Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Giuseppe D'Arrigo

Salvatore Coffa

Rosario Corrado Spinella

Crocifisso Marco Antonio Renna

Santo Alessandro Smerzi

Michele Calabretta

Alessandro Sitta

Giuseppe Arena

Marco Camalleri

Ruggero Anzalone

Giuseppe Abbondanza

Marco Antonio Salanitri

Nicolo Frazzetto

Aldo Raciti

Corrado Spinella

A process for manufacturing a strained semiconductor device envisages: providing a die of semiconductor material, in which elementary components of the semiconductor device have been integrated by means of initial front-end steps; and coupling, using the die-attach technique, the die to a support, at a coupling temperature. The aforesaid coupling step envisages selecting the value of the coupling temperature at a value higher than an operating temperature of use of the semiconductor device, and moreover selecting the material of the support so that it is different from the material of the die in order to determine, at the operating temperature, a coupling stress that is a function of the different values of the coefficients of thermal expansion of the materials of the die and of the support and of the temperature difference between the coupling temperature and the operating temperature. Furthermore, additional stress can be enhanced by means of different embodiments involving the support, such as ring or multi-layer frame.

Process for manufacturing a strained semiconductor device and corresponding strained semiconductor device

Various embodiments provide a reaction chamber including a support, a receptacle, and a sponge. The support includes a plurality of bars that are spaced from each other by a plurality of openings. Each of the bars has side surfaces that are slanted or tilted downward such that melted material may readily flow through the openings. The support is covered with a coating of silicon carbide to prevent materials from adhering to the support. The receptacle underlies the support and is configured to collect any melted material that is drained through the openings of the support. The sponge is positioned in the receptacle and under the support. The sponge is configured to absorb any melted material that is collected by the receptacle.

Apparatus for manufacturing a silicon carbide wafer

Fuel cells are formed in a single layer of conductive monocrystalline silicon including a succession of electrically isolated conductive silicon bodies separated by narrow parallel trenches etched through the whole thickness of the silicon layer. Semicells in a back-to-back configuration are formed over etch surfaces of the separation trenches. Each semicell formed on the etch surface of one of the silicon bodies forming an elementary cell in cooperation with an opposite semicell formed on the etch surface of the next silicon body of the succession, is separated by an ion exchange membrane resin filling the separation trench between the opposite semicells forming a solid electrolyte of the elementary cell. Each semicell includes a porous conductive silicon region permeable to fluids, extending for a certain depth from the etch surface of the silicon body, at least partially coated by a non passivable metallic material. Each of the porous and fluid permeable regions communicates with a feed duct of a fuel fluid or of oxygen gas that extends parallel to the etch surface inside the conductive silicon body.

Fuel cell formed in a single layer of monocrystalline silicon and fabrication process

A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor device that includes a suspended micro-system. According to the method, a silicon porous layer is formed above a silicon substrate, and the silicon porous layer is oxidized. An oxide layer is deposited, and a first polysilicon layer is deposited above the oxide layer. The first polysilicon layer, the oxide layer, and the silicon porous layer are selectively removed. A nitride layer is deposited, and a second polysilicon layer is deposited. The second polysilicon layer, the nitride layer, the first polysilicon layer, and the oxide layer are selectively removed. The silicon porous layer is removed in areas made accessible by the previous step. Also provided is a semiconductor device that includes a suspended structure fixed to at least two walls through a plurality of hinges, with the suspended structure including an oxide layer, a first polysilicon layer, a nitride layer, and a second polysilicon layer.

Semiconductor device having a suspended micro-system

Process for fabricating a semiconductor device having a suspended micro-system and resultant device

A fuel cell for an electrical load circuit includes a first monocrystalline silicon substrate and a positive half-cell formed therein, and a second monocrystalline silicon substrate and a positive half-cell formed therein. Each half-cell includes a microporous catalytic electrode permeable to a gas and connectable to the electrical load circuit. A cell area is defined on a surface of each respective monocrystalline silicon substrate, and includes a plurality of parallel trenches formed therein for receiving the gas to be fed to the respective microporous catalytic electrode. A cation exchange membrane separates the two microporous catalytic electrodes. Each half-cell includes a passageway for feeding the respective gas to the corresponding microporous catalytic electrode.

Micro silicon fuel cell, method of fabrication and self-powered semiconductor device integrating a micro fuel cell

A method for fabricating a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer that includes a monocrystalline silicon substrate with a doped region buried therein is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of trench-like openings extending from a surface of the substrate to the doped buried region, and selectively etching through the plurality of trench-like openings to change the doped buried region into a porous silicon region. The porous silicon region is oxidized to obtain an insulating region for the SOI wafer.

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Tremestieri Etneo, Italy

Giuseppe D'Arrigo