Abstract: A soft-switching power converter includes a main switch, an energy-releasing switch, and an inductive coupled unit. The main switch is a controllable switch. The energy-releasing switch is coupled to the main switch. The inductive coupled unit is coupled to the main switch and the energy-releasing switch. The inductive coupled unit includes a first inductance, a second inductance coupled to the first inductance, and an auxiliary switch unit. The auxiliary switch unit is coupled to the second inductance to form a closed loop. The main switch and the energy-releasing switch are alternately turned on and turned off. The auxiliary switch unit is controlled to start turning on before the main switch is turned on so as to provide at least one current path.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The structure includes a semiconductor substrate, a gate stack over a first portion of a top surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a laminated dielectric layer over at least a portion of a top surface of the gate stack. The laminated dielectric layer includes at least a first sublayer and a second sublayer. The first sublayer is formed of a material having a dielectric constant lower than a dielectric constant of a material used to form the second sublayer and the material used to form the second sublayer has an etch selectivity higher than an etch selectivity of the material used to form the first sublayer.

Abstract: A device includes a transistor, a backside via, and a pair of sidewall spacers. The transistor includes a gate structure, a channel layer surrounded by the gate structure, and a first source/drain structure and a second source/drain structure connected to the channel layer. The backside via is under and connected to the first source/drain structure and includes a first portion, a second portion between the first portion and the first source/drain structure, and a third portion tapering from the first portion to the second portion in a cross-sectional view. The pair of sidewall spacers are on opposite sidewalls of the second portion of the backside via but not on opposite sidewalls of the first portion of the backside via.

Abstract: A soft-switching power converter includes a main switch, an energy-releasing switch, and an inductive coupled unit. The main switch is a controllable switch. The energy-releasing switch is coupled to the main switch. The inductive coupled unit is coupled to the main switch and the energy-releasing switch. The inductive coupled unit includes a first inductance, a second inductance coupled to the first inductance, and an auxiliary switch unit. The auxiliary switch unit is coupled to the second inductance to form a closed loop. The main switch and the energy-releasing switch are alternately turned on and turned off. The auxiliary switch unit is controlled to start turning on before the main switch is turned on so as to provide at least one current path.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are provided. A semiconductor device according to one embodiment includes an active region including a channel region and a source/drain region adjacent the channel region, a gate structure over the channel region of the active region, a source/drain contact over the source/drain region, a dielectric feature over the gate structure and including a lower portion adjacent the gate structure and an upper portion away from the gate structure, and an air gap disposed between the gate structure and the source/drain contact. A first width of the upper portion of the dielectric feature along a first direction is greater than a second width of the lower portion of the dielectric feature along the first direction. The air gap is disposed below the upper portion of the dielectric feature.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an imaging device including a first image sensor element and a second image sensor element respectively comprising a pixel unit disposed within a semiconductor substrate. The first image sensor element is adjacent to the second image sensor element. A first micro-lens overlies the first image sensor element and is laterally shifted from a center of the pixel unit of the first image sensor element by a first lens shift amount. A second micro-lens overlies the second image sensor element and is laterally shifted from a center of the pixel unit of the second image sensor element by a second lens shift amount different from the first lens shift amount.

Abstract: A semiconductor device structure, along with methods of forming such, are described. The semiconductor device structure includes a device, a first dielectric material disposed over the device, and an opening is formed in the first dielectric material. The semiconductor device structure further includes a conductive structure disposed in the opening, and the conductive structure includes a first sidewall. The semiconductor device structure further includes a surrounding structure disposed in the opening, and the surrounding structure surrounds the first sidewall of the conductive structure. The surrounding structure includes a first spacer layer and a second spacer layer adjacent the first spacer layer. The first spacer layer is separated from the second spacer layer by an air gap.

Abstract: An antiferroelectric field effect transistor (Anti-FeFET) of a memory cell includes an antiferroelectric layer instead of a ferroelectric layer. The antiferroelectric layer may operate based on a programmed state and an erased state in which the antiferroelectric layer is in a fully polarized alignment and a non-polarized alignment (or a random state of polarization), respectively. This enables the antiferroelectric layer in the FeFET to provide a sharper/larger voltage drop for an erase operation of the FeFET (e.g., in which the FeFET switches or transitions from the programmed state to the erased state) relative to a ferroelectric material layer that operates based on switching between two opposing fully polarized states.

Abstract: A semiconductor process system includes a process chamber. The process chamber includes a wafer support configured to support a wafer. The system includes a bell jar configured to be positioned over the wafer during a semiconductor process. The interior surface of the bell jar is coated with a rough coating. The rough coating can include zirconium.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of channel layers vertically separated from one another. The semiconductor device also includes an active gate structure comprising a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion wraps around each of the plurality of channel layers. The semiconductor device further includes a gate spacer extending along a sidewall of the upper portion of the active gate structure. The gate spacer has a bottom surface. Moreover, a dummy gate dielectric layer is disposed between the gate spacer and a topmost channel layer of plurality of channel layers. The dummy gate dielectric layer is in contact with a top surface of the topmost channel layer, the bottom surface of the gate spacer, and the sidewall of the gate structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes first and second active regions extending in parallel in a substrate, a plurality of conductive patterns, each conductive pattern of the plurality of conductive patterns extending on the substrate across each of the first and second active regions, and a plurality of metal lines, each metal line of the plurality of metal lines overlying and extending across each of the first and second active regions. Each conductive pattern of the plurality of conductive patterns is electrically connected in parallel with each metal line of the plurality of metal lines.

Abstract: A bonded assembly includes an interposer; a semiconductor die that is attached to the interposer and including a planar horizontal bottom surface and a contoured sidewall; a high bandwidth memory (HBM) die that is attached to the interposer; and a dielectric material portion contacting the semiconductor die and the interposer. The contoured sidewall includes a vertical sidewall segment and a non-horizontal, non-vertical surface segment that is adjoined to a bottom edge of the vertical sidewall segment and is adjoined to an edge of the planar horizontal bottom surface of the semiconductor die. The vertical sidewall segment and the non-horizontal, non-vertical surface segment are in contact with the dielectric material portion. The contoured sidewall may provide a variable lateral spacing from the HBM die to reduce local stress in a portion of the HBM die that is proximal to the interposer.

Abstract: An optical system affixed to an electronic apparatus is provided, including a first optical module, a second optical module, and a third optical module. The first optical module is configured to adjust the moving direction of a first light from a first moving direction to a second moving direction, wherein the first moving direction is not parallel to the second moving direction. The second optical module is configured to receive the first light moving in the second moving direction. The first light reaches the third optical module via the first optical module and the second optical module in sequence. The third optical module includes a first photoelectric converter configured to transform the first light into a first image signal.

Abstract: A device includes a fin extending from a substrate, a gate stack over and along sidewalls of the fin, a gate spacer along a sidewall of the gate stack, and an epitaxial source/drain region in the fin and adjacent the gate spacer. The epitaxial source/drain region includes a first epitaxial layer on the fin, the first epitaxial layer including silicon, germanium, and arsenic, and a second epitaxial layer on the first epitaxial layer, the second epitaxial layer including silicon and phosphorus, the first epitaxial layer separating the second epitaxial layer from the fin. The epitaxial source/drain region further includes a third epitaxial layer on the second epitaxial layer, the third epitaxial layer including silicon, germanium, and phosphorus.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a photodetector disposed in a semiconductor substrate. A wave guide filter having a substantially planar upper surface is disposed over the photodetector. The wave guide filter includes a light filter disposed in a light filter grid structure. The light filter includes a first material that is translucent and has a first refractive index. The light filter grid structure includes a second material that is translucent and has a second refractive index less than the first refractive index.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method for forming the semiconductor device are provided. In some embodiments, a semiconductor substrate comprises a device region. An isolation structure extends laterally in a closed path to demarcate the device region. A first source/drain region and a second source/drain region are in the device region and laterally spaced. A sidewall of the first source/drain region directly contacts the isolation structure at a first isolation structure sidewall, and remaining sidewalls of the first source/drain region are spaced from the isolation structure. A selectively-conductive channel is in the device region, and extends laterally from the first source/drain region to the second source/drain region. A plate comprises a central portion and a first peripheral portion. The central portion overlies the selectively-conductive channel, and the first peripheral portion protrudes from the central portion towards the first isolation structure sidewall.

Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards an integrated chip. The integrated chip includes a first photodetector disposed in a first pixel region of a semiconductor substrate and a second photodetector disposed in a second pixel region of the semiconductor substrate. The second photodetector is laterally separated from the first photodetector. A first diffuser is disposed along a back-side of the semiconductor substrate and over the first photodetector. A second diffuser is disposed along the back-side of the semiconductor substrate and over the second photodetector. A first midline of the first pixel region and a second midline of the second pixel region are both disposed laterally between the first diffuser and the second diffuser.

Abstract: A device comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, a first contact, and a second contact. The first transistor comprises a first gate structure, first source/drain regions on opposite sides of the first gate structure, and first gate spacers spacing the first gate structure apart from the first source/drain regions. The second transistor comprises a second gate structure, second source/drain regions on opposite sides of the second gate structure, and second gate spacers spacing the second gate structure apart from the second source/drain regions. The first contact forms a first contact interface with one of the first source/drain regions. The second contact forms a second contact interface with one of the second source/drain regions. An area ratio of the first contact interface to top surface the first source/drain region is greater than an area ratio of the second contact interface to top surface of the second source/drain region.

Abstract: The present invention provides a detection chip for quantitative detection of neutralizing antibody and manufacturing method thereof. A sensing layer is disposed on a circuit layer. A shielding layer corresponds a shielding part on the sensing layer to form a sensing area. The surface of the sensing area is hydroxylated to form a self-assembled monolayer film including the aldehyde group. A protein solution is dripped on the sensing area. An external electric field is applied to the sensing layer at an external angle with respect to the normal of the substrate to deflect protein molecules in the protein solution correspondingly. This structure can be applied to rapid and quantitative detection. According to various embodiments of the present invention, the sensing efficiency of the detection chip can be enhanced.

Abstract: Provided is an expression vector including a nucleotide sequence for encoding lysine decarboxylase CadA, and a sequence of a constitutive promoter for regulating the expression of the nucleotide sequence. Also provided is a recombinant microorganism including the expression vector and a method of producing 1,5-diaminopentane by using the recombinant microorganism.