Abstract:
An integrated circuit includes a silicon-on-insulator wafer and interconnect layer providing a support for a coplanar waveguide formed above a top side of the support. A through-silicon via is formed from a back side of the support and passing through the silicon-on-insulator wafer to reach the interconnect layer. A trench is formed from the back side of the support underneath the coplanar waveguide. The trench extends over at least an entire length of the coplanar waveguide. The trench passes through the silicon-on-insulator wafer to reach the interconnect layer and may have a substantially same depth as the through-silicon via.
Abstract:
The invention relates to an IC with an electrostatic discharge protection device. There is a buried insulant layer 50 nm or less in thickness and first and second bipolar transistors on the insulant layer, one being an npn transistor and the other a pnp transistor. The base of the first transistor is merged with the collector of the second transistor and the base of the second transistor is merged with the collector of the first transistor. The first and second bipolar transistors are configured to selectively conduct a discharge current between two electrodes of the protection device. There is a first semiconductor ground plane under the insulant layer, being electrically biased, extending until it is plumb with the base of the first bipolar transistor, exhibiting a first type of doping identical to that of the base of the first bipolar transistor with a doping density at least ten times greater.
Abstract:
An integrated circuit includes a silicon-on-insulator substrate that includes a semiconductor film located above a buried insulating layer. A first electrode of a silicide material overlies the semiconductor film. A sidewall insulating material is disposed along sidewalls of the first electrode. A dielectric layer is located between the first electrode and the semiconductor film. A second electrode includes a silicided zone of the semiconductor film, which is located alongside the sidewall insulating material and extends at least partially under the dielectric layer and the first electrode. The first electrode, the dielectric layer and the second electrode form a capacitor that is part of a circuit of the integrated circuit.
Abstract:
A photodetector including a photoelectric conversion structure made of a semiconductor material and, on a light-receiving surface of the conversion structure, a stack of first and second diffractive elements, the second element being above the first element, wherein: the first element includes at least one pad made of a material having an optical index n1, laterally surrounded with a region made of a material having an optical index n2 different from n1; the second element includes at least one pad made of a material having an optical index n3, laterally surrounded with a region made of a material having an optical index n4 different from n3; the pads of the first and second elements are substantially vertically aligned; and optical index differences n1−n2 and n3−n4 have opposite signs.
Abstract:
An electronic device includes a laser source configured to direct laser radiation toward a user's hand. A laser detector is configured to receive reflected laser radiation from the user's hand. A controller is coupled to the laser source and laser detector and configured to determine a plurality of distance values to the user's hand based upon a time-of-flight of the laser radiation, calculate a mean absolute deviation (MAD) value based upon the plurality of distance values, and identify whether the user's hand is moving in a first or second gesture based upon the MAD value.
Abstract:
An integrated image sensor may include adjacent pixels, with each pixel including an active semiconductor region including a photodiode, an antireflection layer above the photodiode, a dielectric region above the antireflection layer and an optical filter to pass incident luminous radiation having a given wavelength. The antireflection layer may include an array of pads mutually separated by a dielectric material of the dielectric region. The array may be configured to allow simultaneous transmission of the incident luminous radiation and a diffraction of the incident luminous radiation producing diffracted radiations which have wavelengths below that of the incident radiation, and are attenuated with respect to the incident radiation.
Abstract:
A method for controlling the breakdown of an antifuse memory cell formed on a semiconductor substrate, including the steps of: applying a programming voltage; detecting a breakdown time; and interrupting the application of the programming voltage at a time following the breakdown time by a post-breakdown time.
Abstract:
The invention concerns a method of forming a semiconductor layer having uniaxial stress including: forming, in a semiconductor structure having a stressed semiconductor layer, one or more first isolation trenches in a first direction for delimiting a first dimension of at least one transistor to be formed in said semiconductor structure; forming, in the semiconductor structure, one or more second isolation trenches in a second direction for delimiting a second dimension of the at least one transistor, the first and second isolation trenches being at least partially filled with an insulating material; and before or after the formation of the second isolation trenches, decreasing the viscosity of the insulating material in the first isolation trenches by implanting atoms of a first material into the first isolation trenches, wherein atoms of the first material are not implanted into the second isolation trenches.
Abstract:
An integrated modulator of the Mach-Zehnder type includes two optical arms containing waveguides with PN junctions and biasing circuits for reverse biasing the PN junctions in response to a control signal. The two optical arms are situated within a semiconductor substrate of a first element that also has an interconnection region. The biasing circuits are situated, in part, within a substrate of a second element that also contains an interconnection region. The first and second elements are rigidly attached to each other via their respective interconnection regions.
Abstract:
A back side illumination photodiode includes a light-receiving back side surface of a semiconductor material substrate. An area of the light-receiving back side surface includes a recess. The recess is filled with a material having an optical index that is lower than an optical index of the semiconductor material substrate. Both the substrate and the filling material are transparent to an operating wavelength of the photodiode. The recess may be formed to have a ring shape.