Abstract: Sacrificial pillars for a semiconductor device assembly, and associated methods and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, a region of a semiconductor die may be identified to include sacrificial pillars that are not connected to bond pads of the semiconductor die, in addition to live conductive pillars connected to the bond pads. The region with the sacrificial pillars, when disposed in proximity to the live conductive pillars, may prevent an areal density of the live conductive pillars from experiencing an abrupt change that may result in intolerable variations in heights of the live conductive pillars. As such, the sacrificial pillars may improve a coplanarity of the live conductive pillars by reducing variations in the heights of the live conductive pillars. Thereafter, the sacrificial pillars may be removed from the semiconductor die.

Abstract: A fan includes a motor base, a bearing, an impeller, a stator and a magnetic element. The motor base has a bearing stand in a center portion thereof. The impeller includes a metallic case, plural blades and a rotating shaft. A top surface of a top wall of the metallic case continuous with curved surface that defines part of a central opening, and a depth of the central opening is equal to a thickness of the top wall. The blades are disposed around an outer periphery of said metallic case. The rotating shaft is inserted into the central opening and penetrated through the bearing stand, wherein no raised ring structure is formed in the top wall, and the rotating shaft and the metallic case are jointed together by a laser welding process. The magnetic element is disposed on an inner wall of the metallic case and aligned with the stator.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure having a bit line with a tapered configuration. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a bit line structure, disposed over the substrate, wherein the bit line structure includes a cylindrical portion and a step portion above the cylindrical portion; a polysilicon layer, disposed over the substrate and around the bit line structure; and a landing pad, disposed over the polysilicon layer and the step portion.

Abstract: A method includes etching a substrate to form an opening, depositing a first dielectric liner extending into the opening, and depositing a second dielectric liner over the first dielectric liner. The second dielectric liner extends into the opening. A conductive material is filled into the opening. The method further includes performing a first planarization process to planarize the conductive material so that a portion of the conductive material in the opening forms a through-via, performing a backside grinding process on the substrate until the through-via is revealed from a backside of the substrate, and forming a conductive feature on the backside of the substrate. The conductive feature is electrically connected to the through-via.

Abstract: A die stack structure including a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die, an insulating encapsulation and a redistribution circuit structure is provided. The first semiconductor die includes a first semiconductor substrate including a first portion and a second portion, a first interconnect structure and a first bonding structure. The first interconnect structure is disposed on a top surface of the second portion, a lateral dimension of the first portion is greater than a lateral dimension of the top surface of the second portion. The second semiconductor die is disposed on the first semiconductor die and includes a second bonding structure, the second semiconductor die is electrically connected with the first semiconductor die through the first and second bonding structures. The insulating encapsulation is disposed on the first portion and laterally encapsulating the second portion and the second semiconductor die.

Abstract: In example implementations, an apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a riser card body, a first interface, a first 2×8 slot on a surface of the riser card body, and a second 2×8 slot on a same side of the surface of the riser card body as the first 2×8 slot. The first interface includes a first set of fingers and a second set of fingers at an end of the riser card body to connect to a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) slot of a motherboard. The first 2×8 slot and the second 2×8 slot are positioned perpendicular to the PCIe slot of the motherboard.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a current limiter, a method of operating the same, and a hotswap module comprising the same. The current limiter comprises: a current limiting module having an input terminal, an output terminal, and a control terminal, and configured to limit a current, which is input via its input terminal, within a current limiting range; and a range controlling module having a control terminal coupled top the control terminal of the current limiting module and a sensing terminal coupled to the output terminal of the current limiting module, and configured to generate a control signal at least based on the current which is output via the output terminal of the current limiting module and which is sensed at the sensing terminal, and output the control signal via its control terminal, such that the current limiting range is dynamically adjustable based on the control signal.

Abstract: A method and device for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD) are provided. The method stores, in a memory in at least one of the IMD or the EI, a base scanning schedule that defines a pattern for scanning windows over a scanning state. The method enters the scanning state during which a receiver scans for advertisement notices during the scanning windows. At least a portion of the scanning windows are grouped in a first segment of the scanning state. The method stores, in the memory, a scan reset pattern for restarting the scanning state. Further, the method automatically restarts the scanning state based on the scan reset pattern to form a pseudo-scanning schedule that differs from the base scanning schedule and establishes a communication session between the IMD and the EI.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor structure including a conductive feature therein, a bitline over the semiconductor structure, a spacer on a sidewall of the bitline, wherein the first spacer is made of SiCO, a dielectric layer over a top surface of the bitline; and a contact in contact with the dielectric layer and the spacer and connected to the conductive feature of the semiconductor structure.

Abstract: Docking apparatus and methods for providing charging power to a power storage device of an external device, the docking apparatus including a docking portion for the external device to dock with; a plurality of power-supply contacts mounted on a surface of the docking portion and arranged in an L shape; and a control circuit configured to detect whether the external device docks with the docking portion and supply power to the power-supply contacts on the docking portion in response to detecting that the external device docks with the docking portion.

Abstract: Sensor packages and manufacturing methods thereof are disclosed. One of the sensor packages includes a semiconductor chip and a redistribution layer structure. The semiconductor chip has a sensing surface. The redistribution layer structure is arranged to form an antenna transmitter structure aside the semiconductor chip and an antenna receiver structure over the sensing surface of the semiconductor chip.

Abstract: In some examples, an electronic device includes an audio output device, an airflow generator to generate an airflow, and a system controller to control an operational speed of the airflow generator. The electronic device further includes an audio controller to generate a noise cancellation audio output based on an indicator of the operational speed of the airflow generator provided from the system controller to the audio controller, and send the noise cancellation audio output to the audio output device to mitigate noise produced by the airflow generator.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a semiconductor structure. The method includes: providing a substrate; forming a bit line structure over the substrate; forming a spacer surrounding the bit line structure; forming a polysilicon layer covering the bit line structure and the spacer; performing a first etching operation on the polysilicon layer to obtain a first height of the polysilicon layer, wherein the first height is less than a height of the bit line structure or a height of the spacer; performing a second etching operation on a first portion of the spacer; and performing a third etching operation on the polysilicon layer to obtain a second height of the polysilicon layer, wherein the second height is less than the first height.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure having a bit line with a tapered configuration. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a bit line structure, disposed over the substrate, wherein the bit line structure includes a cylindrical portion and a step portion above the cylindrical portion; a polysilicon layer, disposed over the substrate and around the bit line structure; and a landing pad, disposed over the polysilicon layer and the step portion.

Abstract: A method, system and external instrument are provided. The method initiates a communication link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD), established a first connection interval for conveying data packets between the EI and IMD and monitors a connection criteria that includes at least one of a data throughput requirement. A battery indicator or link condition of the communications link is between the IMD and EI. The method further changes from the first connection interval to a second connection interval based on the connection criteria.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a thin vapor-chamber structure including a first cover and a second cover. The first cover has a first surface and a first clustered pattern. The first clustered pattern is disposed on the first surface, and has a plurality of first protruding stripes spaced apart from each other and extended along a first direction. The second cover has a second surface and a second clustered pattern. The first surface faces the second surface. The second clustered pattern is disposed on the second surface, and has a plurality of second protruding stripes spaced apart from each other and extended along a second direction. The first clustered pattern and the second clustered pattern are partially contacted with each other to form a wick. The lateral walls of the first protruding stripes and the second protruding stripes form a micro-channel meandering between the first surface and the second surface.

Abstract: In example implementations, a computing device is provided. The computing device includes an expansion interface, a memory, a controller, and a configuration change module. The expansion interface includes a plurality of slots to connect to a respective add-in card and a re-timer to control an operation of the plurality of slots. The memory is to store a firmware that sets a configuration of the plurality of slots, wherein the re-timer is to control the operation of the plurality of slots in accordance with the configuration set by the firmware. The controller is to control operation of the expansion interface. The configuration change module is to change the configuration of the plurality of slots when a change in a number of connected add-in cards is detected.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a first integrated circuit die; a second integrated circuit die; a gap-fill dielectric between a first sidewall of the first integrated circuit die and a second sidewall of the second integrated circuit die; a protective cap overlapping the gap-fill dielectric, the first sidewall of the first integrated circuit die, and the second sidewall of the second integrated circuit die; and an isolation layer around the protective cap, the isolation layer disposed on the first integrated circuit die, and the second integrated circuit die.

Abstract: A structure including stacked substrates, a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die, and an insulating encapsulation is provided. The first semiconductor die is disposed over the stacked substrates. The second semiconductor die is stacked over the first semiconductor die. The insulating encapsulation includes a first encapsulation portion encapsulating the first semiconductor die and a second encapsulation portion encapsulating the second semiconductor die.

Abstract: A method includes etching a substrate to form an opening, depositing a first dielectric liner extending into the opening, and depositing a second dielectric liner over the first dielectric liner. The second dielectric liner extends into the opening. A conductive material is filled into the opening. The method further includes performing a first planarization process to planarize the conductive material so that a portion of the conductive material in the opening forms a through-via, performing a backside grinding process on the substrate until the through-via is revealed from a backside of the substrate, and forming a conductive feature on the backside of the substrate. The conductive feature is electrically connected to the through-via.