Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming a fin protruding above a substrate; forming isolation regions on opposing sides of the fin; forming a dummy gate electrode over the fin; removing lower portions of the dummy gate electrode proximate to the isolation regions, where after removing the lower portions, there is a gap between the isolation regions and a lower surface of the dummy gate electrode facing the isolation regions; filling the gap with a gate fill material; after filling the gap, forming gate spacers along sidewalls of the dummy gate electrode and along sidewalls of the gate fill material; and replacing the dummy gate electrode and the gate fill material with a metal gate.

Abstract: A fin-type field-effect transistor (FinFET) device includes a plurality of fins formed over a substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a dielectric layer filled in a space between each fin and over a first portion of the plurality of fins and a dielectric trench formed in the dielectric layer. The dielectric trench has a vertical profile. The semiconductor device further includes a second portion of the plurality of fins recessed and exposed in the dielectric trench. The second portion of the plurality of fins have a rounded-convex-shape top profile.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device are provided herein. The semiconductor device includes a substrate; a fin structure arranged on the substrate and including a ridge portion and a bottom portion between the ridge portion and the substrate, wherein the ridge portion comprises a channel region and a fin region between the channel region and the bottom portion, a critical dimension of the bottom portion in a cross-fin direction is gradually increased toward the substrate to twice or more of a critical dimension of the channel region in the cross-fin direction; a metal gate structure disposed on the fin structure extending the cross-fin direction; and an epitaxy region disposed beside the metal gate structure in a lengthwise direction of the fin structure and connected to the fin structure.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of mobile robots is to be implemented by a server that communicates with the plurality of mobile robots and a communication device. The server stores a predetermined working route related to a target area. The method includes steps of: receiving a working instruction from the communication device, the working instruction including area information related to the target area and an input quantity of mobile robots; in response to receipt of the working instruction, dividing the predetermined working route into a plurality of sub-routes, wherein a quantity of the sub-routes equals the input quantity of mobile robots; and sending the sub-routes respectively to a plurality of selected robots that are selected from among the plurality of mobile robots to make the selected robots cooperatively implement a task on the target area by moving along the sub-routes, respectively.

Abstract: A method for controlling a plurality of autonomous robots for performing environment maintenance operations includes: generating a setup command that indicates a selected location, a plurality of selected robots, an available time slot, and a distribution mode signal that indicates whether the selected robots are to be controlled based on the available time slot or an inputted priority section; and generating a plurality of sub-routes based on different parameters, depending on the distribution mode signal. The sub-routes are generated to be connected into an unbroken trail. Then, the sub-routes are transmitted to the selected robots, respectively, so as to control each of the selected robots to move along the respective one of the sub-routes.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes depositing a TiN layer over a substrate. The method further includes doping a first portion of the TiN layer using an oxygen-containing plasma treatment. The method further includes doping a second portion of the TiN layer using a nitrogen-containing plasma treatment, wherein the second portion of the TiN layer directly contacts the first portion of the TiN layer. The method further includes forming a first metal gate electrode over the first portion of the TiN layer. The method further includes forming a second metal gate electrode over the second portion of the TiN layer, wherein the first metal gate electrode has a different work function from the second metal gate electrode, and the second metal gate electrode directly contacts the first metal gate electrode.

Abstract: Provided are devices with replacement structures and methods for fabricating such structures. A method includes forming a layer over a semiconductor material having a top surface in a horizontal plane; forming a dummy structure over the layer, wherein the dummy structure has sidewall, wherein the dummy structure lies directly over a first region of the layer and over a first region of the semiconductor material under the first region of the layer, and wherein the dummy structure does not lie directly over a second region of the layer or over a second region of the semiconductor material under the second region of the layer, and removing the second region of the layer and forming a side edge of the first region of the layer, wherein the side edge forms an angle of from 90 to 100 degrees with the horizontal plane.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is described. A plurality of fins is formed over a substrate. Dummy gates are formed patterned over the fins, each dummy gate having a spacer on sidewalls of the patterned dummy gates. Recesses are formed in the fins using the patterned dummy gates as a mask. A passivation layer is formed over the fins and in the recesses in the fins. The passivation layer is patterned to leave a remaining passivation layer only in some of the recesses in the fins. Source and drain regions are epitaxially formed only in the recesses in the fins without the remaining passivation layer.

Abstract: A method of movement tracking includes: performing, when it is determined that a strength of an external signal is greater than a threshold, positioning based on the signal to generate a first record; performing, when it is determined that the strength is not greater than the threshold, measurement of a movement variation to generate a second record; performing, when it is determined that the strength increases from being not greater than the threshold to being greater than the threshold, positioning based on the signal to obtain coordinates of an exact position; and computing corrected data based on the second record and the coordinates, and generating a movement path record based on the first record and the corrected data.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is described. A plurality of fins is formed over a substrate. Dummy gates are formed patterned over the fins, each dummy gate having a spacer on sidewalls of the patterned dummy gates. Recesses are formed in the fins using the patterned dummy gates as a mask. A passivation layer is formed over the fins and in the recesses in the fins. The passivation layer is patterned to leave a remaining passivation layer only in some of the recesses in the fins. Source and drain regions are epitaxially formed only in the recesses in the fins without the remaining passivation layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device includes a fin that is formed over the substrate and extends along a first direction. The semiconductor device includes a gate structure that straddles the fin and extends along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The semiconductor device includes a first source/drain structure coupled to a first end of the fin along the first direction. The gate structure includes a first portion protruding toward the first source/drain structure along the first direction. A tip edge of the first protruded portion is vertically above a bottom surface of the gate structure.

Abstract: In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a fin structure in which first semiconductor layers and second semiconductor layers are alternately stacked over a bottom fin structure protruding from a substrate, is formed. A sacrificial gate structure is formed over the fin structure. A source/drain region of the fin structure is etched, thereby forming a source/drain space. The first semiconductor layers are laterally etched through the source/drain space. An inner spacer is formed on an end of each of the etched first semiconductor layers. One or more epitaxial layers are formed in the source/drain space, and the sacrificial gate structure is replaced with a metal gate structure. A width of the source/drain space at a bottommost one of the first semiconductor layers is greater than a width of the source/drain space at one of the first semiconductor layers above the bottommost one of the first semiconductor layers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of channel layers vertically separated from one another. The semiconductor device also includes an active gate structure comprising a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion wraps around each of the plurality of channel layers. The semiconductor device further includes a gate spacer extending along a sidewall of the upper portion of the active gate structure. The gate spacer has a bottom surface. Moreover, a dummy gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate spacer and a topmost channel layer of plurality of channel layers. The dummy gate dielectric layer is in contact with a top surface of the topmost channel layer, the bottom surface of the gate spacer, and the sidewall of the gate structure.

Abstract: A cyclic process including an etching process, a passivation process, and a pumping out process is provided to prevent over etching of the sacrificial gate electrode, particularly when near a high-k dielectric feature. The cyclic process solves the problems of failed gate electrode layer at an end of channel region and enlarges filling windows for replacement gate structures, thus improving channel control. Compared to state-of-art solutions, embodiments of the present disclosure also enlarge volume of source/drain regions, thus improving device performance.

Abstract: A device including a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate having a pair of spacers abutting sidewalls of the gate stack. A recess is formed in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate stack. The recess has a first profile having substantially vertical sidewalls and a second profile contiguous with and below the first profile. The first and second profiles provide a bottle-neck shaped profile of the recess in the semiconductor substrate, the second profile having a greater width within the semiconductor substrate than the first profile. The recess is filled with a semiconductor material. A pair of spacers are disposed overly the semiconductor substrate adjacent the recess.

Abstract: A device including a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate having a pair of spacers abutting sidewalls of the gate stack. A recess is formed in the semiconductor substrate adjacent the gate stack. The recess has a first profile having substantially vertical sidewalls and a second profile contiguous with and below the first profile. The first and second profiles provide a bottle-neck shaped profile of the recess in the semiconductor substrate, the second profile having a greater width within the semiconductor substrate than the first profile. The recess is filled with a semiconductor material. A pair of spacers are disposed overly the semiconductor substrate adjacent the recess.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor fin that is formed over a substrate and extends along a first lateral axis. The semiconductor device includes a second semiconductor fin that is also formed over the substrate and extends along the first lateral axis. At least a tip portion of the first semiconductor fin and at least a tip portion of the second semiconductor fin bend toward each other along a second lateral axis that is perpendicular to the first lateral axis.

Abstract: A device includes a substrate, a channel layer, a gate structure, a first source/drain epitaxial structure, a second source/drain epitaxial structure, and a bottom dielectric structure. The channel layer is over the substrate. The gate structure is across the channel layer. The first source/drain epitaxial structure and the second source/drain epitaxial structure are on opposite sides of the channel layer and are connected to the channel layer. The bottom dielectric structure is between the first source/drain epitaxial structure and the substrate. A maximum width of the first source/drain epitaxial structure is greater than or equal to a maximum width of the bottom dielectric structure in a cross-sectional view.

Abstract: A robot system is used to trace and record boundaries of multiple sites, and data of the recorded boundaries are transmitted to a server for storage therein. The server computes moving paths for the sites based on the data of the recorded boundaries. Upon receipt of a setting signal from a mobile device that indicates a selected robot and a target site, the server transmits a maintenance instruction that includes the boundary and the moving path for the target site to the selected robot, so that the selected robot performs maintenances on the target site based on the maintenance instruction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate including a semiconductor material. The semiconductor device includes a conduction channel of a transistor disposed above the substrate. The conduction channel and the substrate include a similar semiconductor material. The semiconductor device includes a source/drain region extending from an end of the conduction channel. The semiconductor device includes a dielectric structure. The source/drain region is electrically coupled to the conduction channel and electrically isolated from the substrate by the dielectric structure.