Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080208425 | INTEGRATED PRESSURE SENSOR WITH DOUBLE MEASURING SCALE AND A HIGH FULL-SCALE VALUE - In a pressure sensor with double measuring scale: a monolithic body of semiconductor material has a first main surface, a bulk region and a sensitive portion upon which pressure acts; a cavity is formed in the monolithic body and is separated from the first main surface by a membrane, which is flexible and deformable as a function of the pressure, and is arranged inside the sensitive portion and is surrounded by the bulk region; a low-pressure detecting element of the piezoresistive type, sensitive to first values of pressure, is integrated in the membrane and has a variable resistance as a function of the deformation of the membrane; in addition, a high-pressure detecting element, also of a piezoresistive type, is formed in the bulk region inside the sensitive portion and has a variable resistance as a function of the pressure. The high-pressure detecting element is sensitive to second values of pressure. | 08-28-2008 |
20080213934 | INTEGRATED DEVICE MANUFACTURING PROCESS - A process for manufacturing an integrated device includes the steps of: providing a silicon substrate on which a silicon dioxide structure is arranged; and forming a trench having first and second essentially vertical walls relative to the substrate in the structure by means of anisotropic-type etching. A concavity having a sloped wall relative to the substrate is formed by isotropic-type etching which removes the second wall so that the concavity is open to the trench and the sloped wall faces the first wall. | 09-04-2008 |
20090186447 | PROCESS FOR SEALING AND CONNECTING PARTS OF ELECTROMECHANICAL, FLUID AND OPTICAL MICROSYSTEMS AND DEVICE OBTAINED THEREBY - A process for connecting two bodies forming parts of an electromechanical, fluid and optical microsystem, wherein a welding region is formed on a first body; an electrically conductive region and a spacing region are formed on a second body; the spacing region extends near the electrically conductive region and has a height smaller than the electrically conductive region. One of the first and second bodies is turned upside down on the other, and the two bodies are welded together by causing the electrically conductive region to melt so that it adheres to the welding region and collapses until its height becomes equal to that of the spacing region. Thereby it is possible to seal active parts or micromechanical structures with respect to the outside world, self-align the two bodies during bonding, obtain an electrical connection between the two bodies, and optically align two optical structures formed on the two bodies. | 07-23-2009 |
20090308839 | OPTICAL INTEGRATED DEVICE MANUFACTURING PROCESS - The invention relates to a process for manufacturing an integrated optical device. The method involves forming a silicon dioxide multilayer structure on a silicon substrate containing, in a first region a core layer of a waveguide of the optical device. The core includes an electromagnetic radiation inlet/outlet A trench in a second region of the multilayer structure adjacent said first region is formed by a an anisotropic etching, the trench including side walls and a bottom wall spaced from the Substrate. The method further involves forming a coating layer of the side walls and the bottom wall of the trench; defining an opening in the bottom wall by at least partially removing the coating layer in order to expose the lower silicon dioxide of the multilayer structure; performing an isotropic etch through said opening in order to remove, starting from the exposed silicon dioxide, the multilayer structure silicon dioxide until forming a recess in the multilayer structure having a first wall at least one essentially planar portion inclined relative to the substrate. Such inclined portion extends at least partially in the first region, and includes the inlet/outlet port. | 12-17-2009 |
20100000593 | PHOTOVOLTAIC DEVICE WITH CONCENTRATION AND SPECTRAL SPLITTING OF COLLECTED LIGHT BEAM - A photovoltaic device may include a housing having a transparent pupil receiving a collimated beam of radiation, and photovoltaic cell arrays being positioned on respective inner surfaces of the housing, each photovoltaic cell array sensing a respective spectral range of the radiation different from the other photovoltaic cell arrays. The photovoltaic device may further include dichroic filters being positioned along an optical axis of the transparent pupil and splitting the collimated beam into a corresponding divided beams of different spectrums, and mirrors corresponding to the divided beams. Each mirror may have reflecting surfaces, receive a respective divided beam, subdivide the received divided beam into reflected beams from the reflecting surfaces, and illuminate an active area of a photovoltaic cell of the respective array. | 01-07-2010 |
20100019617 | CAPACITIVE POSITION SENSING IN AN ELECTROSTATIC MICROMOTOR - An electrostatic micromotor is provided with a fixed substrate, a mobile substrate facing the fixed substrate, and electrostatic-interaction elements enabling a relative movement of the mobile substrate with respect to the fixed substrate in a movement direction; the electrostatic micromotor is also provided with a capacitive position-sensing structure configured to enable sensing of a relative position of the mobile substrate with respect to the fixed substrate in the movement direction. The capacitive position-sensing structure is formed by sensing indentation, extending within the mobile substrate from a first surface thereof, and by first sensing electrode, facing, in given operating condition, the sensing indentation. | 01-28-2010 |
20100026137 | SILICON ELECTROSTATIC MICROMOTOR WITH INDENTATIONS, IN PARTICULAR FOR PROBE-STORAGE SYSTEMS - In an electrostatic micromotor, a mobile substrate faces a fixed substrate, and electrostatic-interaction elements are provided to allow a relative movement of the mobile substrate with respect to the fixed substrate in a direction of movement. The electrostatic-interaction elements include electrodes arranged on a facing surface of the fixed substrate ( | 02-04-2010 |
20100026138 | ELECTROSTATIC MICROMOTOR WITH STATOR AND ROTOR IN CONTACT, IN PARTICULAR FOR PROBE-STORAGE SYSTEMS - In an electrostatic micromotor, a mobile substrate faces a fixed substrate and is suspended over the fixed substrate at a given distance of separation in an operative resting condition; an actuation unit is configured so as to give rise to a relative movement of the mobile substrate with respect to the fixed substrate in a direction of movement during an operative condition of actuation. The actuation unit is also configured so as to bring the mobile substrate and the fixed substrate substantially into contact and to keep them in contact during the operative condition of actuation. The electrostatic micromotor is provided with an electronic unit for reducing friction, configured so as to reduce a friction generated by the contact between the rotor substrate and the stator substrate during the relative movement. | 02-04-2010 |
20100163410 | ELECTRONIC DETECTION OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS - A hybridization detecting device, wherein a probe cell has a body of semiconductor material forming a diaphragm, a first electrode on the diaphragm, a piezoelectric region on the first electrode, a second electrode on the piezoelectric region and a detection layer on the second electrode. The body accommodates a buried cavity downwardly delimiting the diaphragm. | 07-01-2010 |
20100170324 | INTEGRATED ELECTRONIC MICROBALANCE PLUS CHEMICAL SENSOR - An electronic microbalance made in a semiconductor body accommodating an oscillating circuit adjacent to a diaphragm. A stack formed by a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric region arranged between the first and the second electrode extends above the diaphragm. Any substance that deposits on the stack causes a change in the mass of the microbalance and thus in the resonance frequency of a resonator formed by the microbalance and by the oscillating circuit and can thus be detected electronically. A chemical sensor is obtained by forming a sensitive layer of a material suitable for binding to target chemicals on the stack. The sensitivity of the microbalance can be increased by making the first electrode of molybdenum so as to increase the piezoelectric characteristics of the piezoelectric region. | 07-08-2010 |
20110058465 | MICROELECTROMECHANICAL DEVICE HAVING AN ELECTROMAGNETIC MICROMOTOR, IN PARTICULAR MASS STORAGE DEVICE MADE BY PROBE STORAGE TECHNOLOGY - A microelectromechanical device that includes a fixed supporting body, at least one semiconductor body, which is movable with respect to the fixed supporting body, and at least one micromotor for moving the semiconductor body with respect to the fixed supporting body, the micromotor having at least one permanent magnet and a coil, which are coupled together and are movable with respect to one another. A ferromagnetic guide is coupled to the magnet and is shaped so as to concentrate lines of magnetic field generated by the magnet towards the coil. | 03-10-2011 |
20110209524 | INTEGRATED CHEMICAL SENSOR FOR DETECTING ODOROUS MATTERS - A cartridge-like chemical sensor is formed by a housing having a base and a cover fixed to the base and provided with an input opening, an output hole and a channel for a gas to be analyzed. The channel extends in the cover between the input opening and the output hole and faces a printed circuit board carrying an integrated circuit having a sensitive region open toward the channel and of a material capable to bind with target chemicals in the gas to be analyzed. A fan is arranged in the housing, downstream of the integrated device, for sucking the gas after being analyzed, and is part of a thermal control system for the integrated circuit. | 09-01-2011 |
20110318840 | FLUIDIC CARTRIDGE FOR DETECTING CHEMICALS IN SAMPLES, IN PARTICULAR FOR PERFORMING BIOCHEMICAL ANALYSES - A fluidic cartridge for detecting chemicals, formed by a casing, hermetically housing an integrated device having a plurality of detecting regions to bind with target chemicals; part of a supporting element, bearing the integrated device; a reaction chamber, facing the detecting regions; a sample feeding hole and a washing feeding hole, self-sealingly closed; fluidic paths, which connect the sample feeding and washing feeding holes to the reaction chamber; and a waste reservoir, which may be fluidically connected to the reaction chamber by valve elements that may be controlled from outside. The integrated device is moreover connected to an interface unit carried by the supporting element, electrically connected to the integrated device and including at least one signal processing stage and external contact regions. | 12-29-2011 |
20130078643 | DEVICE AND METHOD OF DETECTING TSH - A device for detecting the concentration of biological materials, is formed in a body having a plurality of fluidic paths connectable to a multi-microbalance structure carrying a plurality of microbalances, each microbalance having a sensitive portion facing a reaction chamber. The body and the multi-microbalance structure are configured to be mechanically coupled together and each microbalance is configured to be coupled to a respective fluidic path. Each fluidic path includes an inlet, a duct and a liquid waste, each duct being configured to be coupled with a respective reaction chamber. The plurality of fluidic paths and microbalances form at least one first and one second reference cells and one first sample cell. | 03-28-2013 |
20130146121 | SOLAR LIGHT CONCENTRATION PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION SYSTEM USING A WAVELENGTH SPLITTER AND LAMBDA-SPECIFIC PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS OPTICALLY COUPLED TO LAMBDA-DEDICATED FIBERS ILLUMINATED BY RESPECTIVE SPLIT BEAMS - A solar light concentration photovoltaic conversion system, uses a solar light collector to focus collected light onto a termination of at least one multi-fiber cable. A wavelength splitter is optically coupled to the other termination of the multi-fiber cable for producing light beams of different wavelengths, each illuminating the optical termination of one or more lambda-dedicated tap fibers or multi-fiber cables. From the wavelength splitter depart a number of lambda-dedicated groups of tap fibers adapted to convey the radiation to remotely arranged lambda-specific photovoltaic cells, configured for efficiently converting light energy of the specific wavelength spectrum carried along respective fiber or group of fibers into electrical energy. The lambda-specific photovoltaic cells are formed onto light spreading structures optically coupled to a respective tap fiber or multi-fiber cable, adapted to trap the injected light and convert it into electricity. | 06-13-2013 |
20130243143 | REACTOR FOR ENERGY GENERATION THROUGH LOW ENERGY NUCLEAR REACTIONS (LENR) BETWEEN HYDROGEN AND TRANSITION METALS AND RELATED METHOD OF ENERGY GENERATION - An embodiment of an apparatus includes a reaction chamber, a reaction unit, and an energy regulator. The reaction chamber includes an energy port, and the reaction unit is disposed in the reaction chamber and is configured to allow an energy-releasing reaction between first and second materials. And the energy regulator is configured to control a rate at which reaction-released energy exits the reaction chamber via the energy port. The reaction chamber may include a thermally conductive wall that forms a portion of the energy port, and the energy regulator may include a thermally conductive member and a mechanism configured to control a distance between the thermally conductive wall and the thermally conductive member. Furthermore, the reaction unit may include a mechanism configured to facilitate the reaction between the first and second materials, and may also include a mechanism configured to control a rate at which the reaction releases energy. | 09-19-2013 |
20130255381 | MAGNETIC INERTIAL SENSOR AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME - An inertial sensor having a body with an excitation coil and a first sensing coil extending along a first axis. A suspended mass includes a magnetic-field concentrator, in a position corresponding to the excitation coil, and configured for displacing by inertia in a plane along the first axis. A supply and sensing circuit is electrically coupled to the excitation coil and to the first sensing coil, and is configured for generating a time-variable flow of electric current that flows in the excitation coil so as to generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic-field concentrator to induce a voltage/current in the sensing coil. The integrated circuit is configured for measuring a value of the voltage/current induced in the first sensing coil so as to detect a quantity associated to the displacement of the suspended mass along the first axis. | 10-03-2013 |
20130273548 | SAMPLE PREPARATION AND LOADING MODULE - The device has a fluid inlet; a filtering compartment, connected to the fluid inlet and accommodating a filtering matrix in presence of adsorption agents; a fluidic circuit connected downstream of the filtering compartment and including a discharge circuit and a loading circuit; a discharge chamber, connected downstream of the discharge circuit; a preparation outlet, connected downstream of the loading circuit; and suction pumps, connected to the fluidic circuit and configured so as to fluidically connect the filtering compartment alternatively to the discharge circuit or to the loading circuit. | 10-17-2013 |