assembly of the photodiode and of the transistor being surrounded with a heavily-doped insulating wall, wherein the silicon substrate has a crystal orientation (110). | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100025773 | PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A CONTACT PAD ON A REGION OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, IN PARTICULAR ON THE ELECTRODES OF A TRANSISTOR - A region is locally modified so as to create a zone that extends as far as at least part of the surface of the region and is formed from a material that can be removed selectively with respect to the material of the region. The region is then covered with an insulating material. An orifice is formed in the insulating material emerging at the surface of the zone. The selectively removable material is removed from the zone through the orifice so as to form a cavity in place of the zone. The cavity and the orifice are then filled with at least one electrically conducting material so as to form a contact pad. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100002358 | HIGH-STABILITY THIN-FILM CAPACITOR AND METHOD FOR MAKING THE SAME - The dielectric of a capacitor is formed by superposition of at least two thin layers made from the same metal oxide, respectively in crystalline and amorphous form and respectively presenting quadratic voltage coefficients of capacitance of opposite signs. The respective thicknesses d | 01-07-2010 |
| 20090309232 | METHOD OF MAKING CONNECTIONS IN A BACK-LIT CIRCUIT - A method for forming, on a surface of a thinned-down semiconductor substrate, a contact connected to a metal track of an interconnect stack formed on the opposite surface of the thinned-down substrate, including the steps of: forming, on the side of a first surface of a substrate, an insulating region penetrating into the substrate and coated with a conductive region and with an insulating layer crossed by conductive vias, the vias connecting a metal track of the interconnect stack to the conductive region; gluing the external surface of the interconnect stack on a support and thinning down the substrate; etching the external surface of the thinned-down substrate and stopping on the insulating region; etching the insulating region and stopping on the conductive region; and filling the etched opening with a metal. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090266973 | VERY SMALL IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor formed in a semiconductor stack of a lower region of a first conductivity type and of an upper region of a second conductivity type, including: a photodiode formed of a first portion of the stack; a read area formed of a second portion of the stack; a trench with insulated walls filled with a conductive material, the trench surrounding the photodiode and the read area and being interrupted, all along its height, on a portion facing the photodiode and the read area; and first connection mechanism associated with the conductive material of the trench and capable of being connected to a reference bias voltage. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090252871 | Method for producing a membrane comprising micropassages made from porous material by chemical mechanical polishing - A surface of a support comprising through micropassages is brought into contact with an aqueous solution comprising a plurality of particles in suspension and a pad. A pressure perpendicular to the plane of the support, between the pad and the surface of the support, and a relative movement of the pad and of the surface in a direction parallel to the plane of the support are applied. At least one particle is thus introduced in each microgap to form a porous material therein. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090243101 | METHOD FOR FORMING INTERCONNECTION LEVELS OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A method for forming interconnection levels of an integrated circuit, including the steps of: (a) forming an interconnection level comprising conductive tracks and vias separated by a porous dielectric material; (b) forming, on the interconnection level, a layer of a non-porous insulating material, said layer comprising openings above portions of porous dielectric material; (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) to obtain the adequate number of interconnection levels; and (d) annealing the structure. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090212333 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING A BURIED-GATE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor channel region and a gate region, wherein the gate region includes at least one buried part extending under the channel region. The buried part of the gate region is formed from a cavity under the channel region. The cavity is filled with a first material. An opening is made to access the first material. In one implementation, aluminum is deposited in the opening in contact with the first material. An anneal is performed to cause the aluminum to be substituted for the first material in the cavity. In another implementation, a second material different from the first material is deposited in the opening. An anneal is performed to cause an alloy of the first and second materials to be formed in the cavity. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090212330 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A BURIED-GATE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE AND CORRESPONDING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - A semiconductor device includes a semiconductive channel region and a gate region. The gate region has at least one buried part extending under the channel region. The buried part of the gate region is formed by forming a cavity under the channel region. That cavity is at least partial filled with silicon and a metal. An annealing step is performed so as to form a silicide of said metal in the cavity. The result is a totally silicided buried gate for the semiconductor device. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090152998 | MICRORESONATOR - A microresonator comprising a single-crystal silicon resonant element and at least one activation electrode placed close to the resonant element, in which the resonant element is placed in an opening of a semiconductor layer covering a substrate, the activation electrode being formed in the semiconductor layer and being level at the opening. | 06-18-2009 |
| 20090134441 | INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT INCORPORATING A CAPACITOR - A non-volatile memory element includes a transistor for selecting the element and a capacitor for recording a binary value by electrical breakdown of an insulating layer of the capacitor. A structure of the memory element is modified in order to allow a higher degree of integration of the element within an electronic circuit of the MOS type. In addition, the memory element is made more robust with respect to a high electrical voltage (VDD) used for recording the binary value. The transistor includes a drain in the substrate with electric field drift in a longitudinal direction extending towards the capacitor. The electric field drift region for the drain includes a first extension underneath the gate of the transistor opposite the source and a second extension underneath the insulating layer of the capacitor. Doping of the substrate for the electric field drift region is limited to a region substantially corresponding to a distance between the gate and an electrode of the capacitor. | 05-28-2009 |
| 20090125789 | BUS WITH ERROR CORRECTION CIRCUITRY - A data bus including a plurality of logic blocks coupled in series, each logic block including at least one buffer for buffering at least one data bit transmitted via the data bus and at least one of the logic blocks further including circuitry coupled in parallel with the at least one buffer and arranged to determine a first bit of error correction code associated with the at least one data bit. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090121269 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT COMPRISING A TRANSISTOR AND A CAPACITOR, AND FABRICATION METHOD - An integrated circuit includes a substrate and at least one active region. A transistor produced in the active region separated from the substrate. This transistor includes a source or drain first region and a drain or source second region which are connected by a channel. A gate structure is position on top of said channel and operates to control the channel. The gate structure is formed in a trench whose sidewalls have a shape which converges (narrows) in the width dimension towards the substrate. A capacitor is also formed having a first electrode, a second electrode and a dielectric layer between the electrodes. This capacitor is also formed in a trench. An electrode line is connected to the first electrode of the capacitor. The second electrode of the capacitor is formed in a layer shared in common with at least part of the drain or source second region of the transistor. A bit line is located beneath the gate structure. The integrated circuit may, for example, be a DRAM memory cell. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090102014 | Anti-Fuse Cell and Its Manufacturing Process - An anti-fuse cell includes a standard MOS transistor of an integrated circuit, with source and drain regions covered with a metal silicide layer and at least one track of a resistive layer at least partially surrounding the MOS transistor, and adapted to pass a heating current such that the metal of said metal silicide diffuses across drain and/or source junctions. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090032874 | METHOD FOR INTEGRATING SILICON-ON-NOTHING DEVICES WITH STANDARD CMOS DEVICES - A method is provided for fabricating transistors of first and second types in a single substrate. First and second active zones of the substrate are delimited by lateral isolation trench regions, and a portion of the second active zone is removed so that the second active zone is below the first active zone. First and second layers of semiconductor material are formed on the second active zone, so that the second layer is substantially in the same plane as the first active zone. Insulated gates are produced on the first active zone and the second layer. At least one isolation trench region is selectively removed, and the first layer is selectively removed so as to form a tunnel under the second layer. The tunnel is filled with a dielectric material to insulate the second layer from the second active zone of the substrate. Also provided is such an integrated circuit. | 02-05-2009 |
| 20090023275 | METHOD FOR FORMING SILICON WELLS OF DIFFERENT CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ORIENTATIONS - A method for manufacturing silicon wells of various crystallographic orientations in a silicon support, including the steps of: forming a silicon layer having a first orientation on a silicon substrate having a second orientation; forming insulating walls, defining wells extend at least down to the border between the silicon substrate and the silicon layer; performing, in first wells, a chemical vapor etch (CVE) of the silicon layer by means of hydrochloric acid, in an epitaxy reactor, at a temperature ranging between 700° C. and 950° C.; and performing, in the first wells, a vapor-phase epitaxy on the silicon substrate in the presence of a precursor of silicon and hydrochloric acid, at a temperature ranging between 700° C. and 900° C. and up to the upper surface of the silicon layer. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090014764 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH AN IMPROVED SENSITIVITY - An embodiment of an image sensor comprising photosensitive cells, each photosensitive cell comprising at least one charge storage means formed at least partly in a substrate of a semiconductor material. The substrate comprises, for at least one first photosensitive cell, a portion of a first silicon and germanium alloy having a first germanium concentration, possibly zero, and for at least one second photosensitive cell, a portion of a second silicon and germanium alloy having a second germanium concentration, non-zero, greater than the first germanium concentration. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090001463 | FINFET FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTOR INSULTATED FROM THE SUBSTRATE - A finFET field effect transistor is produced by the formation of an electrical junction between the thin fin portion of semiconductor material which forms the channel of the transistor and the circuit substrate. Doping particles are implanted in the substrate through a mask which is then subsequently used to form the thin fin portion of the channel. The channel of the finFET transistor is thus electrically insulated from the circuit substrate in the same manner as in MOS integrated circuits realized from bulk silicon substrates. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20080280151 | COPPER DIFFUSION BARRIER - The invention concerns a method of forming a copper portion surrounded by an insulating material in an integrated circuit structure, the insulating material being a first oxide, the method having steps including forming a composite material over a region of the insulating material where the copper portion is to be formed, the composite material having first and second materials, annealing such that the second material reacts with the insulating material to form a second oxide that provides a diffusion barrier to copper; and depositing a copper layer over the composite material by electrochemical deposition to form the copper portion. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080278886 | Increasing the capacitance of a capacitive device by micromasking - Capacitive coupling devices and methods of fabricating a capacitive coupling device are disclosed. The coupling device could include a stack of layers forming electrodes and at least one insulator. The insulator could include a a region of doped silicon. The silicon could be doped with a species selected from Ce, Cr, Co, Cu, Dy, Er, Eu, Ho, Ir, Li, Lu, Mn, Pr, Rb, Sm, Sr, Tb, Tm, Yb, Y, Ac, Am, Ba, Be, Cd, Gd, Fe, La, Pb, Ni, Ra, Sc, Th, Hf, Tl, Sn, Np, Rh, U, Zn, Ag, and Yb in relief and forming roughnesses relative to the neighbouring regions of the same level in the stack. The electrodes and the insulator form conformal layers above the doped silicon region. | 11-13-2008 |
| 20080259524 | PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING A HIGH-STABILITY CAPACITOR AND CORRESPONDING CAPACITOR - A dielectric alloy is composed of two dielectric materials that respectively have second-order non-linear dielectric susceptibilities with opposite signs. The composition is adjusted so that the alloy has a second-order non-linear dielectric susceptibility below a chosen threshold. A dielectric layer within an integrated circuit is made using the alloy. More specifically, an integrated capacitor is produced with a single-layer dielectric formed by said alloy. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080258254 | PROCESS FOR REALIZING AN INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT WITH TWO ACTIVE LAYER PORTIONS HAVING DIFFERENT CRYSTAL ORIENTATIONS - A process for realizing an integrated electronic circuit makes it possible to obtain transistors with p-type conduction and transistors with n-type conduction, in respective active zones having crystal orientations adapted to each conduction type. In addition, each active zone is electrically insulated from a primary substrate of the circuit, so that the entire circuit is compatible with SOI technology. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080246121 | METHOD OF FABRICATING A DEVICE WITH A CONCENTRATION GRADIENT AND THE CORRESPONDING DEVICE - A semiconductive device is fabricated by forming, within a semiconductive substrate, at least one continuous region formed of a material having a non-uniform composition in a direction substantially perpendicular to the thickness of the substrate. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080239625 | ELECTRONIC COMPONENT MANUFACTURING METHOD - A method for manufacturing an electronic component on a semiconductor substrate, including forming at least one opening in the substrate; forming in the bottom and on the walls of the opening and on the substrate an alternated succession of layers of a first material and of a second material, the second material being selectively etchable with respect to the first material and the substrate; trimming the layer portions of the first material and of the second material which are not located in the opening; selectively etching a portion of the first material to obtain trenches; and filling the trenches with at least one third material. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080205027 | ASSEMBLY OF TWO PARTS OF AN INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT - A process for assembling two parts of an integrated electronic circuit has two successive steps. During a first step, the two circuit parts are made into a single unit by molecular bonding, realized on respective application surfaces of the two parts. During a second step, electrical connections are formed from connection portions already present in the application surfaces of the two circuit parts. The connections formed extend across the bonding interface, and are compatible with a high reliability and a high level of integration of the circuit. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080197447 | METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A STRUCTURE OF SEMICONDUCTOR-ON-INSULATOR TYPE - A method for manufacturing an insulated semiconductor layer, including: forming a porous silicon layer on a single-crystal silicon surface; depositing an insulating material so that it penetrates into the pores of the porous silicon layer; eliminating the insulating material to expose the upper surface of the porous silicon; and growing by epitaxy a semiconductor layer. | 08-21-2008 |
