Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating layer, an active layer, a source electrode and a drain electrode. The gate insulating layer is disposed between the gate electrode and the active layer, the source electrode and the drain electrode are arranged on one side of the gate insulating layer, wherein the gate insulating layer includes multilayer oxide films stacked on each other and at least one interface layer between the multilayer oxide films, and the material of the at least one interface layer is different from the material of the oxide films.

Abstract: A gallium nitride-on-silicon structure is disclosed in which the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) layer is a discontinuous layer that includes at least two 2DEG segments. Each 2DEG segment is separated from another 2DEG segment by a gap. The 2DEG layer can be depleted by a p-doped gallium nitride layer that is disposed over a portion of an aluminum gallium nitride layer. Additionally or alternatively, a trench may be formed in the structure through the 2DEG layer to produce a gap in the 2DEG layer. An electrical component is positioned over at least a portion of a gap.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region and a source/drain region. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer over the channel region, one or more work function adjustment material layers over the gate dielectric layer, and a metal gate electrode layer over the one or more work function adjustment material layers. The one or more work function adjustment layers includes an aluminum containing layer, and a diffusion barrier layer is disposed at at least one of a bottom portion and a top portion of the aluminum containing layer. The diffusion barrier layer is one or more of a Ti-rich layer, a Ti-doped layer, a Ta-rich layer, a Ta-doped layer and a Si-doped layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes a method to form a backside power rail (BPR) semiconductor device with an air gap. The method includes forming a fin structure on a first side of a substrate, forming a source/drain (S/D) region adjacent to the fin structure, forming a first S/D contact structure on the first side of the substrate and in contact with the S/D region, and forming a capping structure on the first S/D contact structure. The method further includes removing a portion of the first S/D contact structure through the capping structure to form an air gap and forming a second S/D contact structure on a second side of the substrate and in contact with the S/D region. The second side is opposite to the first side.

Abstract: A device includes first and second gate structures respectively extending across the first and second fins, and a gate isolation plug between a longitudinal end of the first gate structure and a longitudinal end of the second gate structure. The gate isolation plug comprises a first dielectric layer and a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer. The first dielectric layer has an upper portion and a lower portion below the upper portion. The upper portion has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the lower portion of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method includes forming a static random access memory (SRAM) array comprising a plurality of SRAM cells, at least one of the SRAM cells comprising first and second pull-up transistors, first and second pull-down transistors, and first and second pass-gate transistors; forming a first front-side metal layer above the SRAM array, the first front-side metal layer comprising a first power supply voltage line and a bit-line, the first power supply voltage line electrically coupled to the first and second pull-up transistors, and the bit-line electrically coupled to the first pass-gate transistor; forming a back-side butt contact extending from a back-side of a gate structure of the first pull-up transistor to a back-side of a source/drain region of the second pull-up transistor from a cross sectional view.

Abstract: An interconnect structure is provided. The interconnect structure includes a transistor on a substrate, a first dielectric layer over the transistor, a first metal line through the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, and a via through the second dielectric layer and on the first metal line. A first side surface of the first dielectric layer includes a first portion in direct contact with the first metal line and a second portion in direct contact with the via, and the first portion of the first side surface of the first dielectric layer is aligned with the second portion of the first side surface of the first dielectric layer.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes a voltage provision circuit. In one aspect of the present disclosure, a voltage provision circuit is disclosed. The voltage provision circuit includes a first NMOS transistor gated with a first control signal and sourced with a ground voltage. The voltage provision circuit includes a second NMOS transistor gated with a second control signal complementary to the first control signal and sourced with the ground voltage. The voltage provision circuit includes a first PMOS transistor sourced with a first supply voltage. The voltage provision circuit includes a second PMOS transistor sourced with the first supply voltage. The voltage provision circuit includes a voltage modulation circuit, coupled between the first to second PMOS transistors and the first to second NMOS transistors, that is configured to provide a first intermediate signal based on the first and second control signals.

Abstract: A memory circuit and a method for reading a memory circuit are provided. The memory circuit includes reference memory cells and operation memory cells. The method includes reading a selected reference memory cell at a first time to get a first voltage; reading the selected reference memory cell at a second time after the first time to get a second voltage; adjusting a read voltage of the memory cell to be an adjusted read voltage of the memory cell according to the voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage; applying the adjusted read voltage on a selected operation memory cell corresponding to the selected reference memory cell; and applying the adjusted read voltage on other selected operation memory cells in a same row of the memory array corresponding to the selected reference memory cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes source and drain regions, a channel region between the source and drain regions, and a gate structure over the channel region. The gate structure includes a gate dielectric over the channel region, a work function metal layer over the gate dielectric and comprising iodine, and a fill metal over the work function metal layer.

Abstract: A system includes a measuring device, a processing device and a signal generating device. The measuring device is configured to measure a voltage difference between a first node and a second node. The processing device is coupled between the first node and the second node. The signal generating device is configured to provide a first clock signal to the processing device to adjust the voltage difference, configured to generate the first clock signal according to a first enable signal and a second clock signal, and configured to align an edge of the first enable signal with an edge of the second clock signal. A method and a device are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first conductive plate and a second conductive plate disposed adjacent to the first conductive plate; a first insulating plate disposed over the first conductive plate and the second conductive plate; a third conductive plate disposed over the first insulating plate; a second insulating plate disposed over the third conductive plate; a fourth conductive plate disposed over the second insulating plate; a first conductive via penetrating the fourth conductive plate, the second insulating plate, the first insulating plate, and the first conductive plate, wherein the first conductive via is electrically coupled to the fourth conductive plate and the first conductive plate; and a second conductive via penetrating the second insulating plate, the third conductive plate, the first insulating plate, and the second conductive plate, wherein the second conductive via is electrically coupled to the third conductive plate and the second conductive plate.

Abstract: A method of designing an integrated circuit (IC) device includes identifying, with a processor, a pin failing a test to determine an antenna effect, identifying, with the processor, a net corresponding to the identified pin failing the test to determine the antenna effect, and creating, with the processor, an engineering change order (ECO) script based on the identified net to insert a diode to address the antenna effect.

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present disclosure includes a channel member including a first connection portion, a second connection portion and a channel portion disposed between the first connection portion and the second connection portion, a first inner spacer feature disposed over and in contact with the first connection portion, a second inner spacer feature disposed under and in contact with the first connection portion, and a gate structure wrapping around the channel portion of the channel member. A shape of a cross-sectional view of the channel member includes a dog-bone shape. By providing the dog-bone shape channel member, a parasitic resistance of the semiconductor device is advantageously reduced, and performance of the semiconductor device may be significantly improved.

Abstract: A semiconductor package includes a photonic die, an encapsulated electronic die, a substrate, and a lens structure. The photonic die includes an optical coupler. The encapsulated electronic die is disposed over and bonded to the photonic die. The encapsulated electronic die includes an electronic die and an encapsulating material at least laterally encapsulating the electronic die. The substrate is disposed over and bonded to the encapsulated electronic die. The lens structure is disposed over the photonic die and is overlapped with the optical coupler from a top view. The optical coupler is configured to be optically coupled to an optical signal source through the lens structure.

Abstract: A wafer lift pin system is capable of dynamically modulating or adjusting the flow of gas into and out of lift pins of the wafer lift pin system to achieve and maintain a consistent pressure in supply lines that supply the gas to the lift pins. This enables the wafer lift pin system to precisely control the speed, acceleration, and deceleration of the lift pins to achieve consistent and repeatable lift pin rise times and fall times. A controller and various sensors and valves may control the gas pressures in the wafer lift pin system based on various factors, such as historic rise times, historic fall times, and/or the condition of the lift pins. This enables smoother and more controlled automatic operation of the lift pins, which reduces and/or minimizes wafer shifting and wafer instability, which may reduce processing defects and maintain or improve processing yields.

Abstract: In method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a source/drain epitaxial layer is formed, one or more dielectric layers are formed over the source/drain epitaxial layer, an opening is formed in the one or more dielectric layers to expose the source/drain epitaxial layer, a first silicide layer is formed on the exposed source/drain epitaxial layer, a second silicide layer different from the first silicide layer is formed on the first silicide layer, and a source/drain contact is formed over the second silicide layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, ground level circuitry, a plurality of stacked memory arrays and a plurality of sense amplifier units. The ground level circuitry is disposed on the semiconductor substrate. The stacked memory arrays are disposed at an elevated level over the ground level circuitry. The sense amplifier units are disposed on the semiconductor substrate and electrically coupled to the stacked memory arrays, wherein at least a portion of each of the sense amplifier units is disposed at the elevated level over the ground level circuitry.

Abstract: Semiconductor structures and method for forming the same are provide. The semiconductor structure includes a fin structure protruding from a substrate and a gate structure formed across the fin structure. The semiconductor structure further includes an Arsenic-doped region formed in the fin structure and a source/drain structure formed over the Arsenic-doped region. In addition, a bottommost portion of the Arsenic-doped region is lower than a bottommost portion of the source/drain structure.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device structure is provided. The method includes forming a masking structure with first openings over a semiconductor substrate and correspondingly forming metal layers in the first openings. The method also includes recessing the masking structure to form second openings between the metal layers and forming a sacrificial layer surrounded by a first liner in each of the second openings. In addition, after forming a second liner over the sacrificial layer in each of the second openings, the method includes removing the sacrificial layer in each of the second openings to form a plurality of air gaps therefrom.