Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor device structure includes forming a fin structure over a substrate. The method also includes forming a dummy gate structure across the fin structure. The method also includes depositing a spacer layer over the fin structure and the dummy gate structure. The method also includes implanting dopants into the spacer layer to form a first doped region vertically overlapping the dummy gate structure and a second doped region over the fin structure without vertically overlapping the dummy gate structure. A middle region of the spacer layer connects the first doped region and the second doped region. The method also includes removing the first doped region and the second doped region of the spacer layer. The method also includes forming a source/drain structure attached to the fin structure after removing the first doped region and the second doped region of the spacer layer.

Abstract: A context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoder includes a bin decode circuit and a context update circuit. The bin decode circuit supports decoding of multiple bins in one cycle. The multiple bins include a first bin and a second bin. The bin decode circuit generates a bin value of the first bin according to a first set of multiple contexts, a first range and a first offset, and generates one bin value of the second bin according to a second set of multiple contexts, a second range and a second offset. The context update circuit updates the first set of multiple contexts in response to the bin value of the first bin, to generate a first set of multiple updated contexts, and updates the second set of multiple contexts in response to said one bin value of the second bin, to generate a second set of multiple updated contexts.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a conductive layer extending along a first lateral direction; a gate dielectric layer disposed over the conductive layer; a channel layer disposed over the gate dielectric layer and extending along a second lateral direction perpendicular to the first lateral direction; a first via-like structure, in direct contact with the channel layer, that is disposed along a first edge of the first channel extending along the second lateral direction; and a second via-like structure, in direct contact with the channel layer, that is disposed along a second, opposite edge of the first channel extending along the second lateral direction. The first via-like structure and second via-like structure are laterally separated apart along a third lateral direction that is clockwise tilted from the second lateral direction with a first positive angle.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a supporting frame, a platform supported by the supporting frame and having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side, and at least three robot fingers which are mounted to the supporting frame, and which are angularly displaced from each other. Each of the robot fingers has a fingertip configured to retain a substrate on the first side of the platform such that the substrate is spaced apart from the platform. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor structure using the apparatus is also disclosed.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes: before residual decoding of a coding unit is completed, referring to available information to determine whether to decode information that an inverse transform (IT) circuit needs for applying inverse transform to transform blocks of the coding unit, and generating a determination result; and controlling coefficient transmission of the coding unit to the IT circuit according to the determination result.

Abstract: A method includes: applying a first solution to a semiconductor structure of a semiconductor device to form a first coating, the semiconductor structure including a feature and the trench, the first coating being formed in the trench and over the feature, the first solution containing a metal-containing solute; heating the first coating in a multi-step procedure to turn the first coating into a first film, the multi-step procedure including heating at a first temperature, followed by heating at a second temperature not lower than the first temperature; applying a second solution onto the first film to form a second coating, the second solution containing the metal-containing solute; and heating the second coating in a multi-step procedure to turn the second coating into a second film, the multi-step procedure including heating at a third temperature, followed by heating at a fourth temperature not lower than the third temperature.

Abstract: A video decoding method includes: before residual decoding of a coding unit is completed, referring to available information to determine whether to decode information that an inverse transform (IT) circuit needs for applying inverse transform to transform blocks of the coding unit, and generating a determination result; and controlling coefficient transmission of the coding unit to the IT circuit according to the determination result.

Abstract: A video processing circuit includes a first buffer and a computation circuit. Before a second one-dimensional processing operation is performed upon a plurality of consecutive blocks in a second direction, the first computation circuit generates a first processing result for each of the plurality of consecutive blocks by performing a first one-dimensional processing operation upon each of the plurality of consecutive blocks in a first direction that is different from the second direction, and further stores a plurality of first processing results of the plurality of consecutive blocks into the first buffer.

Abstract: A context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) decoder includes a bin decode circuit and a context update circuit. The bin decode circuit supports decoding of multiple bins in one cycle. The multiple bins include a first bin and a second bin. The bin decode circuit generates a bin value of the first bin according to a first set of multiple contexts, a first range and a first offset, and generates one bin value of the second bin according to a second set of multiple contexts, a second range and a second offset. The context update circuit updates the first set of multiple contexts in response to the bin value of the first bin, to generate a first set of multiple updated contexts, and updates the second set of multiple contexts in response to said one bin value of the second bin, to generate a second set of multiple updated contexts.

Abstract: A motion vector (MV) projection method includes generating motion field motion vectors (MFMVs) for a first portion of a current frame by applying MV projection to MVs of a portion of each of reference frames and storing the MFMVs of the first portion of the current frame into an MFMV buffer, and generating MFMVs for a second portion of the current frame by applying MV projection to MVs of a portion of each of the reference frames and storing the MFMVs of the second portion of the current frame into the MFMV buffer. The second portion does not overlap the first portion. Before generating the MFMVs for the second portion of the current frame is done, at least one of the MFMVs of the first portion is read from the MFMV buffer and involved in motion vector determination of at least one coding block included in the first portion.

Abstract: A video processing system includes a storage device, a receiving circuit, an audio/video demultiplexing circuit, a video decoder, and a display engine. The storage device includes a data buffer, a bitstream buffer, and a display buffer. An output of the receiving circuit is written into the data buffer. An input of the audio/video demultiplexing circuit is read from the data buffer, and an output of the audio/video demultiplexing circuit is written into the bitstream buffer. An input of the video decoder is read from the bitstream buffer, and an output of the video decoder is written into the display buffer. An input of the display engine is read from the display buffer. Each of the data buffer, the bitstream buffer, and the display buffer is a ring buffer.

Abstract: A post processing apparatus includes a super-resolution (SR) filtering circuit and a loop restoration (LR) filtering circuit. The SR filtering circuit applies SR filtering to a processing result of a preceding circuit. The LR filtering circuit applies LR filtering to a processing result of the SR filtering circuit. Before the SR filtering circuit finishes SR filtering of all pixels of a frame that are generated by the preceding circuit, the LR filtering circuit starts LR filtering of pixels that are derived from applying SR filtering to pixels included in the frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for video encoding or decoding used by a video encoder or decoder respectively. In one method, input data associated with a video sequence are received. A current sequence header for a current picture is determined. Whether the current sequence header corresponds to a first sequence header or a second sequence header is determined. If the current sequence header corresponds to the second sequence header, one or more syntax values of a syntax set associated with the first sequence header are assigned to corresponding one or more syntax values of the syntax set associated with the current sequence header. The current picture is then encoded or decoded according to the current sequence header.

Abstract: An entropy decoding apparatus includes an entropy decoding circuit, a pre-fetch circuit, and a context pre-load buffer. The pre-fetch circuit pre-fetches at least one candidate context for entropy decoding of a part of an encoded bitstream of a frame before the entropy decoding circuit starts entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame. The context pre-load buffer buffers the at least one candidate context. When a target context actually needed by entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame is not available in the context pre-load buffer, the context pre-load buffer instructs the pre-fetch circuit to re-fetch the target context, and the entropy decoding circuit stalls entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame.

Abstract: A decoding apparatus is used for decoding region of interest (ROI) regions in an image, and includes a storage device, a pre-processing circuit, a decoding circuit, and an information fetching circuit. The pre-processing circuit performs a syntax pre-parsing operation upon a bitstream to obtain necessary information of the ROI regions, and stores the necessary information into the storage device. The decoding circuit performs a decoding operation upon the bitstream to decode the ROI regions, wherein the decoding operation includes syntax parsing of the bitstream. The information fetching circuit reads and analyzes the necessary information, and delivers at least a portion of the necessary information to the decoding circuit. A processing time of obtaining necessary information of one ROI region at the pre-processing circuit overlaps a processing time of decoding another ROI region at the decoding circuit.

Abstract: A motion vector (MV) projection method includes generating motion field motion vectors (MFMVs) for a first portion of a current frame by applying MV projection to MVs of a portion of each of reference frames and storing the MFMVs of the first portion of the current frame into an MFMV buffer, and generating MFMVs for a second portion of the current frame by applying MV projection to MVs of a portion of each of the reference frames and storing the MFMVs of the second portion of the current frame into the MFMV buffer. The second portion does not overlap the first portion. Before generating the MFMVs for the second portion of the current frame is done, at least one of the MFMVs of the first portion is read from the MFMV buffer and involved in motion vector determination of at least one coding block included in the first portion.

Abstract: A palette decoding apparatus includes a palette color storage device which stores palette colors, a color index storage device which stores color indices of pixels, and a palette value processing circuit which generates a palette value for each pixel by reading data from the color index storage device and the palette color storage device. A frame is divided into first coding units, and each first coding unit is sub-divided into one or more second coding units. Before a palette value of a last pixel in a first coding unit is generated by the palette value processing circuit, a palette value of a non-last pixel in the first coding unit is generated by the palette value processing circuit and used by a reconstruction circuit of the video decoder.

Abstract: An entropy decoding apparatus includes an entropy decoding circuit, a pre-fetch circuit, and a context pre-load buffer. The pre-fetch circuit pre-fetches at least one candidate context for entropy decoding of a part of an encoded bitstream of a frame before the entropy decoding circuit starts entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame. The context pre-load buffer buffers the at least one candidate context. When a target context actually needed by entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame is not available in the context pre-load buffer, the context pre-load buffer instructs the pre-fetch circuit to re-fetch the target context, and the entropy decoding circuit stalls entropy decoding of the part of the encoded bitstream of the frame.

Abstract: A post processing apparatus includes a super-resolution (SR) filtering circuit and a loop restoration (LR) filtering circuit. The SR filtering circuit applies SR filtering to a processing result of a preceding circuit. The LR filtering circuit applies LR filtering to a processing result of the SR filtering circuit. Before the SR filtering circuit finishes SR filtering of all pixels of a frame that are generated by the preceding circuit, the LR filtering circuit starts LR filtering of pixels that are derived from applying SR filtering to pixels included in the frame.

Abstract: A video processing system includes a storage device, a receiving circuit, an audio/video demultiplexing circuit, a video decoder, and a display engine. The storage device includes a data buffer, a bitstream buffer, and a display buffer. An output of the receiving circuit is written into the data buffer. An input of the audio/video demultiplexing circuit is read from the data buffer, and an output of the audio/video demultiplexing circuit is written into the bitstream buffer. An input of the video decoder is read from the bitstream buffer, and an output of the video decoder is written into the display buffer. An input of the display engine is read from the display buffer. Each of the data buffer, the bitstream buffer, and the display buffer is a ring buffer.