Abstract: A device includes a stationary structure, a spring and a proof mass. The stationary structure has a first portion and a second portion. The spring is over a substrate. The spring has a first protrusion protruded from an edge and extended toward the first portion of the stationary structure. The proof mass is over the substrate and supported by the sparing. The proof mass has a second protrusion protruded from an edge and extended toward the second portion of the stationary structure. A first gap between the first protrusion and the first portion is less than a second gap between the second protrusion and the second portion.

Abstract: An adaptive baking system includes a baking chamber configured to receive a wafer, and a heating element configured to support the wafer. The adaptive baking system further includes a controller configured to receive temperature information related to the heating element and the wafer, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust an amount of heat provided by the heating element during a baking process in response to the temperature information.

Abstract: A system and method comprising providing a layout of an integrated circuit design, generating, by a processor, a plurality of multiple patterning decompositions from the layout, determining a maximum mask shift between the first mask and the second mask and simulating a worst-case performance value for each of the plurality of multiple patterning decompositions using one or more mask shifts within a range defined by the maximum mask shift. Further, each of the plurality of multiple patterning decompositions comprise patterns separated to a first mask and a second mask of a multiple patterning mask set.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a gate stack over a semiconductor substrate, and an opening extending into the semiconductor substrate, wherein the opening is adjacent to the gate stack. A first silicon germanium region is disposed in the opening, wherein the first silicon germanium region has a first germanium percentage. A second silicon germanium region is overlying the first silicon germanium region, wherein the second silicon germanium region has a second germanium percentage higher than the first germanium percentage. A metal silicide region is over and in contact with the second silicon germanium region.

Abstract: A method of assigning layout patterns includes identifying a first set of layout patterns of a current layout design that is new or has been modified in comparison with a reference layout design. A second set of layout patterns of the current layout design is identified. A member of the second set of layout patterns that is not a member of the first set of layout patterns has a distance, less than a predetermined threshold distance, to at least another member of the second set of layout patterns. A third set of layout patterns is not modified in comparison with the reference layout design. The third set of layout patterns is assigned to a plurality of masks according to the reference pattern-assigning result.

Abstract: Disclosed are a FinFET diode of high efficiency, designed to resolve the degradation problem with a conventional FinFET diode arising from reduced active area, and a method of fabrication. The FinFET diode has a doped substrate, two spaced-apart groups of substantially parallel, equally-spaced, elongated semiconductor fin structures, dielectric layers formed between the two groups and among the fin structures for insulation, a plurality of substantially equal-spaced and parallel elongated gate structures perpendicularly traversing both groups of the fin structures, and two groups of semiconductor strips respectively formed lengthwise upon the two groups of the fin structures. The two groups of semiconductor strips are doped to have opposite conductivity types, p-type and n-type. The FinFET diode further has metal contacts formed upon the semiconductor strips. In an embodiment, the semiconductor strips may be integrally formed with the fin structures by epitaxial growth and in-situ doped.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure, the method includes removing a portion of a dielectric filler from a first metal-containing layer formed over a semiconductor substrate to define an air-gap region according to a predetermined air-gap pattern. The method further includes filling the air-gap region with a decomposable filler and forming a dielectric capping layer over the first metal-containing layer. The method further includes decomposing the decomposable filler.

Abstract: System and method for reducing contact resistance and prevent variations due to misalignment of contacts is disclosed. A preferred embodiment comprises a non-planar transistor with source/drain regions located within a fin. An inter-layer dielectric overlies the non-planar transistor, and contacts are formed to the source/drain region through the inter-layer dielectric. The contacts preferably come into contact with multiple surfaces of the fin so as to increase the contact area between the contacts and the fin.

Abstract: Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a substrate. The method includes forming a portion of an interconnect structure over the substrate. The portion of the interconnect structure has an opening. The method includes obtaining a boron-containing gas that is free of a boron-10 isotope. The method includes filling the opening with a conductive material to form a contact. The filling of the opening is carried out using the boron-containing gas. Also provided is a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate. The semiconductor device includes an interconnect structure formed over the substrate. The semiconductor device includes a conductive contact formed in the interconnect structure. The conductive contact has a material composition that includes Tungsten and Boron, wherein the Boron is a 11B-enriched Boron.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for curing and modifying a low k dielectric layer in an interconnect structure is disclosed. A spin-on low k dielectric layer which includes an organic silsesquioxane, polyarylether, bisbenzocyclobuene, or SiLK is spin coated on a substrate. The substrate is placed in a process chamber in a supercritical CO2 system and is treated at a temperature between 30° C. and 150° C. and at a pressure from 70 to 700 atmospheres. A co-solvent such as CF3—X or F—X is added that selectively replaces C—CH3 bonds with C—CF3 or C—F bonds. Alternatively, H2O2 is employed as co-solvent to replace a halogen in a C—Z bond where Z=F, Cl, or Br with an hydroxyl group. Two co-solvents may be combined with CO2 for more flexibility. The cured dielectric layer has improved properties that include better adhesion, lower k value, increased hardness, and a higher elastic modulus.