Abstract:
A device for transferring charges photogenerated in a portion of a semiconductor layer delimited by at least two parallel trenches, each trench including, lengthwise, at least a first and a second conductive regions insulated from each other and from the semiconductor layer, including the repeating of a first step of biasing of the first conductive regions to a first voltage to form a volume accumulation of holes in the area of this portion located between the first regions, while the second conductive regions are biased to a second voltage greater than the first voltage, and of a second step of biasing of the first regions to the second voltage and of the second regions to the first voltage.
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:
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:
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.
Abstract:
A semiconductor electro-optical phase shifter may include an optical action zone configured to be inserted in an optical waveguide, and a bipolar transistor structure configured so that, in operation, collector current of the bipolar transistor structure crosses the optical action zone perpendicular to the axis of the optical waveguide.
Abstract:
A device includes a chip assembled on an interposer. An electrically-insulating layer coats an upper surface of the interposer around the chip. First metal lines run on the upper surface of the interposer and are arranged between conductive elements of connection to the chip. An end of each first metal line is arranged to extend beyond a projection of the chip on the interposer. A thermally-conductive via connects the end of the first metal line to a heat sink supported at an upper surface of the device.