Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a first conductive feature on a bottom surface of an opening through a dielectric layer. The forming the first conductive feature leaves seeds on sidewalls of the opening. A treatment process is performed on the seeds to form treated seeds. The treated seeds are removed with a cleaning process. The cleaning process may include a rinse with deionized water. A second conductive feature is formed to fill the opening.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin. A gate dielectric layer is over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. A gate electrode is over the gate dielectric layer over the top of the fin and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the fin. First and second semiconductor source or drain regions are adjacent the first and second sides of the gate electrode, respectively. First and second trench contact structures are over the first and second semiconductor source or drain regions, respectively, the first and second trench contact structures both comprising a U-shaped metal layer and a T-shaped metal layer on and over the entirety of the U-shaped metal layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device provided with first and second semiconductor element each having an obverse and a reverse surface with a drain electrode, source electrode and gate electrode provided on the obverse surface. The semiconductor device is also provided with a control element electrically connected to the gate electrodes of the respective semiconductor elements, and with a plurality of leads, which include a first lead carrying the first semiconductor element, a second lead carrying the second semiconductor element, and a third lead carrying the control element. The first and second leads overlap with each other as viewed in a first direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the semiconductor device, and the third lead overlaps with the first and second leads as viewed in a second direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the first direction.

Abstract: A light detection device includes: a back-illuminated light receiving element; a circuit element; a connection member; an underfill; and a light shielding mask. The light shielding mask includes a frame having an opening and a light shielding layer formed on an inner surface of the opening. A first opening edge on the side of the circuit element in the opening is located at the outside of an outer edge of the light receiving element. A second opening edge opposite to the circuit element in the opening is located at the inside of the outer edge of the light receiving element. The opening is narrowed from the first opening edge toward the second opening edge. A width of the frame increases from the first opening edge toward the second opening edge. The underfill reaches a gap between the light receiving element and the light shielding layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a substrate having a substrate top side, a substrate lateral side, and a substrate bottom side, an electronic device on the substrate top side, and an encapsulant on the substrate top side and contacting a lateral surface of the electronic device. The substrate comprises a conductive structure and a dielectric structure that extends comprising a protrusion in contact with the encapsulant. The conductive structure comprises a lead comprising a lead flank, the lead flank comprising a cavity and a conductive coating on a surface of the lead in the cavity. The conductive structure comprises a pad exposed at the substrate top side, embedded in the dielectric structure, and adjacent to the protrusion, to electrically couple with the electronic device via a first internal interconnect. Other examples and related methods are also disclosed herein.

Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor element, a first lead, and a second lead. The semiconductor element has an element obverse surface and an element reverse surface spaced apart from each other in a thickness direction. The semiconductor element includes an electron transit layer disposed between the element obverse surface and the element reverse surface and formed of a nitride semiconductor, a first electrode disposed on the element obverse surface, and a second electrode disposed on the element reverse surface and electrically connected to the first electrode. The semiconductor element is mounted on the first lead, and the second electrode is joined to the first lead. The second lead is electrically connected to the first electrode. The semiconductor element is a transistor. The second lead is spaced apart from the first lead and is configured such that a main current to be subjected to switching flows therethrough.

Abstract: A method for forming a 3D memory device is disclosed. A gate electrode having an inverted “T” shape is formed above a substrate. A continuous blocking layer is formed on the gate electrode. A continuous charge trapping layer is formed on the blocking layer. A first thickness of a first part of the charge trapping layer extending laterally is greater than a second thickness of a second part of the charge trapping layer extending vertically. The second part of the charge trapping layer extending vertically is removed to form a plurality of discrete charge trapping layers disposed at different levels on the blocking layer from the first part of the charge trapping layer extending laterally. A continuous tunneling layer is formed on the discrete charge trapping layers. A continuous channel layer is formed on the tunneling layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure is disclosed. A substrate having a logic device region and a memory device region is provided. A first dielectric layer is formed on the substrate. Plural memory stack structures are formed on the first dielectric layer on the memory device region. An insulating layer is formed and conformally covers the memory stack structures and the first dielectric layer. An etching back process is performed to remove a portion of the insulating layer without exposing any portion of the memory stack structures. After the etching back process, a second dielectric layer is formed on the insulating layer and completely fills the spaces between the memory stack structures.

Abstract: Systems and methods for measuring, reporting, controlling, and improving enterprise performance are described. A system receives objective statements for an enterprise, which can be an IEE value chain of the enterprise, and enterprise-specific measurable metrics through an interactive user interface with their associated processes. The system collects historical data and real-time data (e.g., daily) associated with enterprise-specific measurable metrics from a plurality of infield resources and analyses the historical data and the real-time data using a statistical model to provide information that teams can use to determine the strengths and shortcomings of the enterprise. Based on the determined strength and shortcomings, the system provides, using a knowledge database, information so that leadership and teams can determine where to focus process-output metric improvement efforts via process improvement efforts so that the enterprise-as-a-whole financially benefits.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate and a light-collimating layer. The substrate has a plurality of pixels. The light-collimating layer is disposed on the substrate, and the light-collimating layer includes a transparent material layer, a first light-shielding layer, a second light-shielding layer and a plurality of transparent pillars. The transparent material layer covers the pixels. The first light-shielding layer is disposed on the substrate and the first light-shielding layer has a plurality of holes corresponding to the pixels. The second light-shielding layer is disposed on the first light-shielding layer. The transparent pillars are disposed in the second light-shielding layer.

Abstract: A display device includes a pixel circuit, a first insulating layer covering the pixel circuit, a first electrode disposed on the first insulating layer, a second electrode disposed on the first insulating layer and spaced apart from the first electrode in a first direction, and a light emitting element electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode and disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode. A recess is provided in a first region of the first insulating layer between the first electrode and the second electrode when viewed in a plan view, and a width of the recess in the first direction is greater than a length of the light emitting element in the first direction. The first electrode and the second electrode do not overlap the recess when viewed in a plan view.

Abstract: Methods and systems including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for utilizing equivalent linear velocity for first arrival picking of seismic refraction. In one aspect, a method includes receiving data for the shot gather record, generating a diving wave equation curve for a particular parameter pair of multiple parameter pairs, and integrating the shot gather record data corresponding to the diving wave equation curve over a selected range of offsets of the shot gather to generate an equivalent linear velocity value for the particular parameter pair and the shot gather record data, selecting, from the equivalent linear velocity values for the plurality of parameter pairs, a greatest equivalent linear velocity value of the equivalent linear velocity values, the greatest equivalent linear velocity value corresponding to a first-arrival parameter pair, and determining, using the first-arrival parameter pair, a set of first-arrival onsets for the selected sub-range of offsets.

Abstract: Techniques to generate a flavor profile using artificial intelligence are disclosed. A flavor classifier classifies flavors for a given set of ingredients of a recipe from a set of possible classes of flavors. The flavor classifier may use different deep learning models to allow for different granularity levels corresponding to each flavor based on desired preciseness with classification of a particular flavor. A respective flavor predictor may or may not be used for each granularity level based on output of a certainty level classifier used for determining a preceding level of granularity.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices having one or more vias filled with an electrically conductive material are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first side, a plurality of circuit elements proximate to the first side, and a second side opposite the first side. A via can extend between the first and second sides, and a conductive material in the via can extend beyond the second side of the substrate to define a projecting portion of the conductive material. The semiconductor device can have a tall conductive pillar formed over the second side and surrounding the projecting portion of the conductive material, and a short conductive pad formed over the first side and electrically coupled to the conductive material in the via.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including vertical structures on a substrate; and interlayer insulating layers and gate layers on the substrate, wherein the gate layers are sequentially stacked in a memory cell array area and extend into an extension area, the gate layers have pad regions having a staircase structure in the extension area, the first vertical structure has a surface facing the gate layers, the second vertical structure has a surface facing at least one of the gate layers, the first vertical structure includes a first core pattern, a first semiconductor layer, and a pad pattern, the second vertical structure includes a second core pattern and a second semiconductor layer, each of the core patterns includes an insulating material, and an upper surface of the second semiconductor layer and an upper surface of the second core pattern are farther from the substrate than the upper surface of the first core pattern.

Abstract: According to the present disclosure, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the steps of (a) preparing a lead frame including a switching element die pad, a control element die pad, and a third-side side rail portion, (b) mounting a switching element and a diode element on the switching element die pad and mounting a control element configured to control the switching element on the control element die pad, (c) sealing the switching element, the diode element, and the control element with a mold resin such that the power side terminal, the control side terminal, and a part of the third-side side rail portion protrude outward, and (d) forming a third-side side rail terminal by cutting the third-side side rail portion, the third-side side rail terminal extending from a part of the third-side side rail portion.

Abstract: The present technology relates to a semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of channel plugs disposed in a cell region of a semiconductor substrate, a first dummy region and a second dummy region disposed at both end portions of the cell region, and first dummy plugs disposed in the first dummy region and second dummy plugs disposed in the second dummy region. A critical value of the first dummy plugs arranged in the first dummy region is different from a critical value of the second dummy plugs disposed in the second dummy region.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a first stacked body in which a plurality of first conductive layers are stacked at intervals in a first direction above a semiconductor substrate; a second stacked body in which a plurality of second conductive layers are stacked at intervals in the first direction above the semiconductor substrate; and a first slit extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the first slit isolating the first stacked body and the second stacked body in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

Abstract: Provided a semiconductor chip bonding apparatus including a body, a heater disposed on a lower surface of the body, a collet disposed on a lower surface of the heater, and a head disposed on a lower surface of the collet, the head has a rectangular plate shape, a lower surface and side surfaces of the head are exposed, an upper surface of the head is in contact with the lower surface of the collet, an area of the upper surface of the head is smaller than an area of the lower surface of the collet, the head includes a central section including a recess, and an outer surface constituting a part of the side surfaces of the head, and a peripheral section connected to the recess and disposed on each corners of the head, and a thermal conductivity of the peripheral section is different from that of the central section.

Abstract: Provided is a circuit structure including a substrate, a pad, a dielectric layer, a conductive layer, an adhesion layer, and a conductive bump. The pad is disposed on the substrate. The dielectric layer is disposed on the substrate and exposes a portion of the pad. The conductive layer contacts the pad and extends from the pad to cover a top surface of the dielectric layer. The adhesion layer is disposed between the dielectric layer and the conductive layer. The conductive bump extends in an upward manner from a top surface of the conductive layer. The conductive bump and the conductive layer are integrally formed. A method of manufacturing the circuit structure is also provided.