STMicroelectronics

About: STMicroelectronics is a company organization based out in Geneva, Switzerland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Signal & Transistor. The organization has 17172 authors who have published 29543 publications receiving 300766 citations. The organization is also known as: SGS-Thomson & STM.

Key Enabling Technologies for Point-of-Care Diagnostics.

Abstract: A major trend in biomedical engineering is the development of reliable, self-contained point-of-care (POC) devices for diagnostics and in-field assays. The new generation of such platforms increasingly addresses the clinical and environmental needs. Moreover, they are becoming more and more integrated with everyday objects, such as smartphones, and their spread among unskilled common people, has the power to improve the quality of life, both in the developed world and in low-resource settings. The future success of these tools will depend on the integration of the relevant key enabling technologies on an industrial scale (microfluidics with microelectronics, highly sensitive detection methods and low-cost materials for easy-to-use tools). Here, recent advances and perspectives will be reviewed across the large spectrum of their applications.

A Fully Digital 65nm CMOS Transmitter for the 2.4-to-2.7GHz WiFi/WiMAX Bands using 5.4GHz ΔΣ RF DACs

Abstract: This paper describes a fully digital CMOS transmitter that meets the IEEE 802.11 b/g and 802.16e standards in the 2.4-to-2.7 GHz band, while taking into account the coexistence requirements when used in 2G/3G mobile handsets. The baseband signal is upsampled first to a sampling rate FM around 160MHz, using FIR interpolators. I/Q and DC precompensation is then applied, to eliminate the image and LO components at the RF output. A first fine digital gain stage controls the signal level in a 0 to -12 dB range. The baseband signal is then upsampled to Fc/4, where Fc is the carrier frequency in the 2.4 to 2.7 GHz range. As the ratio between Fc/4 and FM is not necessarily integer, a fractional-N interpolator has to be used. The interpolating ratio has 17 bits of resolution, which allows carrier frequencies on a 25 kHz raster, to satisfy all possible WiFi and WiMAX channel allocations.

Multi-cellular photovoltaic panel system with DC-DC conversion replicated for groups of cells in series of each panel and photovoltaic panel structure

Abstract: A photovoltaic energy conversion system includes a distributed control structure for groups of cells of each multi-cellular panel, the components of which are entirely physically integrated in the photovoltaic panel. Each multi-cellular photovoltaic panel has a DC bus, supplied in parallel by a plurality of DC-DC converters, each provided with a controller that controls the working point of the photovoltaic cells coupled to the input of the DC-DC converter for a maximum yield of electric power by implementing a relatively simple MPPT algorithm. The controller includes a logic circuit and A/D converters of analog signals representing the input voltage and the input current generated by the group of cells that is coupled to the input of the DC-DC converter and optionally also of the output voltage of the converter, and a relatively simple D/A converter of the drive control signal of the power switch of the DC-DC converter.

Parasitic reset in the programming transient of PCMs

Abstract: We studied the programming dynamics in phase change memory cells It is shown that programming in stand-alone cells is strongly affected by the parasitic capacitance in the measurement setup, leading to a current overshoot after threshold switching of the amorphous chalcogenide This results in a parasitic melting and quenching of the active material, affecting the current distribution during program and the final phase distribution in the active material The relevance of this artefact for real-device operation is discussed with reference to the value of the parasitic capacitance

Combined effects of humidity and thermal stress on the dielectric properties of epoxy-silica composites

Abstract: We report on the effects of hydrothermal ageing on the dielectric properties of epoxy-silica composites used for microelectronic packaging. The study was carried out for samples with various degrees of curing. Epoxy compounds were subjected to moisture exposure (standard JEDEC procedures) and consecutive thermal stress (240°C). Changes in the dielectric constant and in the loss factor were measured in the 100 Hz–100 kHz frequency range. It is found that water absorption increases with curing. After ageing the dielectric constant is decreased and the loss factor increased. Cured materials have a higher resistance against hydrothermal ageing.