Abstract: A serial communication bus system with a dynamic address table and its control method allows the master device to detect the removal of slave devices from the serial communication bus using allocated addresses and a common initial address through interactive polling. Additionally, when new slave devices connect to the bus, they can be directly detected, and non-conflicting new addresses can be assigned, eliminating the need to reassign addresses for all connected slave devices, as required in the conventional approach.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is provided and includes a multi-bit cell having multiple bit cells disposed in multiple cell rows. The bit cells include M bit cells, M being positive integers. A first bit cell of the bit cells and a M-th bit cell of the bit cells are arranged diagonally in different cell rows in the multi-bit cell. The multi-bit cell includes first to fourth cell boundaries. The first and second boundaries extend in a first direction and the third and fourth boundaries extend in a second direction different from the first direction. The first bit cell and a second bit cell of the bit cells abut the third cell boundary, and the first bit cell and a (M/2+1)-th bit cell of the bit cells abut the first cell boundary.

Abstract: A carrier structure is provided, in which at least one positioning area is defined on a chip-placement area of a package substrate, and at least one alignment portion is disposed on the positioning area. Therefore, the precision of manufacturing the alignment portion is improved by disposing the positioning area on the chip-placement area, such that the carrier structure can provide a better alignment mechanism for the chip placement operation.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a first dummy source/drain, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and a second dummy source/drain. The first transistor and a second transistor adjacent to the first transistor are at a first elevation. The first dummy source/drain is disposed at the first elevation. The third transistor and a fourth transistor adjacent to the third transistor, are at a second elevation different from the first elevation. The second dummy source/drain is disposed at the second elevation. The second transistor is vertically aligned with the third transistor. The first dummy source/drain is vertically aligned with a source/drain of the fourth transistor. The second dummy source/drain is vertically aligned with a source/drain of the first transistor. The gate structure between the second dummy source/drain and a source/drain of the third transistor is absent. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure is also provided.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a substrate and a first capacitor. The substrate includes an active region. The first capacitor is over the substrate and free from overlapping the active region from a top view perspective.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first-voltage power rail and a second-voltage power rail in a first connection layer, and includes a first-voltage underlayer power rail and a second-voltage underlayer power rail below the first connection layer. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage power rails extends in a second direction that is perpendicular to a first direction. Each of the first-voltage and second-voltage underlayer power rails extends in the first direction. The integrated circuit includes a first via-connector connecting the first-voltage power rail with the first-voltage underlayer power rail, and a second via-connector connecting the second-voltage power rail with the second-voltage underlayer power rail.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to techniques of zone-based target control in chemical mechanical polishing of wafers. Multiple zones are identified on a surface of a wafer. The CMP target is achieved on each zone in a sequence of CMP processes. Each CMP process in the sequence achieves the CMP target for only one zone, using a CMP process selective to other zones.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes one or more active semiconductor components, wherein a front side is defined over the semiconductor substrate and a back side is defined beneath the semiconductor substrate. A front side power rail is formed at the front side of the semiconductor device and is configured to receive a first reference power voltage. First and second back side power rails are formed on the back side of the semiconductor substrate and are configured to receive corresponding second and third reference power voltages. The first, second and third reference power voltages are different from each other.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing an integrated circuit includes a processor coupled to a non-transitory computer readable medium configured to store executable instructions. The processor is configured to execute the instructions for generating a layout design of the integrated circuit that has a set of design rules. The generating of the layout design includes generating a set of gate layout patterns corresponding to fabricating a set of gate structures of the integrated circuit, generating a cut feature layout pattern corresponding to a cut region of a first gate of the set of gate structures of the integrated circuit, generating a first conductive feature layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first conductive structure of the integrated circuit, and generating a first via layout pattern corresponding to a first via. The cut feature layout pattern overlaps a first gate layout pattern of the set of gate layout patterns.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first gate structure extending along a first lateral direction. The semiconductor device includes a first interconnect structure, disposed above the first gate structure, that extends along a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction. The first interconnect structure includes a first portion and a second portion electrically isolated from each other by a first dielectric structure. The semiconductor device includes a second interconnect structure, disposed between the first gate structure and the first interconnect structure, that electrically couples the first gate structure to the first portion of the first interconnect structure. The second interconnect structure includes a recessed portion that is substantially aligned with the first gate structure and the dielectric structure along a vertical direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a through-silicon via (TSV) in a TSV zone in a substrate and the TSV extends through the substrate; an ESD cell proximal to a first end of the TSV and in contact with the TSV zone, the ESD cell including a set of diodes electrically connected in parallel to each other; an antenna pad electrically connected to a second end of the TSV; and an antenna electrically connected to the antenna pad and extending in a first direction, the first direction is parallel to a major axis of the TSV. The semiconductor device includes a conductive pillar extending parallel to the TSV at a same side of the substrate as the antenna pad, wherein a first end of the conductive pillar electrically connects to the antenna pad, and a second end of the conductive pillar electrically connects to the set of diodes of the ESD cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided and includes a first gate structure, a second gate structure, and at least one local interconnect that extend continuously across a non-active region from a first active region to a second active region. The semiconductor structure further includes a first separation spacer disposed on the first gate structure and first vias on the first gate structure. The first vias are arranged on opposite sides of the first separation spacer are isolated from each other and apart from the first separation spacer by different distances.

Abstract: A semiconductor device, includes a first metal layer, a second metal layer, a drain/source contact and at least one conductive via. The first metal layer has a first conductor that extends in a first direction and a second conductor that extends in the first direction, wherein the second conductor is directly adjacent to the first conductor. The second metal layer has a third conductor that extends in a second direction, wherein the second direction is transverse to the first direction. The drain/source contact extends in the second direction and is connected to the second conductor. The at least one conductive via connects the first conductor and the second conductor through the third conductor.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device includes manufacturing a first transistor over a first side of a substrate. The method further includes depositing a spacer material against a sidewall of the first transistor. The method further includes recessing the spacer material to expose a first portion of the sidewall of the first transistor. The method further includes manufacturing a first electrical connection to the transistor, a first portion of the electrical connection contacts a surface of the first transistor farthest from the substrate, and a second portion of the electrical connect contacts the first portion of the sidewall of the first transistor. The method further includes manufacturing a self-aligned interconnect structure (SIS) extending along the spacer material, wherein the spacer material separates a portion of the SIS from the first transistor, and the first electrical connection directly contacts the SIS.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a first conductor segment intersecting a first active-region structure at a source/drain region and a second conductor segment intersecting a second active-region structure at a source/drain region. The first conductor segment and the second conductor segment are separated at proximal edges by a separation distance. A distance from a first horizontal cell boundary to a proximal edge of the first conductor segment is larger than a distance from a second horizontal cell boundary to a proximal edge of the second conductor segment by a predetermined distance that is a fraction of the separation distance.

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: A semiconductor device includes first and second active regions extending in parallel in a substrate, a plurality of conductive patterns, each conductive pattern of the plurality of conductive patterns extending on the substrate across each of the first and second active regions, and a plurality of metal lines, each metal line of the plurality of metal lines overlying and extending across each of the first and second active regions. Each conductive pattern of the plurality of conductive patterns is electrically connected in parallel with each metal line of the plurality of metal lines.

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes first-type transistors aligned within a first-type active zone, second-type transistors aligned within a second-type active zone, a first power rail and a second power rail extending in a first direction. A first distance between the long edge of the first power rail and the first alignment boundary of the first-type active zone is different from a second distance between the long edge of the second power rail and the first alignment boundary of the second-type active zone. Each of the first distance and the second distance is along a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction.

Abstract: A method for predicting clinical severity of a neurological disorder includes steps of: a) identifying, according to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) image of a brain, brain image regions each of which contains a respective portion of diffusion index values of a diffusion index, which results from image processing performed on the MRI image; b) for one of the brain image regions, calculating a characteristic parameter based on the respective portion of the diffusion index values; and c) calculating a severity score that represents the clinical severity of the neurological disorder of the brain based on the characteristic parameter of the one of the brain image regions via a prediction model associated with the neurological disorder.

Abstract: An enhancement mode high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) includes a group III-V semiconductor body, a group III-V barrier layer and a gate structure. The group III-V barrier layer is disposed on the group III-V semiconductor body, and the gate structure is a stacked structure disposed on the group III-V barrier layer. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric and a group III-V gate layer disposed on the gate dielectric, and the thickness of the gate dielectric is between 15 nm to 25 nm.