Abstract:
A process for manufacturing a MEMS device, wherein a bottom silicon region (4b) is formed on a substrate and on an insulating layer (3); a sacrificial region (5a) of dielectric is formed on the bottom region; a membrane region (21), of semiconductor material, is epitaxially grown on the sacrificial region; the membrane region is dug as far as the sacrificial region so as to form through trenches (15); the side wall and the bottom of the through trenches are completely coated in a conformal way with a porous material layer (16); at least one portion of the sacrificial region is selectively removed through the porous material layer and forms a cavity (18); and the through trenches are filled with filling material (20a) so as to form a monolithic membrane suspended above the cavity (18).
Abstract:
A resonant dc-dc converter for converting an input dc voltage to an output dc voltage is provided. The converter includes a switching circuit for receiving the input dc voltage and generating a periodic square wave voltage oscillating between a high value corresponding to the input dc voltage and a low value corresponding to a fixed voltage. The square wave voltage oscillates at a main frequency with a main duty cycle. The converter further includes a switching driving circuit for driving the switching circuit. The switching driving circuit includes a timing circuit for setting the main frequency and the main duty cycle of the square wave voltage. The timing circuit is configured to set the value of the main duty cycle to about 50% when the converter operates in steady state. The converter includes a conversion circuit based on a resonant circuit for generating the output dc voltage from the square wave voltage based on the main frequency and on the main duty cycle. The converter further includes a disabling circuit for temporarily halting the timing circuit after a power on of the converter in such a way to temporarily vary the main duty cycle of the square wave voltage during at least one period of the square wave voltage.
Abstract:
A power supply circuit (30; 30'; 30'') for an electrical appliance (49), comprising a turning-on stage (32; 32') configured for determining a transition from a turned-off state, in which the power supply circuit (30; 30; 30) is off and does not supply electric power, to a turned-on state of the power supply circuit (30; 30'; 30''). The turning-on stage (32; 32') comprises a transducer (33; 36) of the remote-control type configured for triggering the transition in response to the reception of a wireless signal.
Abstract:
The method for detecting the presence of liquids includes detecting an initial temperature (Tl) in a channel (9) accommodating a liquid; heating the channel for a predetermined test time (Δt2); detecting a test temperature (T2); determining a temperature variation (S) on the basis of the initial temperature, the test temperature, and the test time; and comparing the temperature variation with at least one threshold (Z). Before detecting an initial temperature, an ambient temperature is read, the channel is heated to the initial temperature, and is kept at the initial temperature for a time period.
Abstract:
An electrostatic micromotor (10') is provided with a fixed substrate (12), a mobile substrate (13) facing the fixed substrate (12), and electrostatic-interaction elements (14, 15, 17) enabling a relative movement of the mobile substrate (3) with respect to the fixed substrate (2) in a movement direction (x); the electrostatic micromotor is also provided with a capacitive position-sensing structure (18') configured to enable sensing of a relative position of the mobile substrate (13) with respect to the fixed substrate (12) in the movement direction (x). The capacitive position-sensing structure (18') is formed by at least one sensing indentation (22), extending within the mobile substrate (13) from a first surface (13a; 13b) thereof, and by at least one first sensing electrode (24), facing, in at least one given operating condition, the sensing indentation (22).
Abstract:
Electronic device (1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e) which comprises: a substrate (2) provided with at least one passing opening (5), a MEMS device (7) with function of differential sensor provided with a first and a second surface (9, 10) and of the type comprising at least one portion (11) sensitive to chemical and/or physical variations of fluids present in correspondence with a first and a second opposed active surface (11a, 11b) thereof, the first surface (9) of the MEMS device (7) leaving the first active surface (11a) exposed and the second surface (10) being provided with a further opening (12) which exposes said second opposed active surface (11b), the electronic device (1, 1d, 1e) being characterised in that the first surface (9) of the MEMS device (7) faces the substrate (2) and is spaced therefrom by a predetermined distance, the sensitive portion (11) being aligned to the passing opening (5) of the substrate (2), and in that it also comprises: a protective package (14, 14a, 14b), which incorporates at least partially the MEMS device (7) and the substrate (2) so as to leave the first and second opposed active surfaces (11a, 11b) exposed respectively through the passing opening (5) of the substrate (2) and the further opening (12) of the second surface (10).
Abstract:
A system for decoding a stream of compressed digital video images (IS) comprises a graphics accelerator (152 to 158) for reading (152) the stream of compressed digital video images, creating (154, 156), starting from said stream of compressed digital video images, three-dimensional scenes to be rendered, and converting (158, 160) the three-dimensional scenes to be rendered into decoded video images (OS). The graphics accelerator (152 to 158) is preferentially configured as pipeline (102) selectively switchable between operation in a graphics context and operation for decoding the stream of video images (IS) . The graphics accelerator (152 to 158) is controllable during operation for decoding the stream of compressed digital video images (IS) via a set of Application Programmer's Interfaces (APIs) comprising, in addition to new APIs, also standard APIs for operation of the graphics, accelerator (152 to 158) in a graphics context.
Abstract:
An IGBT transistor includes a drift region (103) , at least one body region (112) housed in the drift region (103) and having a first type of conductivity, and a conduction region (124) , which crosses the body region (112) in a direction perpendicular to a surface (103a) of the drift region (103) and has the first type of conductivity and a lower resistance than the body region (112) . The conduction region (124) includes a plurality of implant regions (121, 123a-123d) , arranged at respective depths (D1-D4) from the surface (103a) of the drift region (103) .
Abstract:
The invention relates to an electronic synchronous/ asynchronous transceiver device (100) for power line communication networks of the type integrated into a single chip and operating from a single supply voltage. The transceiver device includes: at least an internal register (40) that is programmable through a synchronous serial interface (41); at least a line driver for a two-way network communication over power lines implemented by a single ended power amplifier (45) with direct accessible input and output lines that is part of a tunable active filter for the transmission path; and at least a couple of linear regulators (30, 35) for powering with different voltage levels different kind of external controllers linked to the transceiver device (100).